France – la fête d’Halloween

Unlike most nations of the world, the French do not celebrate Halloween. It is regarded as an “American” holiday in France and was virtually unknown in the country until around 1996. In 1982, the American Dream restaurant in Paris began celebrating Halloween, and the holiday has grown from then.

A combination of the French love of parties and commercialism has led to the rapid rise of Halloween’s popularity in France. The costumes tend to be traditionally “scary” –ghosts, witches, and vampires – rather than the cute costumes like superheroes and cartoon characters. As Halloween has become more popular, companies like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola began using pumpkins and other Halloween symbols to promote it even more. However, trick-or-treating is extremely rare; when it does happen, it is not from house-to-house, but from store-to-store.

Still, today’s Halloween in France is rather controversial, because it is not a typical French holiday and some people still don’t understand what is being celebrated. Some even decided to include it in their anti-American boycott.

Japan

Japan does not celebrate a western-style Halloween, but rather the “Obon Festival ” (also known as “Matsuri” or “Urabon” and pronounced, “oh bone). It is similar to Halloween festivities as it is dedicated to the spirits of ancestors. Special foods are prepared, bright red lanterns are hung everywhere, and then set afloat down rivers. During the festival, a fire is lit every night in order to lead the ancestors to their families. An altar is set up with various food offerings, and “welcoming fires” are set in front of the house and along the path to guide and welcome the spirits. People may even hire a priest to come and chant prayers. On the last night of the festival, “send-off fires” are lit, and the spirits return to their graves.

Mexico, Latin America And Spain

Among Spanish-speaking nations, Halloween is known as El Dia de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. Designed to honor the dead who are believed to return to their homes on Halloween, many families build an altar in their home and decorate it with candy, flowers and photographs. Candles and incense are burned to help the departed find his or her way home. Skull shaped candy and “Bread of the Dead” is eaten, mariachi bands perform and people dress as skeletons and dance in the streets. Also, during the autumn, countless numbers of Monarch butterflies return to Mexico. The Aztecs believed that these butterflies bore the spirits of dead ancestors.