• Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Quick and Easy Meals
    • Salad and Veggies
    • Side Dishes
    • Main Courses
    • Breads
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Canning and Preserving
  • Skills
    • Craftmanship
      • Blacksmithing
      • Woodworking
      • Welding
    • Brewing & Distilling
      • Homebrewing
      • Distilling
    • Cooking & Food
      • Cheese & Dairy
      • Drying & Smoking
      • Canning
      • Fermentation & Pickling
    • Homemaking Skills
      • Candle Making
      • Soap Making
      • Spinning & Weaving
  • Projects
    • Workshop
      • Homes & Buildings
      • Sheds & Coops
      • Appliances & Equipment
    • Garden & Outdoor
    • Homemade Products
      • Home Remedies
      • Natural Beauty
      • Cleaning and Home
    • Textiles & Fabric Arts
      • Sewing
      • Knit and Crochet
      • Quilting Skills
      • Weaving
    • Crafts
      • Home Decor
      • Pottery
      • Upcycling
      • Gifts
      • Kids
      • Holiday
  • Gardening
    • Growing Vegetables
    • Growing Fruit
    • Growing Herbs
    • Growing Grain
    • Soil Improvement
      • Composting
      • Worm Farming
      • Fertilizers
    • Aquaculture
  • Animals
    • Raising Poultry
    • Raising Goats
    • Raising Cattle
    • Raising Pigs
    • Raising Horses
    • Raising Rabbits
    • Raising Bees
    • Raising Cats & Dogs
  • Self Sufficiency
    • Emergency Prep
      • Planning
      • How To
      • Skills & Tips
    • Defense & Protection
      • Guns
      • Knives
      • Archery
      • Tools & Weapons
    • Energy & Power
      • Solar Power
      • Fuels
      • Water
    • Home Remedies
Logo
YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE
  • Workshop
  • Garden & Outdoor
  • Homemade Products
  • Textiles & Fabric Arts
  • Crafts
You are here: Home / Projects / Crafts / Holiday / 9 Old Halloween Superstitions And Symbols From Around The World

9 Old Halloween Superstitions And Symbols From Around The World

Reading Time: 3 minutes
Featured | Woman holding pumpkin | Old Halloween Superstitions And Symbols From Around The World

October 4, 2020 By Riley E. Carlson 3 Comments

With the upcoming holiday fast approaching, it’s easy to get caught up with our own Halloween superstitions. But did you ever wonder which countries celebrate this spooky day, and how it is being celebrated?

Check out our roundup for Halloween superstitions and read on to find out.

RELATED: 19 Fun Scarecrow Ideas To Make For Halloween And All Year Round

Old Halloween Superstitions You Need To Know

1. Ireland

Bonfires lit on the night of 31 October to celebrate Halloween

An old Celtic tradition was to start huge bonfires on Halloween. After the fire had burned out, they make a circle of ashes from each fire. Inside this circle, every individual from the different families which had made a fire should put a pebble.

When any stone was out of its place or harmed the next day, it was a sign that the one who owned the disrupted stone would die within a year.

2. Germany

A view of a drawer full of knives and other sharp kitchen utensils

In Germany, people also pray for the souls of their dead at Halloween. What is special, however, is they additionally put all the knives of the house away. This is because they do not want to risk harm befalling the returning spirits.

3. China

Halloween Lanterns hanging in a row

China’s Halloween festival, known as “Teng Chieh”, celebrates the dead. Here, they offer water and food to the photos of the deceased. They also light lanterns to illuminate the way of the souls as they wander the earth on the eve of Halloween.

YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE

4. Mexico

Traditional day of the dead altar with pan de muerto and candles

Mexico celebrates Halloween on a large scale, known as “El Dia de Los Muertos.” This is a joyous and happy holiday which starts on October 31st and ends on November 2nd.

It’s a time to remember friends and family who have died and believed to come home during Halloween. They create altars in their homes and decorate it with candles, flowers, and favorite foods of their deceased.

5. Austria

Homemade wholemeal bread in a wicker bread basket

In Austria, some people will leave a lighted lamp, bread, and water on the table before retiring on the eve of Halloween. Such things will welcome the souls back to earth on a night, which for the Austrians, thought to overflow with cosmic energies.

RELATED: How To Carve The Perfect Jack-O-Lantern [Infographic]

YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE
YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE
square-2

6. Hong Kong

Burning the Chinese offering in traditional cremation

Hong Kong celebrates the Halloween festivity or “Yue Lan” as they call it, which translates to the “Hungry Ghosts Festival.” It is a period where many people believed spirits wander the world for a period of 24 hours.

For people who believe this, they set pictures of money or fruit on fire, believing these pictures would get to the world of the spirits, then convey solace to the souls.

7. Czechoslovakia

Low angle view of a fire pit surrounded by a circle of Adirondack chairs

In Czechoslovakia, they have a tradition called “Seating for the Dead”. Every chair set by the fireside corresponds to a deceased relative. There is a chair for every relative and one for every relative’s soul.

8. Scotland

apple peel

In Scotland, the tradition is to peel an apple and toss the peel behind the person. It is believed that the shape that the peel reveals will become the primary letter of the future spouse’s name.

9. The UK and North America

Black and white girl in a dark room with a candle in her hand in front of the mirror

In numerous parts of the UK and North America, it is believed that if a young, unmarried individual gazes into a dull mirror, they will locate their future life partner behind their shoulder.

However, if the spouse is going to pass on soon, people are likely to find a skeleton looking back at them.

Want to learn more about Halloween superstitions? Watch this video from National Geographic:

While others are busy preparing for their Halloween costumes and Halloween parties, many cultures celebrate the dead.

These Halloween superstitions from around the world are all fascinating and will surely give you the spooky chill we all crave during this festive season.

Do you know other Halloween superstitions? Share it with us in the comments section below!

Fellow homesteaders, do you want to help others learn from your journey by becoming one of our original contributors? Write for us!

UP NEXT:

  • 21 Spooky Halloween Dessert Ideas
  • Classic Halloween Costumes For Timeless Trick or Treating
  • 11 Fall Vegetables You Should Start Planting Now

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook!

Editor’s Note – This post was originally published in October 1, 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

Filed Under: Holiday, Halloween

Trackbacks

  1. 25 Yummy Treats Made From Leftover Halloween Candy says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:22 AM

    […] children and adults alike, Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year. The horror parties, sugary sweets, and crazy costumes are a wonderful break from the humdrum of […]

    Reply
  2. 25 Yummy Treats Made From Leftover Halloween Sweet says:
    October 31, 2019 at 11:15 AM

    […] kids and adults alike, Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year. The horror events, sugary sweets, and loopy costumes are an exquisite break from the humdrum of on […]

    Reply
  3. What To Do With Fall Leaves | 11 Smart Ways – Valerian's Realm says:
    October 12, 2020 at 5:35 AM

    […] Halloween is around the corner and what better to keep your kids busy than with a scarecrow project. It’s not too early to start preparing. Stuff old clothes with dry leaves and place them on your front porch for Halloween. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

REGISTER TO Get Our FREE Homesteading magazine.

DIY Projects And Get This FREE GIFT

Subscribe To Our Newsletter:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular Articles

Top 15 Ways To Make Money On Your Homestead

Kickstart Spring By Starting Your Own Straw Bale Garden

The Best Egg Laying Chickens For Your Homestead

50 Gardening Tips And Tricks To Become A Successful Homesteader

ShadowBirds
YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE

Important Pages

  • About Homesteading
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Returns
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Information Disclaimer

Other Great Sites

  • DIY Projects
  • Survival Life
  • Garden Season
  • Outdoor Warrior
  • Sewing.com

Resources

  • Hey Riley
  • Winter Survival
  • Raising Backyard Chickens
  • Canning & Preserving
  • Join Our Newsletter
  • Returns Policy
Homesteading
Email Support: [email protected]
Phone: 512-806-7603

Product returns go to:
1889 E Maule Ave, Ste G
Las Vegas 89119

Copyright © 2023 · Homesteading


This copyrighted material may not be republished without express permission. The information presented here is for general educational purposes only.

MATERIAL CONNECTION DISCLOSURE: You should assume that this website has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection to the persons or businesses mentioned in or linked to from this page and may receive commissions from purchases you make on subsequent web sites. You should not rely solely on information contained in this email to evaluate the product or service being endorsed. Always exercise due diligence before purchasing any product or service. This website contains advertisements.