As we all know, Halloween is one of the most prominently celebrated holidays here in the US.  Between the costumes, the candy, the parties, the pumpkins, and oh so much more, what’s not to love? But around the globe, this iconic holiday is celebrated in a variety of ways, with many traditions differing greatly from our own.

   In Mexico, Halloween is just one night of the three-day celebration known as Días de los Muertos (Day of The Dead). Though Halloween there is celebrated much like it is here, by dressing up and trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, the Day of The Dead holds more cultural significance in Mexico. According to National Geographic, it is celebrated to honor the lives of their deceased (nationalgeographic.org) . 

   Latino communities observe this holiday with food, drinks, parties, and activities that the deceased enjoyed during their time on Earth. Besides celebrations, the dead are remembered on this day through personal altars, each shrine honoring one person. To make this night even more special, family members will clean and decorate the graves of relatives with a variety of items, including flowers, candles, food, drinks, photos, and personal mementos of the deceased. This night represents a way to reconnect with family, alive and dead alike. During Días de los Muertos, the dead are recognized as a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones (nationalgeographic.org).

   In Italy, the holiday of All-Hallows Eve had never been extremely popular until recently, and has acquired a strong following of Halloween enthusiasts. According to Senior David Cerignola, his grandparents have lived in Italy for many years and have explained that they have definitely seen the holiday increasing in popularity. Children dress up and go trick-or-treating during the daytime until the early evening. Once night falls, the adults typically go to parties at  nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. 

   Halloween celebrations in Europe are increasingly out-shining the traditional observation of All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day, which have a more religious aspect to them, according to the BBC (bbc.co.uk). All Saints’ Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1. This day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, and all those who have attained heaven. All Souls’ Day is dedicated to those who have died and not yet reached heaven. Italy celebrates these days by having festivals and large feasts (italiarail.com).

   Moving eastward of Mexico and Italy, Halloween in Japan is mostly geared toward adults. Japan doesn’t celebrate the holiday at the same time we do in the US. The Japanese celebrate their spooky season in August, during the Buddhist Obon festival. Similar to Días de los Muertos, the Japanese believe that this is a time when the ancestral spirits return home for their annual visit to dance and celebrate. This is typically the time when people enjoy telling ghost stories, visiting haunted attractions, and remembering their departed, which is why it can be compared to Halloween (tripsavvy.com).   

   Even though Halloween is a big deal here, different cultures have their own take on this tradition. With different practices and fun festivities in which to partake, it’s fascinating to learn about how different places around the world can have such different customs when it comes to the spooky season.