Eleven Halloween Traditions From Around The World

Halloween is coming! It’s the time of year the kids dress up in costumes, walking house to house trick-or-treating, and return home with lots of candy. Families visit pumpkin patches and carve or decorate their newly picked pumpkin. They visit haunted houses, bobbing for apples and watch scary movies. Have you ever wondered why countries around the world celebrate Halloween?

The ArtsBot hopes to inspire travel in everyone. We are always dreaming about our next trip. We hope to make family travel more enjoyable, and easier while learning about the world. Did you know that the origins of Halloween date back 2,000 years to Celtic Harvest Festivals? Some people believe Halloween to be a pagan holiday while others think it started as a Christian holiday.

I found how elven countries around the world continue to pass on their Holloween traditions.

1. Ireland & Scotland celebrates with bonfires, games and traditional foods like Irish Fruitcake.

2. In Mexico and Latin America, people celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, (the Day of the Dead). This day is celebrated with fruit, peanuts, turkey, tortillas, and special bread.

3. In Romania, the local people celebrate by visiting Dracula’s Castle.

4. Who knew that in the town of Kawasaki, Japan they hold a Halloween parade with 4,000 costumed participants.

5. In the Philippines, kids go house to house singing and asking for prayers for those in purgatory.

6. The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated in Hong Kong. It is long believed that this is a time of year that the spirits get restless.

7. In Poland, people visit the graves of their family members. They celebrate with candles and flowers.

8. Nigeria holds the Awuru Odo Festival a celebration to mark the return of the departed friends and family back to the living and celebrated with feasts, music, and masks.

9. Cambodia celebrates Pchum Ben, a celebration of the dead. Foods like sticky rice and beans wrapped in banana leaves are eaten.

10. Italy celebrates Ognissanti – All Saints Day. It is a National Holiday in Italy. People leave fresh flowers at the graves of their loved ones and put red candles in their window for the spirits to visit.

11. UK – Guy Fawkes Day – This is a day to drink mulled wine, burn figures of politicians and enjoy bonfires and fireworks. It was originally a day to celebrate an assassination on King James I.

Do you have a tradition to share? Enter our giveaway on our Facebook Page. Share an image or comment with your family or countries Halloween traditions for a chance to win one of our kits. The winner will be picked on Halloween!