Halloween is almost here again.<\/p>\n
Every year, we like to take a trip around the world to see how different places celebrate the spooky season. In a previous Halloween article, we explored festive treats from different countries. This year, we\u2019re looking at something you can hear rather than eat: Halloween words and expressions from around the world<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Some are local versions of \u201ctrick or treat,\u201d while others come from traditions that existed long before modern Halloween.<\/p>\n Here are eight words and phrases that reveal a little about how Halloween \u2014 and the season surrounding it \u2014 looks in different countries.<\/p>\n Samhain<\/strong> is one of the most important words in the story of Halloween.<\/p>\n The ancient Celtic festival marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Traditions associated with Samhain in Ireland eventually influenced what developed into modern Halloween.<\/p>\n Today, the word is still closely connected with Ireland\u2019s Halloween heritage, and you will see it used in the names of festivals and seasonal events.<\/p>\n So while \u201cHalloween\u201d might make you think of pumpkins and candy, Samhain<\/strong> takes the story much further back.<\/p>\n Before \u201ctrick or treat\u201d became familiar in Scotland, there was guising<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The word comes from \u201cdisguise.\u201d Traditionally, children dressed up and visited houses in their neighborhood. But there was a catch: rather than simply asking for sweets, guisers were expected to perform something \u2014 perhaps a song, joke, poem, or trick \u2014 before receiving a treat.<\/p>\n The tradition still survives, although modern trick-or-treating has become more common too.<\/p>\n Think of guising as trick-or-treating with a talent show attached.<\/p>\n In Germany, children celebrating Halloween may call out:<\/p>\n S\u00fc\u00dfes oder Saures!<\/strong><\/p>\n It is the German version of \u201cTrick or treat!\u201d<\/p>\n S\u00fc\u00dfes<\/strong> means something sweet, while Saures<\/strong> literally refers to something sour. The expression does not translate word for word into English, but the idea is the same: give us something sweet, or there may be trouble.<\/p>\n Halloween is a relatively modern addition to Germany\u2019s calendar of celebrations, but the phrase has become closely associated with October 31.<\/p>\n In France, one Halloween phrase you may hear is:<\/p>\n Des bonbons ou un sort!<\/strong><\/p>\n It means roughly \u201cCandy or a spell!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n That sounds a little more magical \u2014 and perhaps more threatening \u2014 than the English version.<\/p>\n Halloween does not have the same long history in France that it has in Ireland or Scotland, but costumes, parties, decorations, and candy collecting have become familiar parts of the celebration.<\/p>\n And if a tiny witch appears at your door demanding des bonbons<\/em>, handing over the candy is probably the safest option.<\/p>\n Italian Halloween comes with a phrase that is particularly fun to say:<\/p>\n Dolcetto o scherzetto!<\/strong><\/p>\n Dolcetto<\/strong> means a small sweet or treat, while scherzetto<\/strong> means a little trick or prank.<\/p>\n So it is a very close match for \u201cTrick or treat!\u201d<\/p>\n Halloween has grown in popularity in Italy over recent decades, especially among children and younger people. Costumes, spooky decorations, parties, and door-to-door candy collecting can now be found alongside Italy\u2019s older autumn traditions.<\/p>\n In Spain, the familiar phrase is:<\/p>\n \u00a1Truco o trato!<\/strong><\/p>\n This is the Spanish version of \u201cTrick or treat!\u201d<\/p>\n Truco<\/strong> means \u201ctrick,\u201d while trato<\/strong> can mean a deal or agreement \u2014 essentially, \u201ca trick or a deal?\u201d<\/p>\n Halloween has become increasingly visible in Spain, with costume parties, themed events, and children collecting sweets. At the same time, it sits alongside older observances around All Saints\u2019 Day on November 1.<\/p>\n That combination of imported Halloween fun and local tradition is something you will find in many countries.<\/p>\n Mexico gives us a word with a very different cultural background:<\/p>\n calaverita<\/strong><\/p>\n It comes from calavera<\/strong>, meaning \u201cskull.\u201d<\/p>\n Around D\u00eda de Muertos, you may hear the expression pedir calaverita<\/strong>, referring to children going out to ask for sweets or small gifts.<\/p>\n It may look similar to trick-or-treating, but D\u00eda de Muertos and Halloween are distinct traditions. D\u00eda de Muertos centers on remembering and honoring people who have died and has its own customs, imagery, foods, and vocabulary.<\/p>\n The skull itself is one of the season\u2019s most recognizable symbols, appearing everywhere from decorations to colorful sugar skulls.<\/p>\n Halloween in Japan developed quite differently from the traditional door-to-door celebration found in North America.<\/p>\n One word that captures the Japanese version particularly well is:<\/p>\n \u4eee\u88c5 (kas\u014d)<\/strong> \u2014 costume or dressing up<\/p>\n Elaborate costumes have become a major part of Japanese Halloween events. People dress as ghosts and witches, but just as often as anime characters, video-game characters, movie villains, or something completely original.<\/p>\n You will also hear imported expressions such as \u201cTrick or treat!\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cHappy Halloween!\u201d<\/strong>, particularly at events for children.<\/p>\n In Japan, however, Halloween is often less about visiting neighbors for candy and more about costumes, theme-park events, parties, decorations, and seasonal entertainment.<\/p>\n Halloween may be recognized around the world, but it does not look \u2014 or sound \u2014 exactly the same everywhere.<\/p>\n In Germany, Italy, France, and Spain, familiar trick-or-treating has produced local expressions. In Scotland, guising<\/em> preserves an older tradition. Ireland takes us back to Samhain<\/em>, while Mexico and Japan show how the same season can develop around very different customs.<\/p>\n And that may be one of the most interesting things about Halloween: as it travels, every country adds something of its own.<\/p>\n So whether you hear S\u00fc\u00dfes oder Saures<\/strong>, Dolcetto o scherzetto<\/strong>, or simply Happy Halloween<\/strong>, there is usually a story hiding behind the words.<\/p>\n Halloween will be here before we know it. Until then, consider this your first little trip around the spooky side of the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Discover the 10 scariest languages to learn this Halloween, why learners find them intimidating, and how you can conquer your language-learning fears.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t1. Ireland: Samhain<\/h2>\n
2. Scotland: Guising<\/h2>\n
3. Germany: S\u00fc\u00dfes oder Saures!<\/h2>\n
4. France: Des bonbons ou un sort!<\/h2>\n
5. Italy: Dolcetto o scherzetto!<\/h2>\n
6. Spain: \u00a1Truco o trato!<\/h2>\n
7. Mexico: Calaverita<\/h2>\n
8. Japan: Kas\u014d<\/h2>\n
One Halloween, Many Traditions<\/h2>\n