Halloween – or as we know it, the excuse to dress up and let the freak out – is upon us. But what is Halloween all about elsewhere? How do your Asian or European cohorts or students celebrate this most frightening night of the year?   

 Asia

In Asia people celebrate Halloween in many different festivals and holidays related to the Chinese calendar. One of the most popular holidays is Teng Chieh, better known as the Hungry Ghost Festival. It is celebrated in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. People believe that during the time of the seventh lunar month the realm between heaven and hell is open and the souls of death people wander on earth, looking for affection. To satisfy the hungry ghosts people build up small altars with pictures of their death relatives, decorated them with flowers, food and water and fire and lanterns lit the ghosts the right way back to earth.  

Europe

The name Halloween formerly comes from “All Hallows’ Even”, which is the night before All Saints’ Day. In most Christian dominated countries in Europe, like Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary and so on, All Saints’ Day is the official celebrated holiday. In honor to their dead relatives and friends, families attend church service and remember them on their graves by lightning a candle or a lantern. Although All Saints’ Day is a quite day and Halloween is not an official holiday in Europe, many people nowadays have absorbed the American traditions and celebrate Halloween parties, wear costumes and some children even trick and treat in their neighborhoods.    

Central and South America

In Latin America and Mexico Halloween is known as “El Dia de los Muertos”, the days of the dead.  People celebrate the unity from life and death between October and November 2.  

In contrast to the way Europeans celebrate these days, in Latin America and Mexico the “El Dia del los Muertos” are very happy and joyful days.

Families decorate the graves of their family members with flowers, candles and papers streams and go there to have a picnic at the gravesite. In the villages there are parades held and people as masquerade as skeleton and celebrate in the streets. In Mexico in this time of the year countless numbers of Monarch butterflies return and in former days the Aztecs believed that these butterflies bore the spirits of dead ancestors. 

The Locos and Locas at LocAZu wish the students of the world a happy and freaky Halloween!

About the Author _____________________________________________________

Pia A: I’m a BCom Marketing & Communications graduate. I blog, market, & tweet fluently in German, English, & French. Like my posts or have an opportunity for me? Please contact blogsATlocazu.com (replace AT with @ if you are human:) ATTN Pia A.