Halloween Tricks And Treats Around The World Slideshow
Guy Fawkes Day (England)
"Remember, remember the fifth of November/Gunpowder, treason and plot/I see no reason, why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot" goes the rhyme chanted on Guy Fawkes Day, an annual commemoration of Guy Fawkes' failed attempt to blow up Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605. To commemorate
the plots discovery, and the survival of King James I, the English celebrate with bonfires and extravagant firework displays.
From Nov. 1 to Nov. 10, various venues across London hold their own firework shows, festivals, and bonfires, where effigies of Guy Fawkes are sometimes burned on top of the fire. Must-see festivities this year include Blackheath Fireworks, South Londons biggest free fireworks display, on Nov. 3, and Lord Mayors Show and Fireworks, which features a parade that travels across London, on Nov. 10, according to Visit London.
A common Guy Fawkes Night treat to eat by the bonfire is bonfire toffee or treacle toffee, a hard, slightly bitter brittle toffee that's flavor comes from the molasses used in the recipe.
Oíche Shamhna (Ireland)
Celebrated as the night before the end of the harvest and the Celtic New Year, Oche Shamhna was thought to be a time when the spirits of the dead revisited the mortal world. Often credited as the precursor to modern-day Halloween, some of the largest Irish Halloween celebrations are held in Derry, Ireland, according to Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau.
Starting as early as Oct. 25, haunted house tours, Halloween-themed markets, and the Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival, a five-day long festival, mark the occasion. Barnbrack, a sweet sandwich bread baked with sultanas and raisins is eaten during Oche Shamhna. Traditional barnbrack are baked with symbolic fortunetelling items inside, such as a ring that tells the finder they will marry that year.
Eid il-Burbara (Lebanon)
Eid il-Burbara, or St. Barbaras Day, is a holiday similar to Halloween but held on Dec. 4 in Lebanon. St. Barbara is said to have escaped pagan rule by wearing different masks and disguises, so revelers wear costumes to commemorate St. Barbaras actions. Trick-or-treating while singing Eid il-Burbara songs, carving jack-o'-lanterns, and attending parties are common ways to celebrate, according to the Lebanon Ministry of Tourism.
A traditional food made for Eid il-Burbara is burbara, a bowl of boiled wheat grains, pomegranate seeds, raisins, and anise, which is offered to children in costume.
Tutti i Santi and All Souls' Day (Italy)
Italy celebrates a period of remembrance starting on Tutti Santi, or All Saints Day, on Nov. 1 and continuing throughAll Souls Day on Nov. 2. All Saints Day begins with a somber Catholic mass for the deceased, followed by visits to the cemetery to pay tribute to loved ones who have passed. Graves at the cemetery are traditionally decorated with mums and candles, according to Italy Magazine. A common treat eaten during these holy days is frutta mortorana, marzipan sweets made to look like fruits.
Though the holiday is a time to honor the dead, it is not an entirely somber occasion. In areas of Sicily, "U Juornu re Muorti" is celebrated. On this day, children wake hoping to find presents left by relatives that have passed on. The holiday is a way to strengthen the younger generations ties with their ancestors, according to Italy Magazine.
Dia De Los Muertos (Mexico)
Dia De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a two-day Mexican holiday to celebrate the deceased. Celebrated Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, customary activities consist of building private altars to honor the dead and attending festivals. Skulls made of sugar, marigolds, and the deceaseds favorite foods and beverages are placed on the altar, according to the Mexico Tourism Bureau.
The most traditional Dia De Los Muertos celebration is Xantolo, which is celebrated in the Huasteca Potosina region. Xantolo features music, dancing, chants, and food to welcome souls back to the mortal world. The most popular Dia De Los Muertos treats are sugar skulls, which are used in creating altars for the deceased, and are also enjoyed by the living. The skulls are made out of a sugar pressed into molds and then dried, before being decorated with icing and non-edible items such as colored foil, feathers, or sequins.
Halloween (United States)
Celebrated on Oct. 31, Halloween, which is inspired by Celtic rituals from thousands of years ago, is a popular holiday for people of all ages, who mark the day by dressing up in costume. Common ways to celebrate involve trick-or-treating, carving jack-o'-lanterns, attending costume parties and parades, or simply just watching a scary movie. Some 41 million costumed children went trick-or-treating for sweets and treats last year, according to the U.S. Census. Popular Halloween treats include candy apples and candy corn. Children also partake in games like bobbing for apples.
One of the most elaborate Halloween celebrations is held in Salem, Mass., home of the Salem witch trials in the late 17th century. Every day in October, Salem holds fall- and Halloween-themed events for all ages, from lighthouse and foliage cruises to various haunted house and town tours and the annual Gulu-Gulu costume party, according to the Salem Tourism Bureau.