Halloween originated in Europe and is popular in the United States. It also known as All Saints’ day. Like Christmas, it is a festival of absorption and reinterpretation of other cultural festivals by Christianity. The real date for Halloween is November 1st. October 31st is Halloween Eve. On this day, the children have endless candy, and the adults have endless revelry. Halloween is not just a microcosm of Christian culture, but a worldwide holiday accepted by a wide range of countries and people. Let’s take a look at the different ways people around the world celebrate Halloween.
Ireland: The Origin Of The Legendary Halloween
Many of the custom here are the same as those in the UK, the US and other English-speaking countries. You’ll find bonfires all over the country, especially in rural areas. These are large open-air bonfires traditionally used for celebrations. Children and adults dress up in costumes, usually scary characters, such as ghosts, witches and skeletons. At this time, the parents will knock the door door-to-door with the children, and then you will get to the other party’s hospitality, usually chocolate and candy. The children shouted “trick or treat!”
A popular Halloween treat in Ireland is a yeast fruitcake called Barmbrack. It contains various “small objects” wrapped in cloth, which is said to predict the future of the consumer.
Britain: Jack Lanterns Carved With Vegetables
Because of the proximity to Ireland, the British had Halloween very early, when most people had not ever seen pumpkins yet. The first “Jack Lantern” was carved with radishes and beets. After the carving, the children will bring their work to the street, knocking on the neighbor’s door and asking for change. radish lamps are placed on the doorposts outside the home to protect residents from ghosts wandering around Halloween night. For many years, some British people have insisted on inheritance and still like to carve their “Jack Lantern” on traditional vegetables.
In addition to this, in Sheffield, every year on Halloween, the section of the city center will be blocked for Fright Night. This is a very big Halloween celebration in the UK. More than 40,000 people participate each year. The participants show the people in a horrible shape like ghost and devil, and go to the streets to scare people.
The United States: Making A Carnival Feast With Heart
The United States is currently the country with the strongest Halloween atmosphere. On this day, all shops sell ghost-shaped food, candy, clothing and masks. Since the pumpkin lantern is a symbol of the festival, every family will buy pumpkins to make Jack lanterns and have Jack lanterns competitions. In the evening, the children will participate in the activities of begging for candy. They will carry Jack lanterns and ask for candies. If the owner does not give candies, the child will make troubles to the owners in various ways. They will throw the garbage at the door of the owner’s house or trample on the pumpkin in front of their door.
Philippines: Adults Don’t Ask For Candy, We Drink
In the Philippines, where most people believe in Catholicism, Halloween has become a folk festival with local characteristics. In rural areas, young people have the habit of asking old people to drink alcohol in the evening. If you don’t give it, the old man’s pigs and chickens will be “mysteriously missing.” On November 1st and 2nd, every family in the countryside will light candles day and night, and put the most refined food on the altar for the dead people. In addition, the Philippines has the habit of sweeping graves on Halloween. Many people will bring flowers to the cemetery to sweep the tomb. They also set up tents on the cemetery, playing cards, eating, drinking and singing together, all night long.
Mexico: The Dead Return To The World
Mexico has a three-day celebration from October 31st to November 2nd. This celebration is called El Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. It is a festival that Mexicans have held since ancient times to commemorate dead relatives. This festival in Mexico is similar to the “Halloween” in the West but is not exactly the same. During this period, villages will hold a parade and dancers will wear skeleton costumes.
The families believe that the souls of their relatives will come back at this time, so they decorate an altar in the living room with candy, flowers, photos, water and some relatives favorite food. They light the candles to guide the deceased back home. This festival has a strong Indian national culture.
Japan: Halloween Party
Japanese Halloween has a strong local culture, COSPLAY, ACG, nurse clothes, kimono, student wear and other elements are integrated into it. On the day of Halloween, a large number of Japanese young people flocked to Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and other areas. They made themselves into a variety of figures to participate in this young people’s exclusive festival.
France: Chrysanthemum And Pray
On the day of Halloween, the French usually go to the Montmartre Cemetery and the Raz Prince Cemetery to send chrysanthemums. In Paris, there are thousands of flower shops along the cemetery, filled with delicate and elegant chrysanthemums. There are a lot of people going to the cemetery. On this day, Catholic believers will thank the Lord and pray for all saints in heaven to pray from them, so that God can receive the prayers of believers.
Canada: Ghost Festival, Halloween Carnival
Halloween is also called “Ghost Festival” in Canada. In the evening, the Canadian people dressed up as a horrible look, hoping to scare away the “ghost.” People who are disguised as “ghosts”, whether adults or children, have carried the bags to ask for candies from door to door. The Governor’s Office and the Prime Minister’s Office are even more people.
In Canada’s primary and secondary schools, each class begins to prepare for Halloween two or three days in advance. They decorate the classroom with something that is terrible to us. On Halloween, the school doesn’t has class, instead, every class has a holiday party.
Italy: Reserved Seats For The Dead
On Halloween, the Italians will put a chair at the table at home, where the chair is empty for the deceased relatives. They even put a plate of food in the empty seat, because people believe the deceased relatives will return home at this day. Like other Christian countries, the Italians usually go to sweep the grave around November 2. They will put candles and flowers for relatives.
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