Halloween Worldwide – Which Country Does Celebrate Halloween?
Halloween was originally a pagan holiday celebrated by Celtic people and born from the pagan holiday “Samhain”.
Samhain is a holiday that celebrates the dark season of the Celtic year. Gallic people also celebrated this holiday; which was called “Samonios”. Samonios has been replaced in Gallic countries by Christian celebrations.
Samhain was celebrated three days before and three days after November 1st and the origin of there was no carved pumpkin nor trick or treating. People had a lantern made out of a turnip. The celebration was strictly observed by the whole society and gave the opportunity to every barbarian to eat, drink and have fun.
Over the centuries, continental Europe converted to Christianity and abandoned Samonios in favour of All Saints Day and Samhain became All Hallow’s Eve.
However, the Halloween that we currently celebrate has nothing in common with Samhain.
Halloween and All Saints Day are still interrelated because Halloween means “The Night Before the Feast of All Saints” and “All Hallow’s Day” is our Continental All Saints Day.
All Hallow’s Eve; which evolved during the Christianization of European populations, was imported in America by European colonists and the current Halloween holiday was created by the Irish emigrants.
In Belgium, two villages still celebrate Samonios (Samhain), born from All Saints Day, Grindin and Saint Gregory holidays. One of these villages is Gouy-Lez-Pieton. A friend of mine lives in Gouy and when I talk about Halloween, she says: “We did not replace Saint Nicholas holiday by Christmas so, we will not replace our All Saints Day and our Day Of The Dead by Halloween!” However, she agreed to