Monthly Wrap: Halloween Traditions around Europe

By Currencies Direct on October 21, 2021

What is Halloween?

People have various associations when it comes to Halloween. Many of us in the UK will remember going door-to-door as children, wearing fancy dress and begging sweets off our neighbours – threatening to play a ‘trick’ if left empty-handed. This tradition is thought to have evolved from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which celebrated the return of ghostly souls to earth.

On Samhain, Druids – or Celtic priests – built sacred bonfires, where people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to their deities. For the occasion, Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to read each other’s fortunes.

As the Romans succeeded the Celts, Samhain traditions were blended with those of Roman festivals Feralia – which commemorated the passing of the dead- and Pomona, which celebrated the goddess of fruit and trees. It is thought that apple-bobbing may have originated with Pomona.

Eventually, Samhain, Feralia and Pomona were replaced by the Catholic ‘All Martyrs Day’, which became ‘All Souls Day’ as Pope Gregory III requested saints be included. On all Souls Day, people were encouraged to dress up as saints, angels and devils and get involved in parades and bonfire gatherings.

‘All Souls’ became ‘All Saints’, which was invariably called ‘All Hallows’ after Middle-English Alholowmesse, meaning All Saints Day. The night before All Hallows day then became All Hallows Eve, which we now know as Halloween.

Austria & Germany

In Germany and Austria, popular European Halloween traditions are supplemented with several more unusual activities.

While traditions linked to the Catholic holiday of St Martin’s Day involve singing for treats door-to-door, not dissimilar to our UK celebrations, German citizens are also known to hide their knives before Halloween eve, so that visiting spirits don’t hurt themselves.

Instead of carving pumpkins, German children carve Rübengeister, or ‘root monsters’, from beetroots or turnips to scare away bad spirits; in Austria, meanwhile, households will leave a light on all night and lay out bread and water for the dead.

Spain

In Spain, bakers prepare unusual sweets for the occasion, such as Huesos de Santo – cylindrical marzipan cookies filled with candied egg yolk said to resemble the bones of saints.

In Catalunya, Spaniards celebrate La Castañada – the festival of the chestnut. Roasted chestnuts feature, as well as sweet potatoes, almond panellets and moscatell wine. Apparently, sweetmeats were originally brought to bell ringers who stayed up all night to commemorate the dead.

In the Galician region, pumpkin parties are common around October 31^st. Attendees carve pumpkins, dress in costume, light bonfires and go trick-or-treating – before drinking a customary alcoholic beverage called quemada and reciting a spell thought to protect against evil.

Portugal & Italy

In Southern Europe, civilians may be given a day off to mourn the dead: Halloween often involves prayers and leaving flowers on loved ones’ graves.

In Portugal, chestnut festivals – or Magusto – are also held, to coincide with All Saints or St Martin’s Day: people sing, drink and play practical jokes on one another in the spirit of the occasion.

As in Spain, it is also customary for special foods to be prepared, including Sicilian bone-cookies flavoured with cloves; or bean-shaped Fava dei Morti cakes in Italy. The cakes are so named because in ancient times, people believed that the souls of the dead resided in fava beans, allowing for a connection between this world and theirs.

In a romantic turn, young men in Rome and its surrounds customarily hide engagement rings in boxes of Fava dei Morti for their sweethearts to find, proposing marriage and celebrating their love for one another.

Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia

In parts of Europe, festivals to commemorate the dead last for an entire week: in Poland, for example, Zaduszki (All Saints) involves decorating the graves of loved ones with flowers and candles, encouraging locals to enjoy cemeteries as a place of celebration.

Most of these traditions are derived from a Slavic holiday called Dzaidy, when the ghosts of ancestors and relatives were summoned to dine in the homes of the living. The candles represent traditional fires that were kept alight upon burial grounds to keep lost souls warm.

At this time of year, houses and graves are scrubbed clean; doors are left open, and food and toiletries put out to welcome the departed. Czechs and Slovakians toast the dead with cold milk to cool the souls roasting in purgatory, and chairs are placed by the fireside to entertain departed friends and relatives.

Halloween around the World

Despite the variety in Halloween traditions between countries, the day itself unites people from all over the world in joining together, celebrating, and remembering those we’ve lost.

From carving beetroot to casting spells and roasting chestnuts, each of the rituals enjoyed in different cultures encourages bonding between living friends, families and neighbours as well as those who’ve passed.

For anyone celebrating Halloween in a new country or community this year, traditional practices offer a great opportunity to meet new people and make friends wherever you’ve come from. Take advantage of unique foods, customs and gatherings to get to know the area and its people – and don’t be afraid to introduce your own traditions, whether that be pumpkin carving or fancy dress.