By Evridiki Fatolia,
The night of horror may not have yet arrived in other parts of the world, even if the well-known event in America occurred on the final day of the previous month.
It might be that time of year in the USA when kids dress up and go around the streets begging for candy. Families exchange spooky tales by the fire or watch suspenseful films while munching on popcorn. Halloween is celebrated by about 175 million Americans. Although customs differ from nation to nation, Halloween is observed during this time of year in many countries.
The modern celebration of Halloween is mostly observed in North America. “In certain nations, people celebrate All Saints’ Day, the Day of the Dead, or the Day of Souls“, says Regina Hansen, a lecturer at Boston University. According to Harvard professor, Joseph Nagy, a specialist in mythology and folklore, “the time between summer and winter is traditionally associated with the remembrance of the dead in many cultures“. On November 2nd, the Day of the Dead, families in Mexico come together to honor the deceased. Two days earlier, the festivities get underway. The Day of the Dead is observed in Haiti, using a number of voodoo rites and traditions. The Odo masquerade festival is observed in Nigeria, when participants honor the deceased by dressing in masks and doing theatrical activities.
The Hungry Ghost Festival, an ancient month-long custom in China that honors the spirits of the deceased in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, is held in August, generally before Halloween. It’s thought that ghosts come back to haunt the living during the Festival. To commemorate their ancestors and placate the wandering spirits, they burn food, incense, and paper money. Many towns celebrate, give away rice to the poor, and perform traditional Chinese operas on makeshift bamboo platforms throughout the month.
Certain American customs for adults and children have spread to other nations. For instance, many adults visit haunted locations like as Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania, which gained notoriety as Dracula’s Castle in the Irish novel by Bram Stoker. Adults in Japan, meanwhile, celebrate Halloween with parties and cosplay. Families in many nations, from France to Guatemala, observe All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday, on November 1st, by praying in silence in remembrance of the Saints. In honor of all the Saints on November 1st, Pope Gregory III constructed and dedicated a unique monastery in Rome in the eighth century. Later, word of the feast spread across the Roman Empire. The Day of the Dead is observed on November 2nd. When visiting cemeteries in France, people bring flowers for their departed loved ones.. In Guatemala, many people fly colorful kites over the graves of their relatives.
Traditions vary from nation to nation. They are, however, a part of our humanity and prove how similar and connected we all are to each other.
Reference
- Revelers around the world dress up for Halloween. Reuters. Available here
