Waking up to frigid temperatures, leaves falling from the trees, and a gust of chilling wind hitting your face. Aisles filled with numerous decorations and every costume you can think of. Pumpkins and skeletons are everywhere you look. Fall is underway and Halloween is right around the corner.

Halloween is a celebrated holiday in several parts of the world on October 31. Halloween has been dated back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. People would light bonfires and wear costumes to shield o the ghosts. The first of November was to honor all saints. Samhain traditions integrated with All Saints Day and the evening before November 1st was known as All Hallows Eve or Halloween. By the middle of the 19th century, festivals were typical but were not celebrated all around the country. This was until America was overflowing with immigrants which helped introduce the celebration of Halloween nationally.

Halloween is not all about dressing up and temperatures dropping. This season is filled with haunted houses, parades, mazes, pumpkin patches, and many more activities to experience with friends and family.

Saint Clair, New Philadelphia, and Pottsville are having their annual Halloween Parades. Pottsville Area High School’s Marching Band will be performing at all three events. Sunday, October 16th is New Philadelphia’s Fall Festival Parade. Wednesday, October 19th is the Saint Clair Halloween Parade. Lastly, Tuesday, October 25, Pottsville is having its Halloween parade. Both Pottsville and Saint Clair’s parades start at 7:00 pm and New Philadelphia’s start time is at 3:30 pm

“I love spending Halloween with friends. I usually go to a haunted house and a pumpkin patch during the weekend. Giving out candy to and seeing kid’s costumes always brings me joy,” said senior Alyssa Goodman.

Here at Pottsville Area, Trunk or Treat is a yearly tradition. Clubs, sports, and other organizations come together to decorate their trunks in all unique ways. Trick-or-treaters start a line to go to all trunks and collect candy. Here kids can be themselves and show o their costumes.

“I usually stay at the house and pass out candy to the kids. Field of Screams has to be my favorite Halloween attraction I’ve been to,” said Senior Amaree Bainbridge.