Sweden started celebrating Halloween in a big way long after I moved here. Personally we don’t do anything but I am always grateful that Halloween keeps full-on Christmas out of the shops a bit longer. If it were not for Halloween, I am sure the Christmas decorations would come out at the end of August.
I sound like a joykill about it I know, though very time I see this photo, I do burst out laughing!
Sweden is a VERY secular country, but Swedes do celebrate their lost loved ones on All Saints’ Day (November 1). They visit graves, light candles, go to services. It is a very spiritual, meditative time. For this reason, a few years ago, Halloween was celebrated the weekend before the All Saints’ weekend, because people felt the Halloween spirit clashed with the All Saints’ spirit. I am not sure if it is still that way because I think shops would like you to celebrate it every day from September 1.
Halloween is beginning to be popular in Germany. Kids go treat or treating in the evening for a couple of hours and they have little poems that they say to get candy. Unfortunately, there were already lots of Christmas decorations in September, even BEFORE the Halloween stuff came out. Now you have an aisle for Halloween right next to the aisle for Christmas candy… When I was living in France, November 1st was a holiday and people would go to graves, clean them up and decorate them. I lived near a cemetery and lots of kids would hang near the cemetery to help older people with their graves and carry the flowers in exchange for a little bit of money.
The 1st November is indeed a holy day in France as well as in many countries around the world.
It comes from a Christian tradition which has nothing to do with death. It is the day we celebrate the saints (Toussaint means “all saints”). However as most saints are dead, that day has been assimilated to the celebration of our dead loved ones (Dia de Los Muertos in Spain and Mexico).
Unlike you, I love Halloween, I begin to celebrate by watching some spoof horror movies early in October (Hocus Pocus, Beetle Juice, etc) and then gear to up to All Saints Eve (Halloween) with more classic horror movies (Halloween, The Shining, It) yes I love the books and the movies of stories by Stephen King. If I could go anywhere in the world for October, I would love to spend it in New Orleans because they have lots of ideas for spooky sights throughout the entire month of October.
I absolutely love your Halloween plans! I also start to feel in the mood some time in October and the feeling often lasts until well into November. I also love Stephen King! I would love to go to Salem, MA on the day…
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SPOOKY 😀
CASPER THE FRIENDLY DUMPLING????