Halloween celebrations are underway as people dress up in spooky costumes to trick or treat. Halloween was originally a festival that dates back to ancient times, it was to appease the spirits of the underworld. However, it’s not just the Irish people who celebrate such festivals. Many cultures honor the dead in a different manner, following their ancestral worship, which can be solemn, joyous, or even spooky.
Here are some festivals that celebrate the dead:
Obon
Obon is also known as the Japanese Day of the Dead, it is believed that the spirits of ancestors temporarily visit the earth on the day. The day may fall in July or August, depending on the calendar being followed. Chochin lanterns are decorated outside homes, unique food offerings are prepared, and people visit the graves of their loved ones. Bon Odori, an ancient folk dance, is performed in temples and public places to welcome the spirits.
The Hungry Ghost Festival
The Taoists and Buddhists celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival in China, Singapore, and Malaysia. The festival is celebrated on the 15th of July or August to honor the ancestors. Rituals on the day include placing fake bank notes along with cutouts of cars, houses, television, watches, etc., in a bin. People prepare special food and burn incense in shops, homes, and streets. Floating lanterns are released to guide the spirits back to the underworld.
Samhain
Samhain is celebrated at the Glastonbury Dragons Samhain Wild Hunt. It’s an ancient festival celebrated in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland on 31 October and 1 November. It marks the start of the darker half of the year, which starts with the end of the harvesting season and the arrival of winter. Samhain’s followers prepare special food and drink to please the spirits that cross over to this side to visit them. They also make sure that the ghosts do not play tricks on them or their land hence they light bonfires, offer animal sacrifices and dress in scary costumes in the early days.
Chuseok
Chuseok festival is a day of gratitude and a form of harvest festival which is celebrated in September or October. On this day, Koreans visit their hometowns to perform rituals to pay gratitude to their ancestors for a good harvest. It is also famous as the Korean Thanksgiving. People who celebrate Chuseok visit the graves of their ancestors, clean and tidy them and offer memorial services in their honor.
Dia de Los Muertos
Día de Los Muertos is also known as the Mexican day of the dead, which is famous for its traditions and celebrations. The festival is observed on 2nd November in various parts of Latin America. The festival celebrates the legacy and the lives of the deceased. People dance, organize parties, visit their ancestor’s graves to tidy them up, and place their photos. Offerings are prepared that consist of the favorite foods of the loved ones. Other items are also prepared, which include Calaveras (sugar-made edible skulls), pan de muerto (bread of the dead), and marigold flowers.