Halloween first originated in Ireland and then all the Irish immigrants introduced it to the States from where it became even more popular and widespread. When I was a child I always looked forward to the 31st of October when you would dress up and go around to your neighbours' houses collecting goodies.
I think it's a shame that it's not celebrated that much here but I guess the Germans have Fasching which is enough for them! We had visitors over from Ireland last weekend and we all got dressed up and went out to a halloween karaoke night in the local Irish pub, which turned out to be really fun! Where else would you get to see zombies rocking out to Bon Jovi?
How do you celebrate halloween?
Finland doesn't celebrate Halloween like the US either. It is becoming more and more of a "to do". Kids get dressed up for school parties/events, some adults get dressed up and head out to bars. We even had a few carved pumpkins in our neighborhood (we'll join next year!), but it just isn't the same!
ReplyDeleteaw that's a pity. Hopefully it will also take off there soon!
DeleteSame in France. Not really celebrated but getting a bit more popular every year. No comparison though to the US. Being from Holland, where it isn't really celebrated either, I don't miss it - and having a son who hates to dress up, makes it easier too - although he was interested in carving a pumpkin!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that it's also not really celebrated in France or Holland. Good that you can enjoy the pumpkin carving tradition though!
DeleteWe are here in the US, so we do Halloween big. Party at school, costume parade, trick-or-treating. The whole family dressed up with Doctor Who costumes. The gorged ourselves on candy.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that Halloween was originally an Irish thing! I am from Canada, where it is HUGE - like, huge build up and parties and visits to the pumpkin patch for days/weeks before. So, living in Europe or Asia for the past decade + I always get homesick at this time of year... Having said that, I was (irrationally) mildly irked that it was such a big deal this year in Austria. It feels like local culture is getting so watered down...I'd much prefer it if local people embraced their *own* holidays (like, here it would be St Martin's Day, I think) instead of importing something else. That way I learn about other cultures too.
ReplyDeleteNot that I can really argue with Halloween candy anywhere...
Bonfires? Fireworks? On Halloween? That's a new one on me! And I always thought Halloween originated in Scotland. Shows how much I know!
ReplyDeleteI remember bonfires more from when I was a kid. They don't do them so much anymore though, probably for health and safety reasons. But fireworks are still a halloween thing in Ireland!
DeleteI've learnt something new - that Halloween was Irish. It was never celebrated here in NZ when I was a child, but these days - like Germany, with influence largely from US media - Halloween is more of a thing, and I saw photos of my niece dressed as a zombie. I've never had anyone trick or treat at our house though.
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