The traditional holiday, Halloween, is typically celebrated on October 31st annually. It is one of the world’s oldest holidays, originating around 2,000 years ago to mark the end of the harvest season, and the beginning of winter. Halloween, at that time, was treated as a festival called Samhain, where the Celtic people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Today, Halloween in America, is a day for people to dress up in costume and go door to door collecting candy from their neighbors. With this interesting history in mind, read on to see the different adaptations of the holiday, Halloween, in different parts of the world.
México
When children from México go trick-or-treating on October 31st, it is not a day just for candy, but a day to remember their past loved ones. This day is called el Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On this day, the gates of heaven open, and the spirits of deceased loved ones come to visit their living family.
Traditions on this day include decorating their deceased one’s altars. The living family members decorate their deceased loved one’s altars with their favorite foods, religious items, precious memorabilia, and much more. A common component of all these altars, in México, would be marigold flowers. These flowers represent the connection between life and death. The marigolds are used to help guide the spirits to their altars with their vibrant color. Not only are the altars a vibrant display, but people will wear festive clothes with bright colors and paint their faces to resemble a human skull. Most women in México will base their attire off of La Calavera Catrina. La Calavera Catrina is a strong visual image depicting the deceased ones as spirits.
Ireland
Ireland goes all out for Halloween, and it makes sense why they do as it's where the celebration first began. Not only do people dress up in their favorite costumes, but across Ireland you can attend festivals that celebrate the folklore behind the original Celtic holiday. An example of one of these festivals is the Puca Festival. The Puca Festival celebrates Ireland as the birthplace of Halloween through local traditional Irish music, and storytelling of the origin story of Samhain.
Italy
On November 1st and 2nd, Italians celebrate Ognissanti, or “all saints”. This holiday is seen as a festival with religious ties to Christianity. On this day(s), Italian families will attend their local parish for mass and will recall the dead by bringing flowers, and lighting candles in the parish. The flower most well-known with this holiday is the chrysanthemum because it is the symbol of death and mourning. The flower was initially attached to the holiday due to the abundance of chrysanthemums in bloom during the holiday. After mass, families will get together and share a big meal with the table, full of delicacies. It’s important that the table is full of food as it welcomes the souls of those visiting from beyond.
Japan
While Halloween is a very recent holiday to be introduced in Japan, the country has added its own influence on the Western tradition. In America, you would typically see lots of kids running door to door in their neighborhoods asking for candy. In Japan, it's the exact opposite. Halloween is not the time for searching and trading candy with friends, rather, it's all about the costumes. Kids in Japan might dress up for school events, or local parades, but the adults especially love to dress up and take part in Halloween inspired events such as street parties and clubs.
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