Cultures celebrate the deceased in various ways. For those of us who have grown up in the United States, we may associate Halloween with costumes, trick-or-treating, and horror movies, but many countries have their own rituals. 

In the 1900’s, Halloween became a mainstream holiday after being commercialized. The concept of Halloween derived from the Celtic festival of Samhain in Ireland, “where people would wear costumes to ward off ghosts” (History.com).

From the beginning of the twentieth century to now, Halloween has lost most of its religious connotations. It has expanded into group festivities, such as costume parties, haunted houses, pumpkin carving contests, and trick-or-treating. 

Today, the same concept of Halloween isn’t necessarily celebrated with costumes and going door-to-door for candy. In other parts of the world, you’ll see that some countries have their ancient traditions, while others have newer celebrations. 

Here are a few countries that show the ancient traditions and rise of the American-style Halloween: 

Mexico 

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, has become a well-known celebration of loved ones who are departed. This holiday is celebrated during the first two days of November, particularly in Mexico and areas of Central and South America, as well as Latin communities abroad (Anderson).

Día de los Muertos originated in Mexico and Central America, where the indigenous honored their loved ones. Popular components of Día de los Muertos include cempasúchil, or marigolds, which are bright orange flowers that grow in Mexico, and the ofrendas, which are offerings on altars made by families to provide items to their loved ones for their journey in the afterlife (Anderson). 

This holiday focuses on celebrating life, with decorations, costumes, music, parades, and gatherings at cemeteries! 

Peru

Peru at the moment is at a turning point where the younger generation goes out to celebrate Halloween more as a costume party while the older generation likes to remember more of the Canción Criolla.

Día de la Canción Criolla (Criolla Music Day) emphasizes the history of the musical culture in Peru. This celebration of traditional music can be accompanied by dancing, such as the marinera, and features many elaborate and traditional costumes (AMAUTA). 

In Peru and other Latin American countries, citizens celebrate Día de los Difuntos, which is the Day of the Deceased. Similar to other Spanish-speaking countries, this is a time for families to pay respects to the departed. 

Families still visit their loved ones who have passed at this time of year. Families and friends tend to bring food, music and drinks to their graves as if they were still with them during this emotional time of year.

The idea of el Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) is to honor the memory of friends and relatives who have departed. October is known as "the purple month" and pays respect to the Lord of Miracles, a man who's remembered in Lima's cathedral who miraculously survived a terrible earthquake.

Since the 17th century, there have been processions with his image that pay homage to him in the old town of Lima. This month also pays respect to "those who take care of us from above," as some Peruvians might say.

Spain

In Spain, various areas celebrate this time differently! October 31st is referred to as Día de las Brujas (Day of the Witches), which commences a three-day celebration. Halloween has become more commercialized and popular in major cities, such as Madrid, where children and adults tend to dress up and celebrate all things considered spooky.

Many of the stores in the city have begun to sell pumpkins and embrace the scary side of Halloween. Many schools allow students and teachers to dress up, in a similar fashion that students do in the United States.

November 1st is Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) which is a national holiday, followed by Día de los Difuntos on November 2nd. Communities in Spain respect the dead and celebrate life, and rituals are observed throughout the country as, “many families gather at the grave of their deceased relatives with holy water, flowers, food and drink” (Corneanu).

Traditions found in various cultures give insight into the history behind this time of year. Important holidays, like Día de los Muertos and Día de los Difuntos, celebrate love and honor the departed. No matter where you are in the world, there are a multitude of traditions that make these cultural celebrations in autumn unique. 

Are you interested in exploring a country besides your own? Check out our Custom Programs or Study Abroad pages to find out how you can experience local cultures authentically with EdOdyssey! 

EdOdyssey Cultural Advisor, Luis García, also contributed to this blog post.

Sources 

AMAUTA Spanish School. “Halloween and Cancion Criolla: Celebrating October 31 in Peru!” AMAUTA Spanish School Blog, 25 Oct. 2016.

Anderson, Maria. “5 Facts About Día De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead).” Smithsonian Insider, Smithsonian, 24 Sept. 2018.

Corneanu, Miruna. “Halloween in Spain: From Celtic Rituals to Zombie Walks.” Veebrant.com, Veebrant, 13 Sept. 2019.

History.com. “Halloween 2019 - Origins of Halloween.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 18 Nov. 2009, Updated: 4 Oct. 2019.

Simola, Marco. “Peru: Dia De Los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased) in Lima and Cuzco.” Religioscope, 12 Nov. 2016.