Practiced on

Halloween and nearly all fall related festivals

Country of Origin 

Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States (In regards specifically to the Halloween Parade)

Key Points / Halloween Connection

- Family-friendly focusing on costumes, candy and floats taking Halloween from a community event to a city-wide spectacle

- The first Halloween parade was in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1905

Brief Bio

Halloween parades have roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which featured processions and bonfires, and were brought to the US by immigrants. The first U.S. Halloween parades emerged in the early 20th century, with Allentown, PA, claiming the first in 1905 and Hiawatha, Kansas, holding the longest continuous parade since 1914, evolving into the community and children-focused celebrations of today.