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By: Parniya Bayat Mokhtari

Halloween is a holiday celebrated every year on October 31, and Halloween 2022 will take place on Monday, October 31. In Canada, the day is usually spent dressing up, having parties, and going trick or treating. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few of the ways Halloween is celebrated throughout the world.

Día de los Muertos, All Souls Day, is celebrated in Mexico and Central America. The holiday is intended to honour the dead, who, it is believed, return to their earthly homes on Halloween. Many families build an altar to the dead in their homes to honour deceased relatives, and they decorate it with candy, flowers, photographs, samples of the deceased’s favourite foods and drinks, and freshwater.

In Ireland, where Halloween began, Halloween is celebrated similarly to North America. Ireland is also where the Jack’O Lantern originated. Jack O’Lanters were created to scare off wandering evil spirits. Children used potatoes or turnips, and eventually also pumpkins. 

In France, people decorate the graves of their loved ones with heather, chrysanthemums, and immortal wreaths. Candles are also lit in France to represent happiness in the afterlife, which is a worldwide custom. 

This Halloween, as you dress up and go trick or treating, remember to think about the significance of this holiday and honouring the deceased. 

Works Cited 

“13 Unique Halloween Traditions around the World.” ConnollyCove, 27 Oct. 2022, https://www.connollycove.com/halloween-traditions-around-the-world/.

History.com Editors. “How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 25 Oct. 2019, https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins.