Halloween is just around the corner and with so many different ways to celebrate it, I thought I’d chat about Halloween traditions. Growing up in Australia, Halloween wasn’t something we celebrated on a regular basis. It’s only since I began writing paranormal cozy mysteries and paranormal romantic suspense books that I started to research Halloween traditions in more detail.
I’ve found it interesting while researching this topic that there are many traditions, each with their own important meaning. Here are my top six traditions that I’d like to add to my Halloween celebrations this year.
- Creating Altars: Many witches set up altars with candles, crystals, photos of loved ones, and other meaningful items to honour their ancestors and connect with the spiritual realm.
- Pumpkin Carving: Carving jack-o’-lanterns to scare away evil spirits and protect homes from harm.
- Spell Casting: Performing spells and rituals to manifest desires, protect loved ones, or banish negativity.
- Feasting and Offering Food: Preparing a feast and leaving offerings of food and drink for the spirits of ancestors and otherworldly visitors.
- Costume Wearing: Dressing up in costumes, especially as witches, ghosts, or other supernatural beings, to blend in with the spirits that are believed to roam the earth on Halloween night.
- Bonfires: Lighting bonfires is a way to ward off evil spirits and provide warmth and light during the darkening days.
What sort of traditions do you celebrate each Halloween? Do you dress up and walk with the spirits that roam the earth on Halloween night, or do you stay indoors and let the spirits mingle amongst themselves? Leave me a comment, I’d love to hear about your Halloween traditions.
Comments
I live in a tiny alpine village at 8K feet elevation. By the time Halloween rolls around, it’s cold here with nights dipping below freezing. I used to love handing out candy to all the little witches and goblins and superheros, but in the whole 25 years I’ve lived here we haven’t had a single trick or treater. What the village has done is shunt all the kids to a development at the south end of town. The community chips in for the homeowners who live there, so they can stock up on candy. On a personal level, the veils between the worlds thin on Halloween and Nov 1st. I have done seances to reach out to those who have crossed over. Sometimes, I’ve made a connection and it’s always so satisfying.
Hi Ann,
Wow, I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced temperatures that cold before, but I can understand why you might not want to go outside on Halloween. Sounds like such a great community.
I haven’t done anything for Halloween for a long time. I used to put out decorations, but since moving I don’t have the decorations anymore. I used to love carving jack-o-lanterns. On Halloween I would watch some scary movies but haven’t seen anything that catches my interest this year, probably just watch some of the older scary movies that I like.
Hi Becky,
It’s not something I’ve grown up with, but I have to say since I started writing paranormal, I am getting into Halloween a lot more. I was in Virginia and Salem last October and it was amazing to see so many houses, and shops decorated. I can’t wait to go back again and spend a real Halloween there.