Eine Frau mit einem Hexenhut verzaubert ein leuchtendes Buch, während im nebligen Hintergrund Fledermäuse und dunkle Äste zu sehen sind.

Halloween customs – rituals for the spooky celebration

Children and adults look forward every year to October 31, when spooky creatures crawl out of their holes and provide terrifying fun. In the 1990s, Halloween spread from
America to Europe and Germany, where it has roughly the same
status as Carnival does here. So it is no wonder that people quickly embraced the spooky celebration.

What makes Halloween special? What customs are there, and do they differ from country to country? Where did these customs originate? And what is especially suitable for children? Here at Kostümpalast, we will take you on a journey through the world of Halloween culture. As experts in costumes, we naturally also offer great Halloween costumes and an extensive range of Halloween accessories for your horror-filled fun.

Hohe, aufrecht stehende Steine, die auf einer grasbewachsenen Ebene unter bewölktem Himmel in einer kreisförmigen Anordnung stehen und von warmem Sonnenlicht beleuchtet werden.

The Origin of Halloween

Vampires, devils, ghosts, mummies, witches, and other terrifyingly beautiful creatures roam around. There is spooky food and drink, artfully arranged. The decorations promise an eerie cemetery or cellar atmosphere. And of course, the hollowed-out jack-o’-lantern face awaits at the entrance to greet the guests.

This is how we know Halloween today. Its origins are different. Historians suspect that Halloween originated from the festival Samhain on Ireland’s Emerald Isle. The festival honoring the dead may have taken place as early as 4000 BC, making it an incredible 6,000 years old. The Celts celebrated the beginning of a new year in their calendar and marked the end of the harvest season. Irish emigrants brought their cultural heritage to the United States, where the festival was warmly received and became an important popular celebration. During the long journey, Halloween’s traditions inevitably changed as well.

The spooky festival of the Celts and Irish people

The Celts believed that on the night of October 31 to November 1, the veils between worlds were especially thin and the gates to the underworld opened. This allowed the dead to come to Earth and visit their relatives. People welcomed the deceased with lights and sweets.
However, others feared the dead, for example because they might seek revenge. That is why people also dressed up and portrayed eerie, death-like figures to drive away the evil spirits.
Rituals in the Anglo-Saxon countries of Europe

Three very well-known traditions are the bonfire, the traditional apple bobbing, and the nut oracle. Believing that evil spirits fear fire led to the creation of the bonfire. Huge fires are lit on hills, and people dance around them in costume.
Apple bobbing is a somewhat quieter affair. Apples are placed in a large bowl of water and left to float. Players must catch and lift them out with their mouths. Their hands may not be used and are tied behind their backs. It is an amusing competition. In the past, people believed that whoever managed to catch an apple first would also be the first to find their true love.
Belief in oracles is strong, so in some regions people still like to look into the future at Halloween—for example, with the nut oracle. A young man or woman writes the names of potential marriage partners on nuts and throws them into the fire. The nut that burns brightest and pops open in the fire reveals who the right person is.
Existing couples can also consult the nut oracle. Each person throws a nut into the fire. Depending on how they burn, the couple’s future can be interpreted—whether the nuts burn slowly, explode loudly, or burn particularly brightly.

Eine geschnitzte Kürbislaterne, eine Laterne und eine Kerze auf einem Holztisch, im Hintergrund ein Vollmond sowie die Silhouetten von Bäumen und Menschen.

The Legend of the Pumpkin Face

Today, the hollowed-out pumpkin with a spooky or funny face is known throughout the world as a symbol of Halloween. It, too, has a long tradition that began with the Celts and the story of Jack O.

Jack Oldfield, a cunning rogue, outwitted the devil on All Hallows’ Eve when the devil came to claim him. He managed to trap the devil and did not release him until the devil promised not to visit him for ten years. When the time had passed, the devil returned, and Jack O. asked him for a “last meal.” The devil climbed a tree to pick the requested apple. But
Jack carved a cross into the trunk, and the devil could not leave the tree until he had promised that Jack would never go to hell.

After a few years, Jack Oldfield died. Full of anticipation, he approached the gates of heaven. But he was turned away because he had led a sinful life. He was not admitted at the gates of hell either, because the devil kept his promise. The devil took pity on him and gave him a piece of coal from the fires of hell. It was supposed to light his way. To keep the piece of coal from burning out, Jack placed it inside a hollowed-out turnip. From that day on, Jack O. has wandered around as the undead.

From turnip to pumpkin

From this legend came the custom of hollowing out a turnip on Halloween, carving a face into it, and placing a light
inside. In North America, the pumpkin replaced the turnip for the festival of the dead. This is because it is larger and easier to carve. The hard-skinned winter squash, harvested from mid-September through the end of October, is especially well suited for carving.

Today, pumpkin faces are considered an indispensable Halloween decoration.
This tradition has spread throughout the world. When a jack-o'-lantern grins at people, everyone knows: It's Halloween. And the name for the pumpkin lantern—Jack-O-Lantern—recalls the fate of the villain who still wanders around with his lantern, searching for a place to stay.

Vier Kinder in Halloween-Kostümen mit Kürbiskörbchen nähern sich einer geschmückten Veranda mit geschnitzten Kürbissen und Herbstblättern.

Halloween in America

The festival of the dead found fertile ground in the United States and became known internationally. The USA has always been a pioneer in commercialized celebrations, including Halloween. Spooky costumes, lavish themed parties, extravagant decorations, and jack-o’-lanterns spread incredibly quickly.

What in Germany is customary only on major holidays such as Christmas, Americans also do at Halloween: send greeting cards to friends and relatives.

A very typical ritual for children in America is “trick or treat”—“Süßes oder Saures” in German. Dressed as ghosts, mummies, witches, and other frightening creatures, they go from house to
house around the neighborhood and ask for sweets. Most people give them a little something. If someone is stingy, they may be subjected to small pranks such as toothpaste on the door handle or a mailbox wrapped in toilet paper.

In addition, many people in America associate Halloween with witches. This is comparable to the German legends surrounding Walpurgis Night. Across the Atlantic, people believe that witches gather on Halloween and cause mischief. Witches are therefore among the most common Halloween motifs. Even largewitch parades and witch parties are celebrated. Salem, Massachusetts, is regarded as the center. The infamous witch trials took place there in 1692.

German Halloween traditions

People in France were the first to adopt the spooky festival, bringing it back to Europe. Detached from its old traditions, an autumn counterpart to Carnival emerged. The following customs are also especially important in Germany:

Costumes
Pumpkin lanterns
Theme parties
“Trick or treat”

Although the trend of celebrating Halloween on the evening before All Saints’ Day is relatively recent, it has now become established and earned a place on the calendar. It is not only children who love dressing up. Many adults also take the opportunity to celebrate together and escape everyday life for a few hours.

A study by the University of Dortmund even states that Halloween is celebrated in a more American way in Germany than in the United States
itself. In Germany, people celebrate the festival of the dead in a darker and spookier way.

Drei Personen mit „Tag der Toten“-Make-up und Blumenkränzen posieren vor einem dunklen Hintergrund; zwei halten Totenköpfe in den Händen, und die Person in der Mitte trägt einen Schleier.

Day of the Dead – Halloween in Mexico

In Mexico, October 31 is also a day of celebration: the Day of the Dead. As one of Mexico’s most important holidays, it honors the deceased, who return from the afterlife and celebrate exuberantly together with the living until November 2.

The decorations are different here. The streets are adorned with flowers that show the dead the way to their loved ones. Death is present everywhere in the form of skeletons and skulls. In homes, altars for the dead are set up with mementos of the deceased, as well as food and drinks.

It is a colorful festival featuring vivid colors and a fascinating connection to death. Until midnight on November 2, the lively celebration with dancing, music, and brought-along food takes place in the cemetery. Then the festivities end because the dead return to the afterlife.

The colorful costumes and makeup of the Mexican tradition are also increasingly finding their way into German Halloween culture.

Halloween traditions for children

When celebrating Halloween with children, always consider their age group. Little ones can enjoy a bit of spookiness too, but it should remain age-appropriate. Avoid realistic decorations and costumes that could frighten even adults.

Popular Halloween traditions for children include carving pumpkins together, trick-or-treating, and having a themed party with age-appropriate costumes.
You can also entertain your little ghosts and witches with international traditions such as bobbing for apples or telling the story of Jack Oldfield.

Good to know: Interesting facts about Halloween

Did you know that:

the typical Halloween colors black and orange have a deeper meaning? Black is considered the color of death and darkness. It is meant to remind us why Halloween is celebrated: to mark the boundary between life and death. Orange, on the other hand, represents strength and endurance. Together with shades of brown and gold,
it symbolizes autumn and the harvest.
a child collects an average of 11,000 calories' worth of candy on Halloween? That is roughly equivalent to a week's requirements.
there is a technical term for the fear of Halloween? It is called samhainophobia. There is also phasmophobia—the fear of ghosts—and nyctophobia—the fear of darkness.