Last Update: August 2026
Halloween has deep roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain. The holiday we know today developed over centuries as seasonal customs mixed with Christian observances. The Library of Congress traces this evolution from Samhain and All Hallows’ Eve to modern traditions such as costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, and trick-or-treating.
Today, the season looks very different depending on where you travel. Some countries celebrate Halloween itself, while others observe separate traditions focused on ancestors, spirits, remembrance, or the changing seasons.
That distinction matters. Día de Muertos in Mexico, Gai Jatra in Nepal, Zhongyuan in China, and Zaduszki in Poland are not simply local versions of Halloween. They have their own histories and meanings. This guide explores ten traditions worth understanding before you travel.
Index
Halloween Traditions Around the World
From giant puppets in New York to fire performances in Edinburgh and candlelit cemeteries in Poland, these celebrations reveal how differently cultures approach the season.
Halloween in the U.S.
Irish and Scottish immigrants helped shape Halloween in the United States during the 19th century. Their customs gradually mixed with American community celebrations. Today, trick-or-treating, costume parties, haunted attractions, pumpkin carving, and elaborate home displays are central to the holiday.
For a large-scale city celebration, New York’s Village Halloween Parade is one of the standout events. The 53rd annual parade is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 7 p.m. Anyone can watch. Costumed visitors can also join the parade route rather than simply standing on the sidelines.
Travel Tip: If Salem, Massachusetts, is on your Halloween list, plan early. Destination Salem recommends booking October experiences in advance and notes that a midweek visit or an earlier October trip can be easier than Halloween weekend.
Halloween in Scotland
Scotland has some of the strongest historical links to Halloween. VisitScotland notes that the word Halloween comes from a Scottish shortening of All Hallows’ Eve. The custom of children dressing up and visiting homes is traditionally known as guising.
Edinburgh also hosts the Samhuinn Fire Festival, a modern theatrical celebration inspired by seasonal folklore. It marks the transition from summer to winter. The Beltane Fire Society stages Samhuinn on October 31 each year with fire, drumming, costumes, and street performance. It is a modern production rather than an unchanged ancient ritual.
Travel Tip: Samhuinn is a ticketed event with limited capacity, so check the organizer’s 2026 announcements before booking your Edinburgh itinerary.
Día de Muertos in Mexico
Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is not the Mexican name for Halloween. It is a distinct tradition with Indigenous and Catholic roots. The celebration runs from the end of October into early November. UNESCO recognizes the Indigenous Festivity Dedicated to the Dead as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Families prepare ofrendas with candles, flowers, photographs, favorite foods, and meaningful objects for deceased relatives. Marigolds and pan de muerto are closely associated with the season. Cemeteries and homes become places of remembrance and reunion rather than simply spooky attractions.
Halloween and the Ghost Festival in China
Halloween is not a traditional Chinese holiday, although costume parties and themed events appear in some major cities. A separate tradition involving the dead is Zhongyuan, often called the Hungry Ghost Festival. It falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
Customs vary by region. They can include ancestor offerings, incense, joss paper, and lanterns placed on water. The Shanghai municipal government describes Zhongyuan as a time for paying respects to the deceased. It also notes traditions such as river lanterns and offerings.
Halloween in Japan
Japan’s Halloween scene is largely modern and entertainment-driven. Costumes, character-inspired looks, theme-park events, seasonal menus, and nightlife celebrations are more common than door-to-door trick-or-treating.
Shibuya used to be internationally famous for spontaneous Halloween street gatherings. That is no longer a good planning assumption. Shibuya City now bans nighttime drinking in streets and parks around the station area year-round, from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. The district also continues to use extra crowd-control measures around Halloween.
Travel Tip: Do not build a Tokyo Halloween trip around a Shibuya street party. Choose an organized event, theme park, bar, or ticketed venue instead, and check local rules shortly before you go.
Halloween in South Korea
Do not build a Tokyo Halloween trip around a Shibuya street party. Choose an organized event, theme park, bar, or ticketed venue instead, and check local rules shortly before you go.
Chuseok should not be described as Korea’s version of Halloween. It is a separate harvest and family holiday centered on remembrance and family gatherings. Visiting Seoul in late October? Check the official Visit Seoul events calendar for current seasonal events. Do not assume a particular neighborhood will host a street celebration.
Gai Jatra in Nepal
Gai Jatra, or the Cow Festival, is sometimes compared with Halloween because it involves death, costumes, and public processions. The comparison only goes so far. Gai Jatra is a Nepalese festival of remembrance for families who lost a loved one during the previous year.
In the Kathmandu Valley, families traditionally send participants into street processions. They are often children dressed as cows or in symbolic costumes. Humor, satire, music, and laughter help families remember the dead and share their grief. The Nepal Tourism Board explains that the festival usually falls in July or August.
Halloween in Italy
Halloween has become increasingly visible in Italy. It sits alongside the much older Catholic observances of All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2. Regional food and remembrance customs remain important. Towns and attractions also organize modern Halloween events.
One of the most distinctive places to experience modern Halloween in Italy is Borgo a Mozzano in Tuscany. Italy’s official tourism site highlights the town’s annual Halloween celebration. It also features the medieval Ponte della Maddalena, better known as the Devil’s Bridge. A local legend links the bridge to a bargain with the devil.
Why Borgo a Mozzano stands out:
- A multi-day Halloween celebration with performances and interactive events.
- The Devil’s Bridge gives the setting a local legend rather than a generic haunted-house theme.
- Its small-town Tuscan setting feels very different from Halloween in a major city.
Halloween in the Philippines
The Philippines combines modern Halloween entertainment with Catholic observances around Undas. This period includes All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. An older local tradition is pangangaluluwa, a house-to-house practice connected with prayers for the dead.
The Philippine Department of Education describes pangangaluluwa as a custom in which groups represent souls and go from house to house. They sing and ask for alms and prayers. Today, families also gather at cemeteries with flowers, candles, food, and prayers. Western-style costume parties and trick-or-treating are also common in many urban areas.
Halloween in Poland
Halloween exists in Poland, especially among younger people and in larger cities. However, the most important traditions at this time of year are All Saints’ Day on November 1 and Zaduszki, or All Souls’ Day, on November 2. Families travel to cemeteries to clean graves, leave flowers, and light candles for relatives who have died.
The atmosphere is striking after dark, when thousands of candles illuminate cemetery paths. This is a solemn act of remembrance rather than a Halloween attraction. Poland’s official Trade.gov.pl guide notes that All Saints’ Day is a major holiday. Shops close, and heavy traffic is common around cemeteries and main roads.
Experiencing Halloween Traditions Around the World
From New York’s participatory parade to Edinburgh’s fire performance and the candlelit cemeteries of Poland, this season is about far more than costumes and candy. Some events are Halloween celebrations. Others are separate cultural or religious traditions. Understanding that difference makes the trip more meaningful and helps you participate respectfully.
If you’re traveling internationally to experience one of these traditions, Heymondo travel insurance can help you feel prepared for the unexpected. That leaves you free to focus on the trip itself. Review the policy details before you leave, especially if your itinerary includes large events or multiple countries.
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