The Surprising Countries Around the World That Don't Celebrate Halloween

With Halloween approaching, many people around the world will be planning their costumes and decorating their houses. America leads the world in Halloween enthusiasm, with the National Retail Federation anticipating spending on items such as costumes, pet costumes, candy and decorations will reach $10.6 billion in 2022, exceeding last year's record of $10.1 billion. Historically, however, the origins of Halloween greatly predate the 246-year-history of the United States, and the holiday is not as globally observed as some may believe.

How And When Did Halloween Start?

Many historians trace the origins of Halloween back to a Celtic festival called Samhain, first mentioned in Irish literature from the 9th century. The festival, which began on 31 October and ended on 1 November, marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was celebrated widely throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, with a similar celebration in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.

By the ninth century the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands and pagan traditions were supplanted. Some similarities remained however, with the Christian introduction of All Souls Day, November 2, and All Saints Day, November 1, combining with Samhain, to eventually lead to what we know as Halloween today. It is thought that during the potato famine in Ireland in the 1840s, when thousands of Irish people migrated to America, that modern Halloween traditions were brought to America for the first time, where settlers before had been predominantly Puritanical and not observed Halloween at all.

Newsweek spoke to husband and wife duo Sean and Carrie from the popular podcast Ain't It Scary? With Sean and Carrie who are experts in all things spooky and supernatural about the similarities between ancient and modern-day Halloween.

"There are absolutely similarities," said Carrie. "Many aspects of the original celebration of Samhain were adapted by other cultures, especially the Catholic Church, and later re-adapted into 'American Halloween.'"

These include:

• The link with the afterlife/spirits/ghosts—death and the dead are still a large part of Halloween iconography today, such as skulls, ghosts and graves.
• Dressing in costume—the Celts began this tradition at Samhain, where they would dress in masks to represent the souls of the dead. The Catholic Church adapted this tradition for All Saints'/Souls' Days to have participants dress as saints.
• Trick or treat—for All Saints'/Souls' Days, young men and boys would go from house to house singing "souling" songs and requesting ale, food or money. This has clearly transitioned into the modern tradition of "trick or treating."
• Jack-o'-lanterns—in the British Isles, participants would carve out a turnip to create a lantern, and carry the lantern with them from house to house asking for food or money. Eventually, that became the U.S. tradition of carving pumpkins and lighting them up.

Which Countries Do Not Celebrate Halloween, And Why?

Not all countries celebrate Halloween, however, many observe some traditions around the same time.

"Halloween, as we know it today, is a truly American holiday," Sean told Newsweek. "Despite this, Halloween traditions have spread somewhat across the world (existing cultural traditions with some similar themes notwithstanding, such as Dia de los Muertos and Diwali) due to America's influence."

The 1990s saw Halloween celebrations emerge in countries such as Japan, France, Germany and parts of Central and Eastern Europe after the end of the Soviet Union, while in the U.K. the Celtic traditions have lived on.

"Really," said Carrie, "it seems like Halloween has mostly been adopted by other countries as another excuse for young folks to get together, have fun, and celebrate...and to that we say, party on!"

Countries In Asia That Do Not Celebrate Halloween

Does Mongolia Celebrate Halloween?

Mongolia saw an increasing number of people celebrating Halloween in recent years thanks to an increased focus on teaching foreign languages in schools and other cultural influences. However, in 2018 the Mongolian government banned the celebration of Halloween in schools. The ban was repeated in 2019, as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports claimed the rapid pace of modernization in the country had led to concerns that nomadic and Buddhist culture were being left behind.

Does China Celebrate Halloween?

Apart from a few expats and lovers of American culture in China, Halloween is not widely celebrated or acknowledged. China does celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Zhong Yuan Festival on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, usually around August 15. It is a day to worship dead ancestors and mourn them, burning paper money to honor them. People believe that on the day of Zhong Yuan Festival their ancestors actually visit them.

Countries In South and Central America That Do Not Celebrate Halloween

Does Costa Rica Celebrate Halloween?

Costa Rica does not commemorate Halloween per se but instead, every year on 31 October the country celebrates the National Day of the Masquerades. Considered a national cultural holiday in Costa Rica, people recreate the indigenous masks worn by the Boruca tribe before the Spanish Conquest in 1561. The masks are over-sized papier-mâché heads, painted with bright colors. Today, the tradition has evolved and many of the masks depict famous soccer players, celebrities and politicians.

Does Brazil Celebrate Halloween?

Brazilians do technically celebrate Halloween, but in a very Brazilian way. Still taking place on October 31, Halloween in Brazil is called Dia das Bruxas, or Witches Day. Saci Day is also celebrated on the 31st, which pays homage to Saci-Pererê, a mythological figure in Brazilian folklore. This emerged as an alternative to America's Halloween with the goal of making Brazilians aware of the rich cultural variety of their own ancient folklore. Saci day has been described as a "peaceful resistance to Americanized Halloween culture."

Countries In Europe That Do Not Celebrate Halloween

Does Russia Celebrate Halloween?

Halloween in Russia is a contentious topic, with the younger generation happy to have another excuse for a party, but the older generation, including the Russian government and Orthodox Church, looking down on festivities. Halloween is so frowned upon by some in Russia that in 2019 lawmaker Vitaly Milonov linked the holiday to "the activities of dangerous occult organizations," and said it violated Russian law.

Does Portugal Celebrate Halloween?

Like in many countries around the world, American influence means that Halloween is now celebrated by some throughout Portugal. However, a bigger day in the Portuguese calendar is actually November 1, Dia de Todos os Santos, or the Day of Saints and Martyrs. Locals flock to graveyards all over the country to clean and spruce up their relatives' resting places, and according to multiple sources, the smell of bleach is thick in the air.

Countries In Africa That Do Not Celebrate Halloween

Does Rwanda Celebrate Halloween?

Rwanda in Central Africa banned Halloween in 2013 because of the belief that it was encouraging people to move away from traditional Rwandan culture. The Ministry of Sports and Culture issued a statement on November 1, 2013 ordering people not to celebrate Halloween anymore and encouraging people to "continue preserving and appreciating our Rwandan culture."

Does Ghana Celebrate Halloween?

Like most of West Africa, Halloween is known about but not celebrated in Ghana. However, witchcraft is deeply rooted in Ghanaian culture. It is one of the last countries in the world that still has camps for "witches," women who have been accused of witchcraft and are shunned by society and forced to live in dire conditions. The charity Action Aid estimates that roughly 800 women and 500 children live in these camps, some of whom have been in them for up to 40 years, with some accusations leading to murder.

Countries In Oceania That Do Not Celebrate Halloween

Does Papua New Guinea Celebrate Halloween?

Never traditionally celebrated in Papua New Guinea, again the influence of America has begun to creep in recently, partially because of movie streaming services that show Halloween-themed films. However, the bigger October event happens to be the Morobe Show. Taking place on the weekend closest to the full moon in October, it began in 1959 and showcases the agricultural, industrial, and commercial features of Papua New Guinea, drawing in crowds of 30,000 or more.

Does Australia Celebrate Halloween?

Despite a long history of shared culture and relations between the United Kingdom and Australia, as well as America, Halloween is barely acknowledged in Australia. There's no straightforward explanation as to why but it is predominantly believed that because the festival traditionally acknowledges the end of summer and beginning of winter, and the Australian seasons are flipped, that it just never really caught on. Other reasons include the Victorian-era pushback against Halloween and Australian disdain for American cultural dominance.