Halloween as everyone knows is a Holiday that occurs every 31st of October. A tradition that can be traced back over 2000 years ago with the ancient Celtics. aside from Halloween the UK also celebrates Guy Fawkes Day in November. But what about other countries? Let us explore the unique festivals and celebrations around the world that take place during these chilly autumn months.
Dia de los muertos (Day of the dead)![]()
(Image: Photo by Fernando Paleta from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/colorful-day-of-the-dead-celebra)
Dia de los Muertos is a joyful celebration that celebrates peoples loved ones and remembers their memories. You might have already heard of it due to it being popularised by movies such as Disney's COCO.
The day of the dead is celebrated across different countries with each countries having their own version of this celebration. However, the most popular Day of the dead celebration is the one held in Mexico. Mexico's day of the dead holds a mixture of ancient Aztecs customs with the focus of celebrating ancestors and All soul's day originating from a catholic tradition brought in when the Spanish empire invaded Mexico in the 1500s.
The celebration starts from 31st of October in which they believe at midnight the gate of heaven is said to open. 1st of November is the souls of the children who have died said to visit and the finale day is 2nd of November in which the spirits of the adults are said to visit.
This celebration is celebrated with face painting, a traditional bread, parades, candy skulls and setting up and ofrenda an altar or offering of food, candles, flower, and other items placed in a home to honour deceased loved ones. Families also bring a massive feast to the graveyard to eat while they are cleaning the deceased tombstones.
Philippines - Masskara festival
Philippines as a catholic country of course celebrates araw ng patay (day of the dead) Aswell however, an interesting festival called the masskara festival is celebrated in a city located in the Negros islands.
The Masskara festival is celebrated every fourth Sunday of October in Bacolod, Philippines. This festival was first held in the 1980s to lift the spirits and bring the smile of people's faces back after an Economic crisis that resulted in one of the worst famines of the country's history.
Every locals and tourist can celebrate the festival by wearing colourful costumes (which of course includes a mask), view the street parades, taking part in food festivals (allot of food to choose from), beauty pageants, perya (carnival), and many more!
Iceland Airwaves
let us now shift into a festival that is slightly different. This festival celebrates vibrancy, creativity, and the power of music. Iceland Airwaves is a music festival that takes places annually during early November in Reykjavik. It is the biggest party of Reykjavik. It is a multi-genre music festival that features a variety of artist, from up-and-comers to international headliners. The festival last 3 days and 3 nights. Artist including James Blake, Sufjan Stevens and Mac DeMarco has performed in the Iceland Airwaves.
Each country has its own unique customs, traditions, and celebrations. Exploring just a few of these fascinating events, really highlights that there's wealth of beauty and diversity in the way people commemorate special occasions.
