In America, Halloween is the time of year where candy is collected, costumes are bought, and everything becomes creepy. It is widely celebrated in the U.S. and has been around for years. In other countries, Halloween is not always considered a well-known holiday, and sometimes is not recognized at all.
Other countries are known to take the tradition of Halloween and turn it into a day to celebrate or mourn the dead, adding their culture into the mix.
“Different cultures definitely add to the tradition of the dead holiday, whether it is the Spanish, Japanese, or Europeans. They might make more elaborate costumes, bake their sweets, and have festivities,” stated sophomore Autumn Anderson on Halloween in other cultures.
Ireland, believed to be the creator of Halloween, still celebrates the holiday in a way that is similar to that of America. On this day, children dress up and go trick-or-treating to receive candy. Afterward, there are usually parties held at friends’ or families’ homes where games are played. An Irish tradition commonly made around this time is to make barnbrack, a sort of cake where something is baked into the pastry’s middle which is rumored to tell the consumers future.
In England, Halloween is not widely or enthusiastically celebrated. Some children dress up and participate in trick-or-treating. However, many times adults do not take place in purchasing candy and the amount of places children can receive candy are limited, unlike in America.
Halloween previously was not celebrated by the French, who regarded it as a Western holiday. The French preferred to commemorate their dead by rejecting Halloween, until 1996. With a stronger recognition and commercialism of the holiday than before, the French began to celebrate Halloween. Now, parties are held with mostly scary costumes, but trick-or-treating is done between stores not neighborhoods.
North and South Korea celebrate a type of Halloween known as Chusok. Koreans have a festival and bring rice and fruit to the graves of their dead. The holiday is meant to show honor to the departed and give thanks to them.
“During harvest time we have a ceremony for our ancestors, usually the oldest [living] grandparents direct parents. All we need is a mat under plates and lots of food which they ate before such as dried fish, fruit, and alcoholic beverage if it’s held at a cemetery,” stated freshman Ahyeon Choe in regards to Chusok.
Latin America, Mexico, and Spain celebrate Halloween in the same manner. The holiday is called the Day of the Dead, and begins at Halloween and lasts for three days. Throughout the days, families honor their dead and visit their gravesites where picnics are held. In the city, huge festivals are held with costumes, dancing, and special bread containing a candy skull in the center. During the festival, a person is placed inside a coffin and carried through the city where people throw gifts into the casket.
Many other countries also celebrate Halloween, such as Belgium, Canada, and China, mixing their own cultures into the long-standing holiday.