Hello Ghouls and Goblins,

While you may not have plans for Halloween this year (or at least not plans involving travel, large groups of people, or parties), here is some spooky inspo to plan for celebrating big next year! Ever wondered what spooky season looks like in other parts of the world? Maybe you have never traveled anywhere for Halloween but you’ll be so ready to go anywhere and everywhere next year that Halloween makes as good an excuse as any! From religious festivities, to walking in the path of fictional characters, there are plenty of ways to celebrate!

Here are my picks for top 3 spooky ways to celebrate next year!

Puca Festival - Ireland

Samhain is the ancient celtic holiday said to be the origin of our modern day Halloween. Samhain means “summer’s end” and marks the end of the Celtic calendar. On this ancient new year, light turns to dark and spirits of the dead can travel back to Earth. Lots of spooky spirits, ancient celtic traditions, and fiery festivities, all in the beautiful Irish countryside. Sign me UP! To visit the website for the festival, go to this link.

Dia de los Muertos - Mexico

You’ve probably seen or heard of it before, the parades of people with their faces painted as skulls, the colorful sugar skulls, marigolds, etc. Not directly related to Halloween, it shares some similar traditions. However, Dia de los Muertos, or the day of the dead, is actually a vibrant day of celebrating life, honoring those lives lost in the last year, and inviting spirits of the dead to come back and see their loved ones! People make altars either at their dear departed’s graves or in their homes, including photos, flowers, candles, and favorite foods or items of their lost friends or family members. Celebrations are big in both Mexico City and Oaxaca, so if you plan to visit, practice your face painting and maybe bring some little items for an altar for one of your lost loved ones.

“Dracula’s Castle” - Romania

Although Dracula is fiction, Bran Castle in Romania was the inspiration for Dracula’s castle in Bram Stoker’s famous book. Dracula’s character is derived from local myths around Bran Castle about the “steregoi”, or evil spirits of people who appear normal during the day, but leave their bodies to roam the village at night, tormenting people in their sleep. You can visit the castle to take a tour and go through the exhibit called A History of Dreads in Transylvania to learn all about the spooky local myths and fears including werewolves, ghosts, and the Grim Reaper himself! They also typically have Halloween festivities in late October and early November to put you in the “spirit”. Good luck falling asleep if you decide to visit…

So whether you want scary, celebratory, or celtic, there are plenty of ways to recognize the spooky season! Which one would you choose?

Stay safe and healthy this year so you can visit one of these next year!

Sami