Edited by: Aneesha Chandra
It’s that time of year again — everyone is ready to get their spooky on and go all out. Trick-or-treating, apple bobbing, and pumpkin carving is on everyone’s minds. Every house is decorated differently: some dressed to scare while some dressed to hearten. The creative energy around creates an atmosphere of joy and celebration. The air is filled with excitement, thrill, and anticipation. But how did it all begin? Is Halloween celebrated the same way everywhere around the world?
Halloween finds its origins in the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. In what is present-day Ireland, the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1st, the day marking the beginning of the dark winter. This time of the year was associated with death and gloom, as it was believed that the boundary between the human realm and the realm of the dead would become blurry. This is why 31st October becomes a special date; it is the night on which ghosts would return to the earth.
Celtic priests made predictions about the future during the Samhain. They would build sacred bonfires around which people would gather. Everyone would wear costumes, usually made of animal skins, and offer animals and crops as sacrifices to the Celtic gods. Later, people began trick-or-treating in costumes to disguise themselves as souls of the dead. This would protect them from actual ghosts.
Contemporary Halloween traditions are believed to have been influenced by Christian culture. October 31 is the day before the Christian holy day of All Hallows’ Day, a time during which saints are celebrated and the recently dead are honoured. But each culture has a different way of celebrating this day.
In Mexico, El Día de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Legend goes that the ghosts of the dead visit their families during this time. Those alive welcome them with flowers, sweets, and pictures of decorated skeletons and skulls. The living light candles in cemeteries in honour of the dead. Even though images of death are everywhere, the spirit of the festival is not sad and gloomy. The festival celebrates life — in its past and present.
Unlike most other cultures, Halloween in Japan is celebrated by adults rather than children. Adults engaged in cosplay on October 31st. They put a lot of effort into making their costumes stand out. Zombie runs, flash mobs, and street parties replace trick-or-treating. The Kawasaki Halloween Parade takes the spotlight during Halloween. About 4000 participants registered two months prior and begin working on their costumes early. In this way, Halloween in Japan emphasizes clothes and makeup rather than celebrating the spirit of the dead.
The Fiesta de las Ñatitas is celebrated on November 8th in Bolivia. Every year, Bolivians decorate real skulls that belonged to their deceased family members with jewellery, hats, flowers, and glasses. Large crowds gather around cemeteries and celebrate with music, sweets, and alcohol. They extract skulls from forgotten tombs and decorate them in the absence of familial skulls.
In Italy, Halloween is celebrated with an older festival called “Ognissanti”. “Ognissant” takes place on November 1st and 2nd. Like Mexicans, Italians believe that the souls of the dead come back to visit their living families. This is why cemeteries are beautified and decorated with fall chrysanthemums. Food is kept out for the spirits. In some places, parents leave presents out for their children on behalf of their dead relatives.
Scotland celebrates Halloween to honour the dead. Bonfires are lit to ward off evil entities. Today, people carve turnip lanterns in place of this. The Scottish throw nuts into a bonfire to determine their love lives. If the nuts crack loudly, then it is a bad sign. If they roast quietly, it means wedding bells are bound.
The name of the festivities, the belief systems, and the execution of events may vary, but each culture has a unique way of celebrating the spirit of Halloween. Every culture adds a new meaning to Halloween. This variety in the ways of celebrating a festival represents the significance of histories, traditions, beliefs, and geographies in shaping the culture of a people. In this way, Halloween, like any other festival, is a celebration of diversity. Whether you choose to celebrate it by dressing up as Princess Leia or by watching a horror movie at home, join in on the diversity and celebrate the spirit of Halloween this 2021.