Every year, Halloween is commemorated on October 31st. Originating in Celtic Ireland as a day of remembrance of the deceased, marking a time when the separation of the world of the living and the dead blurs. It is one of the world’s oldest holidays. Halloween, or Oíche Shamhna in Irish, is still widely celebrated today. In countries such as Ireland, Canada, and the United States, traditions include dress-up parties, trick-or-treating, pranks, and games. However, the celebrations don't stop here, with variations of the holiday also marked further afield. Where to next?
Latin America: Día De Los Muertos is Celebrated
In the same vein, Mexico and Spain are famous for elaborate displays and vibrant costumes are worn on Día de Los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead", which is celebrated annually on November 1st and 2nd. Locals dress up as their ancestors and build private altars called "ofrendas," which they use to present gifts – from sugar skulls to tequila – in honour of the dead.
China: The Hungry Ghost Festival
The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated throughout Hong Kong and China for a whole month, starting from the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. This year's celebration started in August and finished on August 26th, 2022. Festivities include parades, operas, burning incense, food for the dead, and operatic performances to entertain the spirits.
Haiti: Fed Gede
Fed Gede, or "Festival of the Ancestors," is a Voodoo holiday celebrated in parts of Haiti and other Voodoo communities around the world. People take part by lighting candles, journeying to their ancestors' burial places, and drinking rum infused with chilies.
South Korea: Chuseok
Chuseok — a harvest festival and three-day holiday — is celebrated on the 15th day of the lunar calendar's eighth month. It is a celebration of thanksgiving, where South Koreans visit their hometowns and share a traditional feast to pay respects to their ancestors.
Italy: Tutti I Morti
All Souls Day is a religious affair in Italy where people remember their late loved ones, but people on the island of Sardinia have also celebrated Halloween for centuries by carving pumpkins. The locals call them "Concas de Mortu," which means "heads of the dead", spooky indeed!
Nepal: Gai Jatra
Also known as the "Festival of Cows," Gai Jatra takes place between August and September, commemorating loved ones who have died that year. Families who have lost a relative join a procession through Kathmandu leading a cow (or if none is available, a young boy dressed as one). The cow is believed to help the deceased on their journey to the afterlife.
Japan: Obon
Obon in Japan is a Buddhist festival that lasts three days, and its start date varies from mid-July to mid-August. It honours the spirits of the locals' ancestors with pilgrimages to graves and places associated with a family's history and also includes several ceremonial dances as part of the festivities.
Feeling inspired? How will you mark Halloween this year? Thinking of a last-minute long weekend getaway or planning to cosy it up at home? However you choose to spend the bank holiday, we wish you a very happy Halloween from Barter's Travelnet! 🎃
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