Halloween and other spooky holidays from around the world
- Published
United States: There is no country that celebrates Halloween quite like the US. There are parties, costumes and who can forget trick or treating? The holiday is so big, even presidents get involved. In the past, the White House has been decorated with giant pumpkins and in 2017 it was covered in cobwebs and huge spiders. Creepy, eh.
Japan: In Tokyo, people get well and truly into the Halloween spirit. Halloween is seen by many people around the world to be an American holiday, but lots of people love to celebrate it here because they can dress up in fun costumes.
Mexico: The Day of the Dead is a colourful and lively celebration. The festival is led by the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl, also known as the Lady of the Dead. Festival-goers wear decorated skull masks or paint their faces to look like skulls. If this sounds scary, don't worry. The Day of the Dead is a happy occasion to celebrate life and loved ones that have passed on.
Philippines: Filipinos like to go to cemeteries on All Saints' Day to visit their loved ones, and they often hold parties with food and music.
Ireland: The jack-o'-lantern is thought to have come from an Irish myth about a man known as Stingy Jack who played a trick on the devil. In Ireland, people would carve scary faces into turnips to frighten away bad spirits, including Stingy Jack. In the US, carving a pumpkin has replaced turnip carving and this has become popular in the UK as well.
Nepal: Gai Jatra is a festival celebrated for eight days every year in Nepal at the end of the summer. Families who have lost a loved one in the past year lead a cow through the street, and if a cow is not available, then they dress a child up as a cow instead. Festival-goers wear bright colours and come together to celebrate their loved ones with drum music, masked dances and comedy.
Germany: A woman practices her zombie-shuffle before starting a zombie walk through the city of Berlin. Zombies are fictional creatures and are a popular choice for fancy dress during Halloween. Zombie walks are held all over the world.
China: The Hungry Ghost Festival is a summer festival where people burn paper money, food and incense to pay respect to their ancestors. Families will write their ancestors' names on lanterns made out of wood and paper before placing them on a river. They believe that ghosts will follow the lanterns as they float away down the river.
Hong Kong: The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated in many different countries across Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. In Hong Kong, these performers are holding a long, decorated dragon, which they will carry through the streets as part of the celebrations.
- Published28 October 2017
- Published29 October 2015
