We all know Halloween as an unnerving holiday celebrated on the night of October 31st with the traditional activities of trick-or-treating, bonfires, pumpkin carving and costume parties, but little do we know how it is celebrated around the world? Halloween boasts its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, by which Scottish and Irish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America, initiating the involvement of other western countries.
English-speaking Canadian areas and the USA are the stereotypical places where Halloween is emphasised and celebrated the most in the world. It was not until the 19th century at which the event became a holiday. The earliest known reference to ritual begging on Halloween in English speaking North America was recorded by a 1911 newspaper when children were reported as being rewarded for their rhymes and songs with nuts and sweets as a result of visiting local shops and neighbours. Commercialisation of Halloween did not start in America until the 20th Century but it is now the second most popular holiday, after Christmas – can you believe it?
Not to mention Halloween being considered as a spooky enough time of the year, what’s spookier then having a real witch living in your local village? – Deanshanger shows home to a witch of their very own giving out tricks-and-treats from her bubbling cauldron. So be warned, ‘The Witch is Coming’!
Halloween is fuelled into areas all over the world, through Asia, Europe and Australasia yet celebrated differently. While Austria welcome the dead back into their homes through candle light, Canada use it as more of a celebration along with England living up to traditional values practiced during Halloween. Unlike most nations, Halloween isn’t celebrated by the French in order to honour the dead and departed ancestors but has slowly been accepted as a celebration since being introduced in 1996.
Want to wish your friends Happy Halloween from around the world? Here are some translations to help you:
- French: Joyeux Halloween
- German: Fröhliches Halloween
- Japanese: ハローウィンおめでとう。
- Italian: Buon Halloween
- Chinese: 万圣节快乐
- Hungarian: Vidám Halloweent
- Russian: С Хэллоуином
- Turkish: Cadılar Bayramı kutlu olsun
Trick or Treat!