Halloween around the world
October 30, 2015
Trick-or-Treat! Three little words that can be heard in neighborhoods all around America on Halloween. Little witches and werewolves and ghosts, all knocking on doors, asking for a treat and hoping to earn one with their menacing costumes.
Halloween in America provides children and adults the opportunity to dress up and channel their inner skeletons while enjoying time with close ones. It is one of the oldest holidays celebrated around the world, but not every country celebrates Halloween the same as here in America. For some places, Halloween signifies frightening faces and receiving candy; while in others, it symbolizes a day of remembrance.
Halloween originated in Ireland, which still has much of the same traditions as the United States. Kids dress up in costumes and “trick-or-treat” for candy around their neighborhoods. Later, children attend parties with their families and play a multitude of card and kids games. One popular Halloween game in Ireland is “snap-apple,” where participants hang an apple on a string and try to take a bite out of it, similar to bobbing for apples. Additionally, adults may set up treasure hunts with candy and other prizes for the children to find. Halloween is also a day of mischief among the children; they are known to play tricks on their neighbors, such as “Knock-a Dolly,” which is comparable to “Ding-Dong-Ditch” in America.
La Catrina – In Mexican folk culture, the Catarina, popularized by José Guadalupe Posada, is the skeleton of a high society woman and one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico.
Canada’s Halloween is also similar to the United States’. Children dress up, go trick-or-treating and families throw parties. As in America, both Ireland and Canada celebrate Halloween as a fun way to get together with family and friends and enjoy the holiday.
Despite its proximity, Mexico’s traditions are different from the United States. Mexico celebrates Los Dios de Los Muertos (The Days of the Dead), in which individuals celebrate the lives of their lost loves ones, as it is believed that the spirits of the dead come back to Earth on Halloween. The festivities begin on Oct. 31 and end on Nov. 2. Families
Halloween in England is also very different from the United States. Instead of dressing up and going out to receive candy, the British celebrate Guy Fawkes day on Nov. 5, a commemoration of the execution of an English traitor, Guy Fawkes. The English light bonfires and burn sculptures of Guy Fawkes. Children walk around the streets carrying a “guy,” meant to represent Guy Fawkes, and ask for pennies for the guy, which is similar to trick-or-treating.
All in all, various cultures celebrate Halloween in different ways. One country’s Halloween may promote the commemoration of life, while another could be focused on the haunts of the dead. Despite the differences, Halloween serves as a way to enjoy the time spent with friends and family.