Over the centuries, governments, invading armies, churches, reformers and iconoclasts have tried to stop it. The Puritans of early America banned it.
But nothing has stopped Halloween. Until COVID-19.
There may be no Halloween this year and if there is, it will be plenty different.
If you think about it, this is pretty strange because if there is one day we all wore masks, it was Halloween.
In Salem, Mass., once known for its 17th century witch hysteria, the city of 43,000 celebrates its macabre history on Halloween, when citizens and tourists roam the streets for the whole month of October, reveling in costumes and treats. Not this year. Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts recently tightened restrictions on indoor and outdoor group gatherings.
But will a governor or virus really stop the festivities?
According to the results of a Morning Consult/Harris poll, 63 percent of adults believe that people would "find creative, fun, and safe ways to celebrate Halloween" this year. The Harris poll, conducted in mid-June, found that 74 percent of millennial mothers said Halloween was more important than ever this year.
School celebrations may be muted though, with many districts relying on e-learning — not nearly as fun as coming to school dressed as your favorite monster and terrorizing classmates.