1. What do you think about Halloween?
Transcript item
Elena: In Italy, we don't really celebrate Halloween, because the day after Halloween – so the first of November – is the Day of the Dead and this is a very important festivity for us. But every year my mamma buys some sweets for the children that come to do trick-or-treat at, to her house.
Joanne: I live in France, and Halloween isn't really a traditional festival here, but nowadays it is celebrated to some extent. You see Halloween decorations in shop windows for example, and the children enjoy it too.
Jonathan: In Hong Kong, where I live, Halloween is mostly celebrated by kids. They dress up and then they go out in the evening and walk around and wear their nice costumes.
Jo: Well, there's kind of, like, a battle where I live. I live in Barcelona, in Catalunya, and the traditional celebration on that day is la Castañada, which is when people eat sweet chestnuts and sweet potatoes, and that's really nice. But Halloween has kind of come in from the outside, from the United States, and I think if you ask my students – well I know if you ask my students who are children and teenagers – they all say they prefer Halloween because it's more fun. There's more things to do.
Elena: I don't really celebrate Halloween, but when I was a child, me and my friend went around my hometown in Italy and we did trick-or-treat. Last year, me and my housemates did jack-o'-lantern and also prepared a cake and we watched horror movies for the Halloween night.
Jonathan: No, I do not celebrate Halloween. Actually, I've got enough spiders in my house already, as it is, so I don't need any more of them! I don't really like scary things. The only thing I like is pumpkins, so maybe I'll eat some pumpkin, er, but that's as far as it goes for me.
Jo: I don't really celebrate Halloween these days. Less and less. Um, but the last time I celebrated it was really fun. I was going to a big party, and me and my friend dressed up as birds, as crows. And we spent hours and hours making these crow costumes, with feathers, and that was really fun. Er, actually making the costumes was more fun than the party, really.
Joanne: I think Halloween's a really fun celebration. I get into it: I decorate the house, I like to carve pumpkin lanterns. I'm often in the UK, actually, at that time of year and I like going round and seeing how all the houses have decorated, and when my kids were younger, they used to love going trick-or-treating.
Jo: I like Halloween. I mean, these days, as an adult, I don't really want to dress up. I don't like the commercial element of it. I don't want to just buy lots of plastic things that I'm going to throw away the next day. But I like the creativity that people use to decorate their houses, make pumpkins, er, dress up, I think that's brilliant. And when I was a kid, I loved it and I love all the imagination and scary stories. I think...I think it's good for children. So, yeah, I’m pro Halloween.
Joanne: This is my favourite part of Halloween. It's the pumpkins. So here are some pumpkins which I've grown in my garden, and I'm going to carve some pumpkin lanterns and also I think I will use some of them for pumpkin soup.
In this video, some of our friends and colleagues tell us their opinions about Halloween, what they do on this special day and whether it's celebrated where they live.
If you'd like to find out about the origins of this festival, you can read more in our Magazine article.
Now tell us about you!
- Is Halloween celebrated in your country?
- Do you celebrate Halloween?
- What do you think about Halloween?
- Is there another festival at this time of year that you celebrate?
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Hii I'm from Peru. In my country people celebrate 2 celebrations Day of the Creole Song and halloween both in 31 october.
Especially kids celebrate halloween dressing costumes. I don't celebrate halloween but this year in my work My boss said that he's organizing a party at his house and everyone had to dress up yes or yes!! So I'm thinking in my costume .... Do you any ideas for me?
Jhenifer
Here, Colombia is a diversity country, we have different zones and diferent personalities. For example coast people are more extroverted than us, the inland people. But here, in Bogotá it's becoming increasingly popular to celebrate Halloween, here we use pumkins as food, is weird to use it to decoration. I don´t remember adult people with costumes in my child season, but now is too popular, adults and childrens wear constumes, parents get their children to malls and stores to trick or treat, and in nigths there are costumes partys for adults. Before Halloween was a children celebration also the parents get their childrens house to house at nigth for trick or treat, the adult parties were rare.
I don´t celebrate Hallowen, some years ago I have neighbors that make a wonderful costumes party but they moved other city and the celebration dead. I don´t have party spirit, jajajaja.
I think that Halloween is funny and children enjoy it. I like to see the costumes, in children and adults.
In Colombia the end´s year celebration starts in september, with the love and friendly day, then continues with halloween and then people prepare christmas and new year party. Is popular hear in radio since september: ¨you feel that december is coming¨ or ¨since september, the december´s music¨
I live in Brazil and here we celebrate Halloween but not as north americans do. I believe that this celebretion is spreading around here. Each year I see more children knocking the doors and asking for candy, but we still are not in the habit of wearing costumes.
Hi Dan!
You mention that you do celebrate Halloween but different to other countries. What sort of things do you do/eat on the 31st October?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Hi,🤠
I'm from Mexico and here we don't celebrate Halloween intead of that we celebrate "el dia de muertos", but I remember when I was 7 years I celebrated Hallowen in a little town where my mom is from. I belive that is a nice tradition for children or teenagers idk is funny. Here almost celebrate "el dia de muertos", it's celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of november, and this days the houses will have their altars when the people put photos, food, toys, and other things from people who died, people we loved, like a family member or pets, this days the streets will be decorated it's a charming tradition.
Hi Chelsea❣
I believe that that's called 'Day of the Dead' in English. Is that right? Do they have parades in the streets or are there certain types of decorations hung up?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Is halloween celebrated in your country?
No, in Cuba is not a very popular celebration, but some people have Halloween-themed costume parties
Do you celebrate Halloween?
no I personally don't, but in the last few years I have gone to costume parties at halloween time
What do you think about Halloween?
Personally Halloween is not my favorite celebration in the whole year but I realized that costume parties are so much fun
Is there another festival at this time of year that you celebrate?
Yes, in Cuba and many other countries, we celebrate the "All Soul's Day"
Hi there Jose!
I've not been to many Halloween parties but I have been invited to one this year ... but I have no idea what to wear! What did you wear when you went to the costume parties that you mentioned?
Could you tell us a little bit more about 'All Soul's Day'? What sort of things to you do and are there any traditional types of food that you eat at this time of year?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
DO you celebrate halloween?
Personally, I dont celebrate halloween,more like because nobody is doing it.
What do you think about halloween?
I think it should be given a chance by other countries that dont like celebrating it and I also think it's a really nice celebration that gives all of us a chance to dress into something silly and fun
Is there another festival at this time of year that you celebrate?
Sadly no,but I wish there was at least a knock off festival or something related to trick or treating,not just halloween parties.
Unfortunately,halloween is not celebrated in my country,not entirely at least. You can attend parties that are halloween themed,but nobody dresses spooky just to go trick or treating.
I live in Argentina, but I was born in San Pedro, California. When I lived in the United States, I celebrated Halloween with my parents and my classmates.
Halloween was a very special celebration for me. A few days before Halloween, everyone at school started getting excited about the celebration. We talked about our costumes, decorated the classrooms, and made Halloween pumpkins.
Halloween is celebrated every year on October 31st. The name Halloween comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” which means the evening before All Saints’ Day. The celebration has very old traditions and is connected to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Over time, different traditions and customs became part of Halloween, including costumes, pumpkins, decorations, and trick-or-treating. Today, especially in the United States, Halloween is mainly a fun celebration for children, families, and communities.
I loved dressing up in different costumes. I dressed up as a 16th-century lady, a cheerleader, a fairy godmother, and many other characters. Everyone wore different costumes, and it was always fun to see what my classmates were dressed as.
On Halloween, we had a big celebration at school. There was a Halloween parade and a school carnival with games and activities. We dressed up, walked in the parade, and had a wonderful time with our classmates and teachers.
After the school celebration, my parents took me trick-or-treating. We walked around the neighborhood from house to house, saying, “Trick or treat!” and collecting candy. I loved seeing all the children dressed up and the houses decorated for Halloween.
I also had a friend who celebrated Halloween at her house. Her whole house was decorated with everything you can imagine: spiders, skeletons, ghosts, vampires, cobwebs, and all kinds of Halloween decorations. It was almost like walking into a haunted house! We had so much fun looking at all the decorations and celebrating together.
Halloween was not only about costumes and candy. It was a time when families, friends, classmates, and neighbors came together to have fun and be creative. For me, it was also an important part of my childhood in California.
I have very good memories of Halloween because it was always fun, creative, and exciting. Those celebrations are very special memories from my childhood, and I still remember them with a lot of affection.
Hi everyone,
I am from algeria in my contry we don't celebrating in Helloween because it is USA culture,For me I don't like Helloween festival really I don't enjoy it things like scary movies
Hello everybody, I´m Heriberto, I´m from México and here don´t celebrate Halloween, because it´s a US tradition, however in Mexico we Celebrate "Dia de muertos", I lijke it so much because it´s full of colours, respectfull, Mexican food and it represents a very special conection with our deseased family members, but don´t think that it´s a sad tradition, on the oposite, it´s a celebration full of joy, stories and family gathering
I love the sound of this celebration that you mention Heriberto! And that you talk about it not being a sad tradition but a tradition really to celebrate the lives of those that have gone.
Would you be able to tell us about the food that you eat or would you have a picture at all? I love anything about the food and traditions of other cultures!
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
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Hi Janer!
How lovely to hear you speaking English and telling us about your traditions for this particular time of year. I reckon it would be a lovely time to visit Columbia and to see it.
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
I live in Persia.
Actually I like all traditional festivals around the world because bring happiness and joy get-together for all of us, so Halloween coincides with “Abanegan” in Persia and Zaratoshterian festival celebrating water.
Traditionally, celebrants gather near flowing water sources—such as streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans and give each other gifts.
Hi! I'm from Brazil and we don't celebrate halloween like most countries. Some people like to watch horror movies in October to get into the spirit of the holiday and some throw parties in the mounth. But it isn't a comom festivity here in Brazil. Particuly, I like the costumes, the movies and decorations! My birthday is near to halloween, so I have interest to do a party someday to celebrate.
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hello . I am Mohamed . I listened you record .
I'm from Mexico and here we don't know much about Halloween here we know it as the day of the dead and it's one of the most beautiful times in all of Mexico and the most beautiful for me
Hi melitza ✿
I'd love to hear more about 'The Day of the Dead'. What sort of things take place in Mexico on this day.
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Hello everyone, I live in Morocco, and I don’t celebrate Halloween. But my daughters have always loved this holiday since they were little. They enjoyed dressing up and putting on makeup; I would make pumpkin cakes, and they would watch horror movies with their friends… not too scary, though! Now they live in France; and they love still Halloween. For her little boy, my 4-year-old grandson, my eldest daughter with the other moms in her neighborhood, arranges lots of surprises and makes pumpkin cakes. The children dress up in costumes. They go door-to-door, asking for treats with the phrase, "Trick or treat! They are really happy. It's a great moment.
I’m from Ukraine and I don’t really celebrate Halloween. When I was a child there was no celebrating in my country. I found out about this holiday in adulthood. Now a lot of kids and teenagers can opportunity to celebrate it. They dress up and make up then they go out in the evening and walk around. Also people decorate their house and carve pumpkins. Kids adore carving fun pumpkins and candle is placed inside the pumpkin. There are many horror movies that children like watching. As well, there are a lot of plastic things in the shops but I don’t like to buy them because I’m going to throw away it the next day.
I live in Galicia and we love all kinds of parties, and overall if it is with good meal on the table, and here we adopt all the fairs of the world such as Saint Patrick's Day, Halloween, Chinese New Year and many more.
Halloween is not really my favorite fair, but I see that young people enjoy this Outum Carnival.
Last Halloween, a lot of my daughter's friends came over at home to watch horror movies all night afterward to trick-or-treat in the afternoon.
Hi fersanrio,
It sounds as if people in Galicia love a good party or festival!
I think Halloween can be a lot of fun for children. My kids used to love it so much when they were younger! I hope you and your family have a great Autumn and a fun Halloween this year :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi,
I live in Valencia, Spain and I don`t really celebrate Halloween because I don´t like it. It´s a day when you should think about the loved ones you lost . The only think I like is doing decorations with my kids, but not the scarry ones. Must be something, nice, sometghing funny. I prefer Christmas :-))
Hi!
I'm from colombia and here we celebrate halloween as well.
Indeed it's a great tradition mostly for children and teenagers. although there are many adults that enjoy this festival and they can dress funny costumes.
In my opinion halloween seems fun but i don't really enjoy it things like scary movies because these sort of movies I'm afraid to watch them. But I really enjoy it seeing films with good wizards and firies, that have a deep history and happy ending.
Hi caciris2003,
I completely agree with you about scary movies. They give me nightmares! But I also love to watch fantasy films with interesting characters and a good storyline.
Have a fun Halloween!
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Is Halloween celebrated in your country?
In Myanmar where I live, do not celebrate Halloween. But some adults wear interesting costumes and participate in their area. And also we don't have trick or treats culture.
Do you celebrate Halloween?
No, I don't. But I really want to try it though. That festival looks exciting and I love spooky Vibe.
What do you think about Halloween?
Cute and fun. People decorate their homes and wears a lot of different costumes look really happy and attractive.
Is there another festival at this time of year that you celebrate?
Of course, we do. We have Thadingyut festival, some people known as "lightning Festival." We light candles all over Streets and home to show and pray our Buddha is coming down to the town.
Hi Mary Billi,
Happy Thadingyut! We'd love to see a photo of the lights in your festival - if you like, you could share one here!
I hope you can join in some Halloween celebrations too :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
I live in Myanmar. Halloween isn’t a traditional festival here, but nowadays it is celebrated in some organizations to some extent. I don't usually celebrate Halloween, but I love seeing how other countries celebrate it. I think it is fun and interesting.
Exactly! I agree with you
Hello everyone :) In Ukrainian families Halloween isn't so common, but the youth loves it! We have parties,but don't decorate our houses and children don't ask for candies in a scary costumes.Also the older generation is afraid to celebrate this holiday, due to the fact that it is the Satan's day :)))
However ,the shops always make a lot of decorations and Halloween sales))
I really like this Holliday.Cause it's another day,when u can dress up as any character and spend time with your friends and family /
Hi vikusik_,
Where I live, Halloween is also mainly for the kids, I think! They really love dressing up and walking around outside in their costumes.
How did you celebrate it this year?
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello,
We have been celebrating Halloween in Germany for about 25 years, more or less.
In the meantime, our children are grown up. When they were at the age of 4 to 12 years, they/ we have extensively celebrated Halloween ... Before this great day, a funny face was carved into a big pumpkin, then a candle was put inside. On 31st October, the little children dressed up as witches, ghosts, wizards, etc. came to us. First we all made handicrafts, then we ate delicious spider salad and worm sausages and woodruff drinks in the house which was decorated with spiders, lanterns, pumpkins. Then we went singing from house to house. Mostly we parents were in the background. The children recited poems in the village and asked for sweets. Personally, I loved Halloween, although many Germans say that this is a pagan custom and would only scare people. Sadly, there are actually bad people, especially in big cities, who put on a scary mask and dress up and then mug and rob people. Caution is advised! This is then really very dangerous and can traumatise children and older people in the worst case. Children should not be out alone!!! You should not open a door without first checking who is ringing the doorbell!!!
Yours,
Jutta
In recent years, people celebrate Halloween in Japan too. Especially young generation love it. Some people take part in the party with their favorite costume. But I am middle age , so I don't have special time in Halloween.