When I was a kid, Halloween was this foreign extravaganza that we read about in English class as an excuse to learn new vocabulary. Nowadays (since around 10 years ago), a huge part of society talk like it like we have always celebrated. Children wear costumes (even in school), there are Halloween parties for teenagers or adults, business are decorated with pumpkins and cobwebs. I am starting to feel the odd man out for not bothering with any of this.

The thing is, we do have our own traditions. November 1st and 2nd are traditional Catholic holidays (All Saints and All Souls), so there’s usually a long weekend in the beginning of November. What most people do (used to do?) is visiting the cemeteries to remember their beloved ones. Granted, that’s not exactly party material, but I feel it is being diluted into celebrations more directed at spending and consuming (a bit like Christmas). And not everything is sad –there are some traditional All Saints sweets that are very good, and have nothing to do with your typical Halloween candy.

There are other American traditions that are spreading like wildfire. We have Black Friday sales since 3 years ago (not that I complain about things becoming cheaper), and this year I heard about Super Bowl watching parties (for people who don’t follow NFL or even understand the sport –they just watch the game because it’s a thing). Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy American culture a lot, but I don’t see the reason to adopt just about anything that comes from across the pond (other than inciting to consumerism). I wouldn’t be surprised if we started celebrating Thanksgiving in a couple of years (turkey farmers would be happy, though).

If we are going to adopt other countries’ festivities, I would have chosen the Mexican Día de los Muertos. That is one I would like to experience first-hand some day.

What’s the situation in other countries? Is Halloween becoming a thing too? Do you feel holidays are becoming too consuming-centric? Or is it just plain, worry-free fun?

French living in Japan, here.

Halloween is the new craze here in Japan, since a couple years ago.

But, personnally, I've never been interested and might never been interested. First, because like you, in France we have the All Saints of 1st november and Halloween is absolutely not a part of my cultural heritage. Second, because I don't like "scary" things ; if I want to be scared, I don't need any ghoul or vampire, I just need to look at the World these days. Thrid, because celebrating Halloween seems to mean drinking lots of alcohol and I just despise people who drink to the point no return.

On the contrary, yes, I'd like to experience a Dia de los Muertos in Mexico.

Aussie here. Halloween is a big retail thing.BUT its not traditionally an aussies thing, so you see the odd decoration or a bunch of kids get into it (and adults party..) but wouldnt call it that big a thing on our calendar....

A bit too old for it now. I will be watching Castlevania on Netflix. I don't know if that counts. Halloween kind of just syncs in with my viewing habits.

Australia, Queensland

Halloween sort of wormed it's way in a couple of decades ago. At first it was only popular in certain pockets, but now the supermarkets are full into the cheap single-use costumes and "fun-size" confectionary sales and the like.
But still, not universally accepted / celebrated here yet.
It's mainly suburbanites (and those blasted southerners) that celebrate the commercialised aspect of it without knowing the reasons for celebrating. Not that our front fence is inviting though: barbed wire and electric fencing doesn't say "welcome" now, does it?

I think it's retarded.

I think the same happens here too, more or less. It's kind of an americanization, as you also point out, which inevitably grows more by the day (note: I am saying this in a neutral way, I don't bother enough to either love it or hate it). The most possible reason is marketing / consumerism and so on. Also, I think nowadays adopting such foreign traditions is considered... hip?! (how do kids even call it these days).
If Halloween is actually celebrated like we see it in movies and TV series, then I would probably like it too. IF we celebrated it in the same manner; but here it just happens for money.
Also, at least in my country, Black Friday has been happening for a couple of years now. But it kinda reminds me of the latest GOG sales, they are presented like something special but it's the same old sale once again :)
I totally agree on Dia de los Muertos! And you reminded me of Grim Fandango! Great. Now I want to play it. Again. After all these years. With no free time available. Thank you.

nah, other than scrounging for candy when a kid and that excitment it never was a thang in our family. as an adult i used to pass out candy for the kids but never decorated. Now I dont even pass out candy as the numbers coming to house declined, costs of candy rose and often I would be tempted to eat the candy myself. Now I just turn off the lights and ignore the whole thing. I cant stand all the plastic crap decorations.... i just dont get how fake looking skellies, tombstones and cheap costumes is fun, but then im happy for peeps enjoying themselves


oh, btw american here

I means very little to me, but I do get involved with any parties that are going on just for the laughs. In terms of it's historic/traditional meaning - couldn't care less.

In Poland sadly there is slightly rising interest in Halloween. It's mostly a commercial thing (so just another excuse for shops and stores to make promos on various things, even vaguely connected with all this Halloween), but there are also some adults and children (yup, adults as well) who are interested in it.

Good thing is that All-Saints Day and All Souls Day are still widely celebrated in Poland and it doesn't seem to be changed in the nearest future.

I was never a big fan of Halloween, due to plenty of reasons (aside from religious arguments, there are also some other - I don't see necessity of emulating some weird habits which are clearly not fitting to our culture, secondly, who (or what) we're actually celebrating or commemorating in Halloween? And why? By some reasons answers on those questions are surprisingly easy to answer in case of other holidays, but not halloween).

Myself, I'm not celebrating even a bit of Halloween, although I have to from time to time meet some children who are making rampage due to halloween (year ago I've met some kid riding on the bicycle with box on his head and plastic shotgun in his hand - almost run me over :P)

I don't celebrate Halloween, to me it is a pagan holiday. America is built off of consumer spending. No consumer spending, well...not much else going on. If you figure, every month has a major holiday for the most part except the Summer months. The Summer months they rely on families to travel and the money made from tourism to help the economy. That is just my two cents, since most of the indices to rate the economy are actually outdated.

All of the above, I think. I remember in my late teenage years, a friend who had been an exchange student in Canada, did a Halloween party just for fun and he made us go "trick or treating" in costumes, and at that time we were still the odd ones because it wasn't usual at all. Nowadays it would hardly surprise anyone anymore, since Halloween parties are popular here now, too. And if a holiday is marketable in any way, the commercial world will always try to profit from it. Personally, I don't celebrate it, and it does seem a bit superficial to me as well to just import traditions from other cultures because they seem like fun and are easy to make money of, but whatever floats other people's boats. If they (and particularly children) enjoy it that much, why not let them enjoy it. And in the end it's up to everyone individually whether they let their traditions and celebration of holidays be influenced by consumerism or not.

Card companies, shops etc. are always trying to push "xyz" day so they can sell shit. If it's not Valentine's Day, or mother/father/uncle/cat etc. Day, it's the 3 months of xmas or Easter. Halloween is no different, just another means to profit from shifting a load of rubbish plastic from shop to sea.

Yeah, it wasn't a huge commercial thing in the UK when I was a kid. Kids (including myself) did used to go trick or treating, but there wasn't this all encompassing takeover like there is nowadays (shops decorating etc.).

Incidentally, as several people have mentioned All Saints Day it's worth noting that Hallowe'en is All Hallows Eve, All Hallows Day being another name for All Saints Day. Of course it's all mixed up with pagan stuff and then commercially distorted, but it is linked to All Saints Day.

My own childhood memories are of barely doing anything for hallowe'en and Bonfire night being a really big family gathering. On the other hand, I do know people who grew up around the same time and place as me who celebrated hallowe'en a lot more and Bonfire night barely at all. Swings and roundabouts.

Oh hey! It's been Oct 31st for 20 minutes already....off to bed I suppose.
Night all!