5 Weird and Wonderful Global Halloween Traditions
My housemate is making pumpkin soup, my lecture buddy is fretting over whether her costume this year is ‘too extra’ and the man at my local corner shop is desperately trying to sell some indescribably ugly bat bunting. All this hubbub can mean only one thing: it’s nearly Halloween. Just like all ‘holidays’ of this type, everyone has their own traditions but there are some wacky customs from around the world that we might not have heard of…
Ireland
Why not start with the supposed birthplace of the Halloween celebration? We all know that Halloween is a big thing in the US, leading many to believe that it originated there. In truth, the event is more likely to have its roots in Ireland and been popularised in the US by Irish immigrants. Today, Irish Halloween customs include not just bobbing for apples but bobbing for nuts and even coins – clearly the choking hazard is worth the fun!
Romania
When I think Romania, I think vampires. It’s the home of the fictional Dracula and the man who inspired the character, the very real Vlad Tepes. He was the infamously cruel prince of the historic kingdom of Wallachia and has become known better by his nickname ‘Vlad the Impaler’. Around Halloween, the Romanian tourist industry organises tours to locations associated with Vlad and holds a massive party on the 31st October in Sighișoara, the citadel where he was born. Seriously spooky!
Scotland
Things always get messy on Halloween. For students, that tends to mean a lot of alcohol and a lot of cheesy chips but in Scotland the substance of choice is treacle. Sound bizarre? Well, just as you may be familiar with the challenge of taking a bite from a doughnut hanging on a string, Scottish children have to munch on a treacle-coated scone instead. An old tradition also says to peel a long strip of skin from an apple and throw it over your shoulder; the peel is supposed to land in the shape of the letter of the first name of your future spouse. Forget Tinder everyone, this is the way to go.
Switzerland
As much as we all love the idea of cosy nights in, hot chocolates and oversized woollen garments, there is something a little gloomy about winter. In Switzerland, traditional Halloween celebrations include the Fasnacht tradition of chasing winter away using noise and masks. As far as I’m concerned, if bashing on a drum alongside lots of other people will make summer stick around for a bit longer I’m most definitely on board.
Hong Kong
There are a lot of ideas about the dead resurrecting on Halloween night, from some pretty gruesome zombie films to ideas of ghosts. Halloween celebrations in Hong Kong are known as “Yue Lan” which translates to the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. Some people burn photos of fruit or money at this time as it is believed that the images may reach the spirit world and bring comfort to ghosts roaming the earth at the end of October. This may just be the most well-intentioned Halloween tradition I’ve ever heard!
Whatever your favourite Halloween tradition, whether you like carving pumpkins or dressing up as the sassiest Power Ranger ever seen, have a fab time and don’t get too spooked in the dark…