Halloween is a festive time when people dress in costumes, make jack-o-lanterns, and go trick-or-treating. In the United States, and especially in New Orleans, Halloween is celebrated through a variety of events, traditions, and activities. Here are some of our tips and tricks to ensure that you have a fun and safe celebration!
Halloween Culture in the United States
Halloween is celebrated each year on October 31, and Halloween 2026 will occur on Saturday, October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Over time, the celebration evolved into All Hallows Eve and later Halloween. Today, Halloween is a day of activities such as trick-or-treating, carving jack-o'-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes, and eating treats. You can read more about the evolution of Halloween here.
Halloween in New Orleans draws thousands of visitors for the many activities that the city has. Just like Mardi Gras, locals dress up in lavish homemade costumes, enjoy parades, and decorate their homes.
Costuming Tips
In New Orleans, dressing up in a costume is an important part of any celebration. In a city where costume shops are common across the city, there are many places where you can go to get unique costuming items! Visit this website for a full list of local costuming shops. Of course, online retailers like Amazon, HalloweenCostumes.com, and Spirit Halloween have some great options as well. Spirit Halloween will also set up physical locations around this time of year. This year, there are physical store locations in Harvey, New Orleans, and Metairie. You can find a full list here.
Avoiding Cultural Appropriation in Your Costumes
Click the hotspots below to learn tips for preventing cultural appropriation in your costumes.
Safety
Be safe as you engage in Halloween activities! Whether you are handing out candy to trick-or-treaters or attending fun costume parties, be sure that you follow these tips:
- Travel in Groups: If you go out, go with friends. A group of people will be less likely to attract attention than a single person. Go out in groups and return in groups. You will have more fun with friends, and you will be safer with other people!
- Leave Valuables at Home: Don't bring your immigration documents out with you or other valuable items! Leave them at home in a safe location.
- If You Drink, Don't Drive: Twice as many child pedestrians are killed on Halloween night as on any other night of the year. 14% of fatal accidents on Halloween involve a driver under the influence of alcohol. If you drink, don't plan on driving! Use Tulane transportation resources to get to and from your destination safely, or use Uber/Lyft. Remember, you need to be 21+ to drink in the United States!
- Avoid Mixing Substances: Mixing alcohol and other substances can create an unsafe environment for you and the people around you.
- Write Down Emergency Phone Numbers: Write down a friend's phone number and keep Tulane emergency contact information with you at all times. If your phone runs out of battery, you can still contact these numbers if you have them written down!
Activities
Now that you know some costuming tips and safety tips, let's talk about some fun things to do to celebrate Halloween!
- Attend Krewe of Boo: Krewe of Boo is New Orleans' Official Halloween Parade, combining the magnitude of Mardi Gras with the macabre theatrics of All Hallow's Eve. Krewe of Boo 2026 Parade Rolls Saturday, October 24th at 6:30 PM.
- Visit the Skeleton House: Located on St. Charles Ave on the corner of State St is the Skeleton House. Louellen and Darryl Berger, the residents of the house, decorate their property every year with skeletons with creative and funny puns. This house is within walking distance from the Tulane Uptown Campus, or you could take a streetcar to visit it!
- Do a Haunted Tour: There are tons of great tour companies here in New Orleans that can show you historical sites with haunted histories.
- Visit a Cemetery: Because of the geography of New Orleans, burying the dead underground is very difficult. To solve this problem New Orleans buries their dead in plots of land above the ground or in mausoleums. Visit one of these historic sites and take a tour!
- Visit a Haunted House: Haunted House attractions are very popular this time of year. These attractions involve walking through a house or maze and actors popping out to scare you! Some local ones include The Mortuary and New Orleans Nightmare
Celebrate Halloween with OISS
This month, we will host or cohost several events for international students and scholars to celebrate Halloween! Here are a list of the upcoming celebrations:
- Cutlure Connections: Halloween: Join us for a Halloween-themed Culture Connections! Enjoy a free lunch while connecting with fellow students and campus partners. We'll have Halloween-related activity, share practical tips and resources for staying safe and supporting your well-being during Halloween festivities, and more! Whether Halloween is new to you or a tradition you already enjoy, this is a welcoming opportunity to learn, ask questions, meet others, and celebrate the season together. All students are welcome!
- Thursday, October 22 from 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM at Tidewater Building, Diboll Gallery
- Coffee & Conversation: Halloween Trivia: Coffee & Conversation is getting spooky! Join us for a Halloween-themed edition featuring fun trivia. Test your knowledge of Halloween traditions, spooky facts, and more while connecting with fellow students.
- Thursday, October 22 from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM at 6901 Willow St (OISS Office), First Floor Confernece Room
- Global Café Halloween Pumpkin Painting: Join us for an unforgettable evening of pumpkin painting, coffee, snacks, and Halloween-themed goodies. Whether you come with your gang of ghouls or fly solo, we'll make sure you have everything you need to create the perfect pumpkin masterpiece. The first 50 groups get pumpkins, so come early!
- Tuesday, October 27 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Pocket Park
- OISS Trick-or-Treating: Each of our participating offices will have stations set-up in their offices or in another place of their choosing where international students and scholars can stop by, say “Trick-Or-Treat”, and get some Halloween candy and maybe swag or resource information. Costumes, makeup, or fun Halloween accessories for this event are HIGHLY encouraged.
- Friday, October 30 from 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Downtown and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM Uptown