With Halloween coming up, people often think of October as a time for trick-or-treating or throwing spooky parties. However, there are many ways people across North America, South America and Europe celebrate the spookiest month.
In Salem, Massachusetts, people have silent suppers between Oct. 27 to Nov. 1. They usually sit in a circle with candlelight and, at the end of the meal, diners would burn notes to their deceased loved ones in the candle flames. From the moment participants step into the room, no one says a word.
On Halloween, the Bran Castle, aka Dracula’s castle, in Romania, is opened up for an epic party of local horror movies, wine and dancing on the grounds until 4 a.m.
Barmbrack is a long-living tradition in Ireland where a loaf of bread decides believers’ fates. The bread is baked with sultanas and raisins, with a pea, a matchstick, a piece of cloth, a thimble and a ring being the most common symbolic items to get added into the loaf. It is believed that whichever slice they pick can bring them wealth, love or a lifetime of loneliness.
If someone wants to spice up the trick in their trick-or-tricking, they might, at their own risk, want to check out New England and Detroit on Oct. 30 for Mischief Night. The tricks can range from simple fun to illegal activity, and the repercussions from Mischief Night have caused some areas to have volunteer patrols to counteract the chaos.
In Guatemala, the people of Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez gather outside on Nov. 1 to partake in a 3,000-year-old tradition of flying colorful kites in cemeteries to communicate with their ancestors. The view is supposedly breathtaking to witness in person.
In the United States, individuals on a simple walk should be careful because they might encounter some zombies passing by. Zombie walks began as a fun activity in the U.S., but now it’s organized across the globe as a form of hunger marches to raise awareness for world hunger.
In next week’s issue, The Johnsonian will discuss spooky traditions from Asia, Africa and Australia, so stay tuned for more interesting cultural information.
