Have you ever asked yourself do they celebrate Halloween in Italy, and if so, how? To find out, let’s go back to where this tradition, that may seem light years away from the Italian culture, comes from, and see if it really is so far from the Italian traditions or not.
The Origins of Halloween
Contrary to popular belief, the geographical origins of Halloween aren’t that far from Italy. It certainly does not come from overseas. By now we all know the genesis of this pagan holiday that in Italian tradition is inexorably mixed with religion and with the celebrations of All Saints Day on November 1st.
Halloween apparently derives from the Celtic celebrations of Samain, the day when the end of summer was celebrated, the so-called Celtic New Year. The festivities marking the death of summer became associated with the remembrance of the dead. With the advent of Christianity, the Celtic meaning of this celebration took on a more religious perspective of commemorating the dead on All Hallows’ Eve, the eve of All Saints Day, introduced by Pope Gregory III to replace the New Year. Hence Halloween, the night when, on October 31, the veil between the world of the living and the afterlife becomes thinner to allow souls to return to Earth. And since 1600, with the British colonization of America, the tradition was exported and absorbed according to local customs.
Today the US model of “Trick or Treat” is also popular in Italy. To the many who wonder is Halloween is celebrated in Italy it would be absurd to answer that it isn’t. In fact, our children can’t wait for the long-awaited day to get dressed up as zombies and skeletons and carve Halloween pumpkins. So yes, it is now common practice to wear Halloween costumes in Italy and compete to see who can carve the scariest pumpkin. So, overlooking the spirit that inspires the celebrations, dear mom and dad, next October 31 it will certainly be your turn to indulge your kids and accompany them to a costume party!
Where do we celebrate Halloween in Italy?
…from the big cities…
Almost all the cities and the villages are preparing for Halloween: with smaller or larger celebrations, by now almost everywhere, Italy dives into the ghostly atmosphere of the holiday. The big cities like Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence have calendars full of events for young and old. Why not take advantage of this period for a trip to the major Italian cities with one of the organized trips by Dragonfly Tours? You will find an Italy in a flurry and alive because Halloween precedes the holiday of the first of November, the day when the country stops to celebrate all the saints of the Christian religion and Italians have the day off work .
One trend that is becoming increasingly popular is to take a haunted tour in an actual castle, and you know you are spoiled for choice in Italy. If you have chosen the itinerary of Dragonfly Tours for 8 days in Venice, Verona and Emilia Romagna, at Halloween there are two castles in Verona and Parma that dress up for the party: we’re talking about the Castello Bevilacqua in Verona, the city of Romeo and Giulietta, or Rocca Fontanellato in Parma, including blood splatter and ghost stories. Could the Italian amusement parks be missing in this review? Mirabilandia, Gardaland, and Cinecittà World are just some of the attractions for adults and children where Halloween fun is guaranteed, and none of them are far from the major Italian cities of art.
…to the small towns
Quintessential destination, that Il Sole 24 Ore has defined as the “Italian Halloween Capital” is the village of Corinaldo in the Marche: since 1998 the village dedicates a week to “terror”. An event whose goal isn’t to give its participants just a quick scare, but also a quality experience: good food, special events and unique attractions bring thousands of visitors to this village not far from the Adriatic coast.
Interesting facts about Neapolitan customs
In the article about the best things to see in Naples we have already spoken of the Neapolitan city and some of its unusual traditions. To this list we add a practice that mixes the sacred and the profane and that goes together well with the theme of Halloween in Naples. Have you ever heard of the “anime pezzentelle” (the wretched souls) of the Fontanelle Cemetery in Naples? Well, it’s a really macabre place that houses the remains of more than 40,000 nameless people who suffered the ravages of the plague. Ancient custom demands that, in exchange for protection, the Neapolitan families took with them one of these abandoned and lonely souls. When this soul repaid the favor by fulfilling the family’s wish, the family was given a skull to be kept in a reliquary. Although this tradition is somewhat gruesome and in decline, even today there is still a sort of pilgrimage to this unusual place in the city of Naples.