HAPPY HALLOWEEN THE EXCHANGE FALL 2020 Día de los Muertos MEXICO Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) called ofrendas and cover them with extends from October 31 to November the favorite food and beverages of the HALLOWEEN AROUND 2. It is a time of celebration for people deceased, including a special holiday of Mexican heritage, as the souls of bread called pan de muerto (bread of their loved ones awaken and return the dead). Visitors also visit their loved THE WORLD to earth to be reunited with their ones’ graves, leaving gifts as offerings. families. Families build home altars In the United States, Halloween has evolved into a full day and night of activities, including trick-or-treating, carving jack- o-lanterns, and costume parties. The history of Halloween is rich with tradition, and here we take a closer look at how some other countries celebrate their version of this holiday. Day of Dracula ROMANIA 15th century Prince Vlad “The Impaler” observe St. Andrew’s Day, the patron Tepes was the inspiration for Dracula. saint of Romania, on November 30, Every year, tourists travel to Transylvania when superstitious traditions are to celebrate Halloween at Bran Castle, practiced to protect people and their Vlad’s purported home, with costume homes, such as placing garlic outside to parties, storytelling, and Dracula- ward off ghosts and evil spirits. inspired plays. Romanians themselves All Saints’ Eve Samhain WORLDWIDE IRELAND & SCOTLAND Halloween is also known as All Saints’ holiday, Christians go to mass and visit Ireland is considered the birthplace Eve, the day before November 1, which the graves of their loved ones. While All with bonfires, games, and traditional many Christians honor as All Saints’ Saints’ Eve developed independently of modern Halloween. Its origins foods like barmbrack, an Irish fruitcake Day. It is an annual time to honor the of Samhain, it preserves some of the stem from the ancient Celtic festival that contains items believed to give a lives of the saints who died for their Celtic and pagan traditions for both of Samhain, where people would glimpse into the future, such as a ring beliefs, as well as the souls of deceased amusement and superstition’s sake light bonfires and wear costumes to for love and marriage or a piece of cloth family members. In observance of the ward off ghosts. Today, both Ireland for bad luck. and Scotland celebrate Halloween 13