Hallowmas: When Christmas Crashes Halloween

Christmas doesn’t wait for November anymore. It shows up at Halloween in a Santa hat and a skull mask. Hallowmas is when Christmas lights hit the haunted house, Santa goes trick-or-treating, and the Halloween party gets a tree. LVCRFT has the soundtrack.

What is Hallowmas?

Two things, both spooky:

  • The original Hallowmas is an old name for All Saints’ Day, November 1. “All Hallows” is where Halloween gets its name: Hallowe’en is literally the eve of Hallowmas.
  • Modern Hallowmas is Christmas creeping into Halloween: candy canes in the candy bowl, ornaments on the jack-o’-lantern, Nightmare Before Christmas energy, all in October.

When is Hallowmas?

Late October through November 1. It peaks on Halloween night and lands on the original Hallowmas the next morning, right when the stores flip from pumpkins to tinsel.

Also known as

Hallowmas, Christoween, Hallo-Christmas, Halloween Christmas, Spooky Christmas and Creepmas.

How to celebrate Hallowmas

  • Build a Halloween Christmas tree: black tree, skull ornaments, orange and red lights
  • Play spooky Christmas music (see below)
  • Mix the candy bowl: candy corn meets candy canes
  • Watch the classics: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Gremlins, Krampus
  • Creepy Christmas cookies and haunted gingerbread houses

Spooky Christmas music from LVCRFT

For people who never take the skulls down. Naughty & Nice and All I Want For Christmas is BOO! bring Halloween’s dark side to the holidays, and Krampus is waiting for the naughty list. Check out our Spooky Christmas sleighlist to set the mood.

LVCRFT Naughty and Nice Playlist cover with skeleton sam being grabbed by krampus
All I Want For Christmas is BOO! album cover skeleton sam wearing a santa hat

Hallowmas keeps going

The spooky doesn’t stop at November 1. Krampusnacht on December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day, is the darkest night of the holidays, when Krampus comes for the naughty. Keep the skulls up all the way to Christmas.

The spooky calendar

Halloween fans don’t wait. LVCRFT has a song for every stop:

  • Half-O-Ween (April 30 to May 1): “Halfway There (Half-O-Ween)”
  • Summerween (June 22): “Summerween (Midsummer Scream),” the official theme of Midsummer Scream
  • Halloween (October 31): Skeleton Sam’s Deadtime Stories and 200+ more
  • Hallowmas (Halloween to November 1): [spooky Christmas titles]

Hallowmas FAQ

What is Hallowmas? An old name for All Saints’ Day (November 1), and today, Christmas crashing Halloween.
Is Halloween related to Hallowmas? Yes. Halloween, “All Hallows’ Eve,” is the night before Hallowmas.
When is Krampusnacht? December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day.
What’s spooky Christmas music? Holiday songs with a Halloween twist, like LVCRFT’s Naughty & Nice and All I Want for Christmas is BOO! – or you can check out LVCRFT’s Spooky Christmas playlist.