HALLOWEEN-PARTY

Halloween is a tradition that has made its way to the Netherlands. Many children—and some adults, too—take to the streets dressed as spooky characters, and the children go around asking people for treats.

As you walk through the streets, you encounter many strange-looking people. Halloween is a holiday that falls on October 31st. Traditionally, it is celebrated primarily in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. Over time, the holiday has gained significant popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe, Latin America, Australia, and East Asia. On October 31st, children dress up in costumes; as darkness falls, they visit homes in the neighborhood—often decorated with pumpkins and lights—to ring the doorbell or knock. When the door opens, they call out, "Trick or treat!"—offering the resident a choice: either become the target of a harmless prank (a "trick") or provide a tasty snack (a "treat," usually candy). The residents then give the children candy. Teenagers, young adults, and increasingly people of other age groups also take to the streets in costume—often with elaborate, frightening makeup—and head to either spontaneous or organized Halloween parties. Around this time, horror films are frequently shown on television and in cinemas.

History

The name "Halloween" is derived from "Hallow-e'en"—short for "All Hallows' Evening"—the night before All Saints' Day, which falls on November 1st. In the Celtic calendar, the year began on November 1st, making October 31st the equivalent of New Year's Eve. By this time, the harvest had been brought in and seeds for the following year were prepared, allowing for a day of celebration: the Celtic New Year, or "Samhain" (pronounced "sow-in"—a term that also became the Irish word for the month of November). There is no evidence to suggest that this end-of-summer festival was associated with any specific cultic or ritualistic practices. In the 9th century, Frankish and English Christians celebrated All Saints' Day on November 1st, while in Ireland, it was observed on April 20th. Over time, various Christian customs emerged. On All Souls' Day (November 2nd), Christians dressed in rags would go around their villages begging for "soul cakes" (bread containing currants). In exchange for each cake, they promised to offer a prayer for the donor's deceased relatives, hoping to hasten their release from the temporary punishments of Purgatory and thereby speed their entry into Heaven. The practice of "trick-or-treating" may well have its origins here.

In the United States

In the United States, the holiday gained significant traction during the second half of the 19th century, as large numbers of Irish and Scottish immigrants arrived in the country, bringing their traditions with them. It was also during this period that the now-iconic "jack-o'-lantern"—a hollowed-out pumpkin carved to resemble a grinning face—appeared in the U.S. It has since become perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Halloween worldwide. Throughout much of the 20th century, Halloween in the U.S. was primarily a children's holiday. In the evening, children—often accompanied by an adult—go from door to door in costume, asking for a "treat." The idea is to give the person opening the door a bit of a fright. Residents often have candy on hand for the children to choose from. Participating households are easily identified by their Halloween decorations—most notably hollowed-out pumpkins containing a lit candle or lamp, which create a spooky effect in the dark. This tradition is said to have originated from an initiative taken in 1914 by a woman named Elizabeth Krebs in Hiawatha. Tired of having her garden destroyed every year by masked children, she organized a costume parade, complete with prizes and musical accompaniment. The tradition that emerged from this quickly spread across the country. From the 1980s onwards, Halloween increasingly became a celebration for adults, with costumes and the "spooky" aspect taking on greater importance.

Halloween in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, and Bonaire

In the Netherlands and Belgium, increasing attention is being paid to Halloween—or All Hallows' Eve—these days. Celebrations typically involve children going door-to-door to collect candy, the decoration of homes and gardens, and Halloween parties. Many primary schools organize "trick-or-treat" outings. In both Belgium and the Netherlands, Halloween is also celebrated at amusement parks such as Walibi Holland, Avonturenpark Hellendoorn, Toverland, and Bellewaerde Park. In 2024, on Halloween, the Efteling theme park opened its new attraction, *Danse Macabre*, as a successor to the *Spookslot* (Haunted Castle). Research from 2018 indicated that more than half of the Dutch population celebrated Halloween. However, the holiday proved less popular in the provinces of Groningen, Drenthe, Zeeland, and Utrecht. In these areas, the Feast of Saint Martin—a tradition with Roman Catholic origins—remains more significant than in the rest of the Netherlands. On the evening of Saint Martin’s Day (November 11), children of all backgrounds go door-to-door carrying lanterns and singing traditional Saint Martin songs to collect candy. The Feast of Saint Martin is also celebrated in certain parts of Belgium. In Suriname, Halloween is celebrated on a large scale; the tradition arrived there from the United States and is particularly popular among the youth. On the island of Bonaire, children from a village or town gather together, but instead of visiting private homes, they go to local shops to collect treats.

Controversies

In the Netherlands, Halloween has drawn criticism for being co-opted by commercial interests as a convenient pretext to encourage consumer spending during the "lull" between the summer holidays and the feast of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas). Similarly, Valentine’s Day is often criticized for its intent to drive sales—in that case, through gifts for a (sometimes secret) romantic partner. Various organizations and religious denominations object to Halloween, citing its perceived pagan roots and the promotion of spiritism. The Bible forbids the conjuring of spirits (see, for example, Isaiah 8:19). This "pagan" character is a relatively recent development in what was originally a Christian observance; the trend of wearing horror-themed costumes emerged later in the United States. In some instances, the associated decorations place an emphasis on spiritism or the devil. Because Protestantism rejects the concepts of All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, and purgatory, many Protestants—particularly those within Reformed denominations—have traditionally opposed any form of Halloween celebration. Furthermore, October 31 holds significance for Protestants as Reformation Day, marking the beginning of the Reformation.

Incidents

On October 29, 2022, during a Halloween celebration in Itaewon—an entertainment district in Seoul, South Korea—159 people lost their lives when a crowd surge, triggered by panic among the revelers, led to a fatal crush.