In Russia, at the same time a scary and funny holiday, Halloween is not official. But in a number of European countries, in the USA and even in China, the celebration is celebrated on a grand scale. And depending on the place, there are special traditions and customs.
The history of Halloween (Samhain, Samhein) is rooted in the distant past. The tradition of dressing up in scary costumes and lighting fires to scare away spirits and evil spirits originated among the Celts. For them, the night from October 31 to November 1 was the time of farewell to summer, and Samhain was considered the last harvest festival of the year. A long and cold winter lay ahead.
Nowadays Halloween is celebrated, when there is no border between the world of the living and the realm of the dead, not only in Great Britain. Once the British brought this holiday to the territory of America, at the same time the tradition of scaring and having fun on an autumn night spread throughout European countries, combined with the Chinese celebration of the "Day of Hungry Ghosts".
In many regions, Halloween is celebrated without fancy, but some countries boast unique traditions and characteristics.
Scotland, Ireland
A distinctive feature of these countries as part of the celebration of Halloween is the manufacture of unusual treats. They are sold in stores and added to the thematic menu in cafes and restaurants. For example, the Irish and Scots bake sweet bread with the addition of grapes - barmbrak. Some little surprise is placed inside, a gift.
In Ireland, specific festivals are necessarily held on Halloween, the program of which begins after sunset on October 31st. Such events are usually attended by people who practice magic and consider themselves to be pagans or neo-pagans.
Germany
Here, preparations for Halloween begin in September. Costumes and jewelry are bought in advance. An obligatory attribute on a holiday day is a pumpkin lamp with a scary or funny face. In addition, in German cities on Samhain, it is customary to visit places in which ghosts and ghosts are allegedly found.
England
It is not customary in England to use pumpkins to create lanterns. Traditionally, this attribute is made from turnips. But the color scheme is the same as in other countries of the world. Public institutions, shop windows, houses are trying to decorate not only with bats or skeletons, but also with orange themed items.
Just like the Germans, the British go on holiday days to places about which they make legends and which are called anomalous (paranormal) zones. Before Halloween, the number of visitors to ancient castles and estates increases dramatically.
On the night of November 1 in England, it is customary to perform magic rituals and fortune-telling with the help of fire.
China
In China, a large-scale celebration of the "Day of the Hungry Ghost" takes place on Halloween. During it, candles are lit in memory of deceased ancestors, offerings and certain rituals are performed. The Chinese necessarily carry candles, lanterns, glasses of water and food to the graves of relatives.
"Ghost Hungry Day" is associated with Buddhism. Therefore, the monks are directly involved in the celebration. They make "ships of fate" from paper, which are burned at night. It is believed that the light and smoke from them will show lost souls the way to another world.
Austria
In Austria, Samhain falls on All Souls Week (Memorial Week), which runs from October 30 to November 8. An obligatory ritual at this time: leave candles, drinks and treats on the table in the house before going to bed.
France
A bustling festival of carnival costumes is held in the vicinity of Paris every year on Halloween. Goblins, trolls, fairies and other fantastic creatures and monsters are walking in the streets.
In almost all French cities, a few days before the celebration, a thematic menu with "witch" treats and "vampire" drinks appears in cafes and restaurants.
USA, Canada
In these countries, Halloween is especially popular. Just like in Germany, they begin to prepare for it in advance. The creation of a pumpkin Jack lantern is considered a must. On the evening of October 31, both children and adults go to the streets to receive sweets and small gifts. It is noteworthy that the states sell almost the same amount of chocolate and other delicious treats on Halloween as they do on Christmas.
