Halloween around the world

believed ghosts came back to earth. To celebrate the event, people gathered together and lit bonfires.

Halloween is celebrated on 31st October.

It is one of the world’s oldest festivals.

It is believed to originate from the Celts who celebrated their New Year on 1st November.

Halloween can also be known as All Hallow’s Eve.

variety of costumes and going ‘trick-or-treating’. This involves knocking on people’s doors and collecting chocolate and sweets in return for no tricks.

In the United Kingdom, Halloween is a time for costumes and games.
When wearing their outfits, people like to have fun and scare each other.

Many people carve pumpkins in a variety of different patterns.

In the past, on All Souls’ Eve (All Hallow’s Eve), families would stay up late and little “soul cakes” were eaten.

go ‘guising’, where they visit their neighbour’s homes to be given cakes, fruit and money.
Rather than trick-or-treating, Scottish children are encouraged to sing a song or tell a story in order to be rewarded with their treat.

Photo courtesy of Culture Vannin (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

spooky-themed food.
Every year, in New York, around 50,000 people dressed in costumes attend the Village Halloween Parade.

The main celebration of Halloween for American children is the tradition of trick-or-treating.
People disguise themselves in costumes and go door-to-door, ringing each doorbell and yelling “Trick or treat!”

celebrate by putting food and water in front of photographs of family members who have died.

They also light bonfires and lanterns in order to light the paths of spirits as they travel the earth on Halloween night.

Photo courtesy of photojenni (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

instead of Halloween. It lasts for 3 days, starting on 31st October.

The Day of the Dead celebrates and honours people who have died.

During the celebrations, people decorate special altars with pictures of loved ones, flowers, sweets and candles.
Paper decorations are also made and there are parades where people dress up in costumes and masks.