Halloween Traditions Around the World世界各地的鬼节传统

The history of Halloween is just as spooky as you’d expect—All Hallow’s Eve originally paid homage to deceased spirits thought to be causing mischief on the last night of October.

万圣节的历史和你想的一样令人毛骨悚然。万圣节前夜最初是为了向亡灵致敬，人们认为鬼魂会在10月最后一夜惹麻烦。

Today， these ancient “haunted” connotations1 have transformed into trick or treating， pumpkin carving and creepy costumes.

如今，这些早先的“闹鬼”含义已转变为“不给糖就捣蛋”、刻南瓜和穿诡异服装。

There’s much more to Halloween around the world than a few pumpkins and trick or treating， though. To help you navigate the world’s greatest Halloween celebrations， our experts have put together this list of incredible Halloween traditions around the world.

不过，世界各地庆祝鬼节的方式远不止刻南瓜和不给糖就捣蛋。为帮你全面了解世界上最棒的鬼节庆祝活动，我们的专家整理出了这份清单，向你介绍世界各地精彩纷呈的鬼节传统。

Día de los Muertos， Mexico

墨西哥的“亡灵节”

Mexico’s Día de los Muertos—or Day of the Dead—is often thought of as the largest Halloween celebration outside of the United States. Conversely， it’s actually a complete antidote2 to the horrors of traditional spooky3 Halloween. Instead of being filled with horror， Día de los Muertos is in fact two days of uplifting celebrations dedicated to showing love and respect to deceased family members. A UNESCO-recognised celebration， Día de los Muertos sees locals up and down the country don4 traditional make-up， enjoy parades and make offerings to lost loved ones.

墨西哥的亡灵节通常被认为是美国以外最大的鬼节庆祝活动。与美国万圣节恰恰相反，亡灵节能消除传统万圣夜所带来的惊吓。亡灵节并不恐怖，实际上是以持续两天的热烈庆祝专门向已故亲人传达爱与敬意。亡灵节是联合国教科文组织认可的盛会，在此期间，全国各地居民换上传统装扮，参加游行，并向逝去的亲人献上供品。

The Hungry Ghost Festival， China

中国的“中元节”

Falling on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month of the lunar calendar， China’s Hungry Ghost Festival is the country’s very own homage to the dead. Locals believe the seventh month of the lunar calendar （usually in August or September） sees restless Chinese spirits come out of hiding. To appease the ghosts and satisfy their own ancestors， locals make offerings of food both inside their homes and along the streets.

中元节在农历七月十五日举行，是中国纪念逝者的独特节日。当地人相信农历七月（通常对应公历八月或九月）是亡灵不得安宁、出来活动的时候。为了安抚这些鬼魂，也是为了告慰自己的祖先，人们会在家里及街边摆放食物作为供品。

To make sure the spirits are as occupied as possible， a number of performances—including Chinese operas recounting stories of gods and goddesses—also take place during this auspicious5 time. This festival’s origins are similar to those of Halloween， but it also offers a wonderful opportunity for travellers to get an insight into the ancient Chinese practice of ancestor worship.

为了尽可能让这些亡灵有事可做，在这吉祥日子里会举行一系列演出，包括讲述神话故事的中国戏曲。中元节的起源与万圣节类似，但也为游客提供了一个绝佳机会来了解古代中国的祖先崇拜习俗。

Samhain， Scotland and Ireland

苏格兰和爱尔兰的“萨温节”

Samhain， or Celtic New Year’s Eve， is thought to be where modern-day Halloween originates from. 2，000 years ago， Celts celebrated New Year’s Eve on the 31st October， which has become today’s Halloween. Traditionally marking the end of the summer and the beginning of the ‘darker’ half of the year， Samhain is eerily associated with human death.

萨温节又称凯尔特新年前夜，被认为是现代万圣节的起源。两千年前，凯尔特人在10月31日庆祝新年前夜，如今演变成了万圣夜。萨温节传统上标志着夏季的结束以及一年中“较黑暗”的下半年的开始，与人类死亡诡异地联系在一起。

Celts believed that on the night before the New Year， the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became increasingly blurred. Ghosts were thought to be roaming6 the Earth on this fateful day， and to appease the spirits Celts gathered around sprawling7 bonfires， where they burned crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. Whilst sacrificing crops and animals is a thing of the past， this spooky festival is still celebrated in parts of Scotland and Ireland. Today， the festiv-ities include fortune-telling and lighting bonfires.

凯尔特人认为，在新年前夜，生者世界与死者世界之间的界限会变得越来越模糊。在这个命运攸关的日子，人们认为鬼魂会在地球上游荡；为了安抚这些灵魂，凯尔特人聚集在各地点燃的篝火周围，燃烧庄稼和动物作为供品献给凯尔特神灵。虽然这种献祭做法已经成为历史，但苏格兰和爱尔兰一些地区仍在庆祝这个鬼节。如今的庆祝活动包括占卜和燃篝火。

Chuseok， South Korea

韩国的“秋夕”

Celebrated from the end of September to the beginning of October， South Korea’s Chuseok is a harvest festival dedicated to foregone ancestors. Throughout the festival， Koreans return to their ancestral family homes to thank their ancestors for a plentiful harvest. The morning celebrations are filled with memorial services， which involve families offering mooncakes， alcohol and freshly harvested rice to their ancestors.

韩国的秋夕从9月末持续到10月初，是献给先祖的丰收节日。在整个节日期间，韩国人回到祖宅，感谢祖先赐予他们丰收的好年景。早上的庆祝活动都是一些悼念仪式，家人们向祖先敬献松饼、酒水和新收获的稻米。

After the offerings， families gather together to visit ancestral graves and show their appreciation and respect for deceased family members. To lighten the mood， Koreans then engage in various traditional folk games and dances， and finish the festivities by indulging in local food. Although not a traditional Halloween festival， Chuseok’s celebrations of the dead adds an eerie8 undertone to the festivities.

献祭后，家人们一起前往祖墓，表达对已逝亲人的感激和尊敬。随后为营造轻松氛围，韩国人会参与各种传统民间游戏和舞蹈，最后以享用地方美食来结束庆祝活动。尽管不同于传统意义上的鬼节，秋夕对逝者的纪念仍为庆祝活动增添了一丝神秘氛围。

All Souls Day， Italy