Halloween Around the world

Happy Halloween! Feliz dia de las Brujas in the Spanish language. As we celebrate this very old tradition (Ireland is believed to be the birth place of Halloween) today, here are some traditions from around the world.

In Austria people leave bread, water and a lighted lamp on the table before going to sleep for the night. They do this to welcome the souls of the death back to earth. For Austrians, this night is seen as filled with strong cosmic energies. In China, they have the Halloween festival called Teng Chieh in Chinese. They place food and water in front of photos of dead relatives while lanterns and bonfires are lit to light the paths of the spirits as they travel to earth that night.

In Mexico, Latin America and Spain the day is known as El Dia de los Muertos or dia de las Brujas is a three day celebration remembering friends and family who have died. Believing the dead will return to their homes on Halloween, many families build altars in their homes, decorating it with candies, flowers, photographs, fresh water and different foods and drinks. On November 2^nd, the relatives gather around the graves of their loved ones and celebrate, sometimes even with Mariachis and tequila. During the autumn in Mexico, thousands of Monarch butterflies return to the Oyame Fir trees to take shelter. The Aztecs believed these butterflies bore the spirits of their dead ancestors.

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