The Many Faces of Halloween

Have you ever stopped to think about the way we celebrate Halloween versus the way Halloween is celebrated around the world? In the United States, Halloween is celebrated with carved jack-o-lanterns, fake blood, and spooky lights. Houses are decked out in flickering lights, scary music, fake bats, vampires, tombstones, spiders, webs, ghosts and the occasional Frankenstein. Children and teens alike parade through the streets garbed in costumes portraying superheroes, monsters, animals, or fairy princesses, going door to door asking for candy or to Halloween parties that consist of ghost stories, punch and popcorn balls. Parents dress up and pass out candy or host adult Halloween parties where too much punch is served.
We celebrate this day with haunted houses that no one ever wants to go to in the first place, start to walk in, get the daylights spooked out of us and nearly urinate ourselves. We run out, screaming bloody murder because some guy with a chain saw popped out of nowhere and reminded us of all of the "Jason" movies we didn't necessarily want to watch as a kids, but were forced to by our siblings.
While this all sounds like a grand time, one cannot help but wonder how Halloween is celebrated in other countries. Long ago In England, Halloween had a few nicknames: Nutcracker Night, Snap-Apple Night, and Mischief Night. The nicknames Nutcracker Night and Snap-Apple Night came from the traditions of roasting nuts on the fire and hanging apples from strings and biting them, The nickname Mischief Night came from the idea that Halloween was supposed to be a night to behave mischievously as oftentimes, people ripped their doors off the hinges and threw them into rivers or carried the door around with them.
Additionally, on this night, children would walk the streets with soul cakes in their pockets, which were thought to bring forth friendly spirits. Children would make "punkies" out of large beets. These punkies were designed with a carving of the child's choice, carried throughout the streets as children sand the "Punkie Night Song" and knocked on doors, asking for money.
Nowadays, England celebrates Halloween much like we do here in the U.S., with trick-or-treating and decorations. Unlike the U.S., in France, Halloween is not a time to remember and honor the dead; it is more of a celebration. People of all ages in France attend parties at friends' homes, restaurants, clubs and bars. Their costumes are still "scary" like their international counterparts, i.e. dressing as vampires, mummies, ghosts and witches.
In France, however, trick-or-treating is an extremely rare event, but when it does happen, people go store-to-store rather than door-to-door. Typically, the idea of Halloween in France is considered controversial due to cultural influence--it is not a standard French holiday and the French are still unsure of exactly what it is they are celebrating. The fact that Halloween is more of an American tradition also makes a lot of the French refuse to enjoy it.
In Hong Kong, Halloween or "Yue Lan," meaning "The Festival of Hungry Ghosts," is a time for spirits to roam the world for twenty-four hours. Many people burn pictures of fruit and money at this time, believing that these burnt images will reach the reach the spirit world and bring relief to the spirits themselves. Additionally, fires are made and food and gifts are offered to the spirits who may be angry and looking for revenge.
Lastly, Mexico celebrates Halloween with a three-day celebration called, "El Dia de los Muertos," meaning "the day of the dead." Starting October 31 and continuing until November 2, the dead are honored and remembered through festivities.
During this time, families create an altar in their home and adorn it with candy, flowers, photographs, fresh water and bites of the deceased loved one's favorite foods and drinks. Often, a basin and towel are left out so that the spirits may wash before the feast. Candles and incense are left out and burned to help the spirit find their way home.
Parades are also held and people dress up as skeletons and dance in the streets. Commonly, a living person lays inside a coffin to be paraded through the streets while vendors toss fruit, flowers and assorted candies into the casket. This three-day celebration represents life, beginning to end, which poses the question: what is the modern-day American purpose of celebrating this holiday?