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How Halloween is celebrated around the world

Discover unique Halloween traditions, including festive foods, costumes, spooky castle visits , and cultural celebrations from around the world

Beth Teutschmann / Unsplash

Halloween in the U.S. usually means pumpkins on porches, costumes, candy-filled buckets and spooky movie marathons. But October 31 doesn’t look the same everywhere. In some places, Halloween is a relatively new import. In others, seasonal celebrations have deeper cultural roots, with traditions that focus on honoring the dead, predicting romantic futures or simply enjoying a good party.

Not every country embraces Halloween, either. Some communities prefer their own longstanding observances, while others have debated whether the holiday belongs in their cultural or religious traditions. That variety is part of what makes Halloween around the world so interesting. The same season can inspire everything from playful costumes to solemn remembrance.

Some celebrations that fall near Halloween also have a different purpose altogether. Mexico’s Day of the Dead, for instance, honors deceased family members and friends. Although it’s often associated with Halloween, it is a distinct observance with its own meaning and timing.

Ready to see how different places mark the spooky season? These traditions, from a roundup by Reader’s Digest, show how Halloween can take on very different forms depending on where you are.

Here are five of the ways Halloween is celebrated around the world.

Ireland serves a special Halloween bread

Holly Spangler / Unsplash

According to Reader’s Digest, Halloween has ancient Celtic roots, so it’s fitting that Ireland has its own distinctive way of celebrating. While Halloween in the U.S. often revolves around candy, one Irish seasonal favorite is barmbrack, a sweet bread traditionally associated with the holiday.

Food gives the celebration a character of its own. Instead of focusing only on costumes and trick-or-treating, the Irish tradition puts a special baked treat at the center of the festivities. Barmbrack is a familiar part of the holiday’s seasonal identity, making it a delicious reminder of Halloween’s cultural history.

The tradition also highlights how Halloween customs can travel and change. Modern celebrations in the U.S. have developed their own recognizable mix of pumpkins, candy and costumes, but the holiday’s older roots remain visible in other places. Ireland’s connection to ancient Celtic traditions helps explain why Halloween has a different........

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