Halloween Around The World

Halloween Around The World
Halloween, one of the worlds oldest holidays, is still celebrated today in a number of countries around
the globe. In Mexico and other Latin American countries, Da de los Muertosthe Day of the Dead
honors deceased loved ones and ancestors. In countries such as Ireland, Canada and the United States,
adults and children alike revel in the popular Halloween holiday, which derived from ancient festivals
and religious rituals. Traditions include costume parties, trick-or-treating, pranks and games.
Dia de los Muertos

In Mexico, Latin America and Spain, All Souls Day, which takes place on November 2, is
commemorated with a three-day celebration that begins on the evening of October 31. The celebration
is designed to honor the dead who, it is believed, return to their earthly homes on Halloween. Many
families construct an altar to the dead in their homes to honor deceased relatives and decorate it with
candy, flowers, photographs, samples of the deceaseds favorite foods and drinks, and fresh water.
Often, a wash basin and towel are left out so that the spirit can wash before indulging in the feast.
Did You Know?
Da de los Muertos festivities often feature breads, candies and other foods in the shape of skulls and
skeletons.
Candles and incense are burned to help the deceased find the way home. Relatives also tidy the
gravesites of their departed family members. This can include snipping weeds, making repairs, and
painting. The grave is then decorated with flowers, wreaths, or paper streamers. On November 2,
relatives gather at the gravesite to picnic and reminisce. Some gatherings even include tequila and a
mariachi band.
Guy Fawkes Day

On the evening of November 5, bonfires are lit throughout England. Effigies are burned and fireworks
are set off. Although it falls around the same time and has some similar traditions, this celebration has
little to do with Halloween or the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The English, for the most part,
stopped celebrating Halloween as Martin Luthers Protestant Reformation began to spread. As
followers of the new religion did not believe in saints, they had no reason to celebrate the eve of All
Saints Day. However, a new autumn ritual did emerge. Guy Fawkes Day festivities were designed to
commemorate the execution of a notorious English traitor, Guy Fawkes.
On November 5, 1606, Fawkes was executed after being convicted of attempting to blow up Englands
parliament building. Fawkes was a member of a Catholic group who wanted to remove the Protestant
King James from power. The original Guy Fawkes Day was celebrated right after his execution. The
first bonfires, which were called bone fires, were set up to burn effigies and symbolic bones of the
Catholic pope. It was not until two centuries later that effigies of the pope were replaced with those of
Guy Fawkes. In addition to making effigies to be burned in the fires, children in some parts of England
also walk the streets carrying an effigy or guy and ask for a penny for the guy, although they keep
the money for themselves. This is as close to the American practice of trick-or-treating as can be
found in England today. Guy Fawkes Day was even celebrated by the pilgrims at the first settlement at
Plymouth. However, as the young nation began to develop its own history, Guy Fawkes was celebrated
less frequently and eventually died out.
Halloween: Where It All Began

In Ireland, where Halloween originated, the day is still celebrated much as it is in the United States. In
rural areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts, and all over the country, children get
dressed up in costumes and spend the evening trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods. After trick-ortreating, most people attend parties with neighbors and friends. At the parties, many games are played,
including snap-apple, a game in which an apple on a string is tied to a doorframe or tree and players
attempt to bite the hanging apple. In addition to bobbing for apples, parents often arrange treasure
hunts, with candy or pastries as the treasure. The Irish also play a card game where cards are laid face
down on a table with candy or coins underneath them. When a child chooses a card, he receives
whatever prize is found below it.
A traditional food eaten on Halloween is barnbrack, a kind of fruitcake that can be bought in stores or
baked at home. A muslin-wrapped treat is baked inside the cake that, it is said, can foretell the eaters
future. If a ring is found, it means that the person will soon be wed; a piece of straw means that a
prosperous year is on its way. Children are also known to play tricks on their neighbors, such as
knock-a-dolly, a prank in which children knock on the doors of their neighbors, but run away before
the door is opened.

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Halloween Around The World

Dia de los Muertos

Guy Fawkes Day

Halloween: Where It All Began

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