3 Top places to experience Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations
Many people believe that Halloween is an American phenomenon that has spread to Europe, due to its increasingly strong influence on how kids over here celebrate the 31st of October. However, a festival day at this time of year, which honours the dead, with all of the gruesome and fantastical elements that come along with that, has been prevalent in many countries around the globe for a lot longer.
Today were going to look at 3 amazing places in the world you can enjoy an exciting Halloween event. Lets have a look at what you might expect to see.
1 Mexico:
The Day of the Dead (Da de los Muertos) celebrations in South America were depicted gloriously in the recent James Bond film, Spectre. People take to the streets, with their faces painted in ghoulish colours, reminiscent of skulls. Flowers play a big part of the celebrations too.
It takes place on the first two days in November out of respect for the dead. The belief is that the souls of adults and children who have passed away will visit their families during at this time. Treats and offerings are left out for those expected to return; toys and sweets for the kids and alcohol and cigarettes for the grown-ups.
If you want to make the most of experiencing this visually spectacular festival, you could do it as part of an escorted tour. Why not take in the astonishing mountain top Incan citadel of Macchu Picchu in Peru, the iconic sight of Christ the Redeemer in Rio, Brazil, as well as a trip through the Chilean rainforest as part of your tour. Youll have a personal tour guide, hotel overnight stays, travel transfers and all your food included – view the tour. Or, if youd prefer a holiday that gives you a couple of weeks of sun and leisure pursuits, you might choose one of Club Meds child-friendly Mexican or Brazilian resorts.
2. Romania:
Bran Castle in Transylvania is a magnet for lovers of Dracula and fans of Vlad the Impaler, both of whom are said to have lived there (although one of them is definitely fictional). This Halloween, you could find yourself at a party in a vampires house. Is there any scarier prospect?
An increasingly popular way to travel around Eastern Europe is via a river cruise. We partnerwith a number of internationally respected river cruise companies, who will take you along the Danube, past Germany, Austria, Hungary and Transylvania, stopping off to see fairytale castles in Melk, the opera in Vienna, the bridges of Budapest and, of course, into Romania.
Youll relax in opulent surroundings, chilling out on the sun deck, swimming in the on board pool and enjoying both the gourmet food and entertainments laid on for you during sailing times. When youre not drifting lazily past picturesque sights, youll have tours and free time in various ports along the way as part of your package.
3. USA:
New York simply had to feature in our list! The Big Apple hosts one of the largest and most famous Halloween parades in the world and everybody is invited. Youll be expected to dress up; not necessarily in a scary way, but certainly in a manner that transforms your appearance.
You can include New York in your itinerary with hundreds of different packages because its such a popular destination. Why not tack your New York Halloween stay onto a self-drive coast to coast tour of the USA, along Route 66, through the American music towns of Nashville, Memphis, Tennessee and New Orleans, or as part of a foodie tour. You could even opt for a fortnight in Club Meds Florida-based retreat and do Disneyland, NASA and Epcot all at the same time.
Our recommendation however, if youre on the east coast at the end of October, is to head north from New York, up to New England. This is when and where youll see the autumn leaves turning deep shades of red, brown and gold; a sight that should be on everyones bucket list!
The best of the rest:
Panganaluluwa is in the Philippines and here youll witness local children walking from door to door exchanging songs in return for prayers; the eastern version of Trick or Treat.
They need little excuse to dress up in Tokyo, but Halloween is a great one. You can witness a parade and plenty of cosplay in the Kawasaki area of the city.
Around the world, Catholics celebrate All Saints Day. In Germany, this involves hiding the kitchen knives to prevent spirits from harming themselves and in Italy, fresh flowers are placed on every grave, making the whole country colourful and aromatic.
If youd like to find out more about trips to any of the countries mentioned here, or to find out about how you can take part in festivals around the world, please get in touch. Our experienced and friendly advisors will be able to help you and take care of the booking process for you.