gLoBaLiZaTiOn

Halloween across the US tends to be filled with children dressed up in costumes and going door to door asking for candy, older children going to haunted houses and scary movies, and college kids going to parties. People of all ages get a thrill out of being scared by the ideas of ghost, witches, vampires, etc.

This idea has become a western adapation of what is also known as All Saints Day or All Hallows Eve. Both of these most people are familiar with, learning them through school or during Halloween through articles and such. The countries that have started moving away from these traditions and more towards the western halloween include the US, Canada, the UK, Puerto Rico, and Ireland (with a growing popularity in Australia and New Zealand). Children become excited about dressing up as devils and angels, princes and princesses, ghosts and goblins, etc and go trick or treating. Or better yet, supporting the industries of haunted houses, cornfields and such. This year, the scarying industry is set to generate at least 300 million dollars alone ( source from cnn.com). More and more scary sights are being set up especially in America, as the demand has risen for more scary and thrilling sites.

However, with the focus shifting more towards the candy and less towards the cultural background of this holiday, it seems as if we tend to overlook the history behind it. Although for the most part those who are Christian do go to church on Nov. 1, aknowledging All Saints Day, and many countries in Europe still tend to stick just with All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day, with trick or treating not being introduced and incorporated within their culture.

I still remember Halloween in Poland-were there were large groups of Americans the children would go trick or treating, but otherwise it didnt exist. There was a graveyard across the road from my house, and on Oct. 31, all the Poles that were in the surrounding area would go with candles that were being sold outside the walls and light a candle either for their family member or just for someone in general and place it on the grave. Than that night the graveyards all over warsaw and Im sure other towns were lit up, in remeberance of those who died. Masses would be held that night and the next day, for the Saints and those who died as well. It was a very serious holiday, and other than those Americans and some students from the American School of Warsaw, children were not running around door to door in costumes for candy. The third year though, you did start to see some Polish children attempting the idea, and some houses passed out candy, but it was very few.

Halloween has developed over the years in the Western Culture to being a hallmark holiday. Its now all about the candy, being spooked, dressing up, and so forth. This is not a bad thing, I for one love halloween, but it should be emphasized where exactly the holiday comes from in my opinion, to never lose that piece of history.