16 Halloween Traditions Around the World to Love

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While Halloween originated from ancient Celtic festivals like Samhain, it has evolved into a global celebration with diverse regional expressions. Today, countries across the world mark October 31 with traditions shaped by local history, religion, and pop culture—from solemn rituals honoring the dead to high-energy costume parades.

This article explores 16 Halloween traditions from around the globe, each grounded in cultural context and verified through reputable sources. Whether you’re researching global customs or simply curious about how different societies celebrate the spooky season, these examples offer a fascinating look at how Halloween has been adapted and reimagined worldwide.

1. Halloween in Hong Kong

Using their famous destinations such as Disneyland, Hong Kong likes to put on a big show for its residents and visitors by decorating large shopping centers and points of interest with Halloween-themed décor. Additionally, Hong Kong has its own

Halloween-style festival in the 7th month of the Chinese calendar, called the Hungry Ghost Festival. This festival celebrates the belief that spirits roam among the living during this time of year.

2. Icelandic Fun

In the lead-up to Halloween, Icelandic children eagerly don costumes of witches, wizards, vampires, and ghosts, often inspired by both Nordic legends and Hollywood blockbusters. Schools host themed parties, and neighborhoods across Reykjavík come alive with trick-or-treaters—a tradition that’s grown rapidly thanks to Iceland’s embrace of global pop culture and its own love for dressing up, rooted in Ash Wednesday customs.

Adults get in on the fun, too. Reykjavík’s nightlife pulses with Halloween energy, especially at the American Bar, which throws a lively American-style bash complete with themed cocktails, costume contests, and spooky décor. But that’s just the beginning—bars like Mama, Port9, and even art venues like Ásmundarsafn host everything from horror pub quizzes to Latin dance nights, ambient music sets, and eerie art installations.

Halloween in Iceland may be a relatively new tradition, but it’s quickly become a beloved excuse to party, dress up, and tap into the country’s rich storytelling heritage. With Iceland’s dramatic landscapes and folklore of elves, ghosts, and trolls, it’s the perfect place to celebrate the spooky season.

3. Japanese Cosplay

Japan puts its own dazzling spin on Halloween—one that skips the door-to-door trick-or-treating and dives headfirst into spectacle. While Halloween is a relatively new phenomenon here (popularized in the early 2000s by Tokyo Disneyland), it’s now one of the country’s big seasonal events. Instead of candy hunts, the focus is on costume culture.

Cosplay reigns supreme, with thousands of people flooding the streets of Shibuya, Harajuku, and Osaka in elaborate outfits ranging from anime icons to traditional yokai (Japanese spirits). The vibe is less spooky and more stylish, with themed parades, dance parties, and bar crawls that cater especially to the 20-something crowd. Convenience stores stock Halloween-themed snacks, theme parks host immersive events, and even train stations get decked out in eerie decor. It’s a month-long celebration of creativity, community, and curated chaos—perfect for travelers who love immersive, high-energy cultural experiences.

4. Kenyan Fun

While Halloween isn’t traditionally celebrated across Kenya, urban centers like Nairobi have embraced the spooky season with flair. In the city’s bustling neighborhoods, restaurants, bars, and shopping malls transform into haunted playgrounds, complete with eerie decor, themed menus, and costume contests. Malls like Sarit Centre and Village Market host family-friendly events, while cinemas often screen horror classics or offer free spooky movie nights.

Nairobi’s nightlife scene kicks into high gear around October 31, with venues like Sebuleni and Shelter KE throwing immersive Halloween parties that blend local creativity with global Halloween vibes. Expect everything from haunted house pop-ups to glow-in-the-dark dance floors and eerie art installations. For Kenya’s growing community of artists, dreamers, and partygoers, Halloween is a chance to dress up, let loose, and celebrate in style.

5. A Change of Light

In Lithuania, October 31 marks more than just Halloween—it’s the symbolic turning point between the light half and the dark half of the year. This ancient belief, rooted in seasonal rhythms and spiritual folklore, sees the end of harvest and the beginning of winter as a time when the veil between worlds grows thin. Children celebrate this transition with playful “light vs. dark” battles, dressing up and pretending to embody opposing forces—one radiant and life-giving, the other mysterious and shadowy. It’s a tradition that blends fun with deeper cultural meaning, reflecting Lithuania’s reverence for nature’s cycles and ancestral memory.

Modern Halloween festivities are growing, too. Cities like Vilnius host costume parades, music events, and themed parties, while shops and cafes embrace the spooky season with ghostly decor and seasonal treats. It’s a celebration that honors both the mystical past and the creative present.

6. Island Fun

Halloween has quickly become one of Malta’s most anticipated celebrations, blending American-style spookiness with local flair. If you visit during late October, you’ll find restaurants and cafes decked out in cobwebs, skeletons, and pumpkin displays, while shopping malls like Bay Street and The Point host themed events with costume contests, haunted house setups, and trick-or-treat trails.

Public festivals across the island offer spooky games like apple bobbing, scavenger hunts, and ghost storytelling sessions. Gianpula Village and Sound Salon throw high-energy Halloween parties for adults, while family-friendly venues like Swieqi and Gozo host outdoor parades, spooky mazes, and even Dia de los Muertos-inspired cultural events.

7. Festivals Galore in the Netherlands

Halloween has taken root in the Netherlands with flair, offering something for every kind of thrill-seeker. From spine-chilling zombie walks to elegant haunted castles, the country transforms into a playground of frightful fun. In Rotterdam, the annual Zombiewalk draws crowds of undead revelers who parade through the city in gory makeup and tattered costumes, turning the streets into a living horror movie.

Amsterdam ups the ante with its Halloween Festival, featuring ghost tours, immersive parties, and eerie canal-side events that blend Dutch charm with spooky spectacle. For a more atmospheric experience, head to Keukenhof Castle, where Halloween meets history. The castle grounds host themed events with candlelit paths, costumed performers, and family-friendly frights. Across the country, theme parks like Walibi Holland throw massive Fright Nights, while smaller towns offer haunted houses, pumpkin carving, and trick-or-treat trails.

8. Music in Puerto Rico

In San Juan, Halloween isn’t just spooky—it’s electric. One of the island’s most anticipated events is Yellow Halloween, a high-energy concert and costume party that lights up the city on October 31. Held at iconic venues like La Concha Resort, this annual bash draws international musicians, DJs, and thousands of revelers dressed in everything from mob glam to glow-in-the-dark couture.

Tickets sell out days in advance, and the party pulses into the early hours with live music, curated cocktails, and a dance floor that never quits. It’s a celebration that blends Puerto Rico’s vibrant nightlife with Halloween’s playful spirit—perfect for travelers who want to trade haunted houses for beachfront beats. Beyond Yellow Halloween, San Juan offers haunted house tours, rooftop costume parties, and family-friendly events at malls and museums. Whether you’re into vintage mischief or tropical thrills, Halloween in Puerto Rico is a celebration like no other.

9. Romanian Parties

If there’s one place in Europe that truly embraces Halloween, it’s Transylvania. This legendary Romanian region—home to misty forests, medieval towns, and the infamous Count Dracula—buzzes with eerie excitement throughout October. While Halloween isn’t widely celebrated across the rest of Romania, Transylvania goes all out with haunted tours, masquerade balls, and street festivals that draw visitors from around the world.

The crown jewel of the season is the Bran Castle Halloween Party, a two-day extravaganza held at the iconic fortress often linked to Vlad the Impaler. Guests explore torchlit corridors, join gothic costume parades, and sip mulled wine while listening to chilling tales of Transylvanian lore. Other towns like Sighișoara and Brașov host their own spooky events, including puppet shows, Dracula-themed dinners, and live folk-horror performances.

10. Spanish Traditions with a Twist

In Spain, Halloween blends modern festivity with centuries-old customs tied to All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos) and All Souls’ Day (Día de los Difuntos). While costume parties and spooky décor are gaining popularity—especially in cities like Barcelona and Madrid—the heart of the season lies in its culinary and spiritual traditions.

One beloved treat is Huesos de Santo (“Saint’s Bones”), delicate marzipan sweets shaped like bones and filled with egg-yolk cream. These eerie yet elegant confections are sold in bakeries across the country and lovingly made at home to honor the departed. Alongside them, roasted chestnuts are a seasonal staple, often enjoyed during family gatherings or street festivals.

11. Far Beyond Halloween in Mexico

In Mexico, late October and early November are a vibrant fusion of Halloween fun and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) reverence. While Halloween itself is growing in popularity—especially among children who enjoy dressing up and trick-or-treating in urban neighborhoods—the real magic lies in the country’s deep-rooted traditions of honoring the departed. Streets come alive with colorful papel picado, marigold-lined altars, and costumed parades featuring La Catrina and other skeletal icons.

Markets overflow with candles, sugar skulls, jack-o’-lanterns, and handmade decorations, while bakeries sell pan de muerto, a sweet bread adorned with bone-shaped designs. In cities like Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Mérida, you’ll find immersive festivals, candlelit processions, and even Halloween-themed concerts and zombie marches. It’s a time when the veil between worlds thins—and the streets fill with music, memory, and celebration.

12. Singing for Souls in the Philippines

In many rural parts of the Philippines, Halloween blends with deeply rooted Catholic and folk traditions through a practice called Pangangaluluwa. On the nights leading up to All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2), groups of people—often children or teens—go door to door singing songs meant to represent the voices of souls in purgatory. In return, they’re given food, treats, or coins, much like trick-or-treating.

Some communities even stage theatrical performances or wear ghostly costumes to enhance the experience. The tradition is both festive and spiritual, serving as a way to honor the dead and remind the living of their connection to those who’ve passed on. While modern Halloween customs are gaining popularity in cities like Manila, Pangangaluluwa remains a heartfelt and hauntingly beautiful tradition that ties community, music, and memory together.