Spooky pumpkins in Prague Botanical Garden

Even though many Czech people are still against Halloween, as it is not a Czech tradition, it is celebrated more and more every year in the Czech Republic. Halloween does not, as many Czech people believe, come from America. It is an Anglo-Saxon tradition, and has its roots in ancient Celtic traditions.

Birth of Halloween

Mentions of a day of remembrance for those who passed away dates back to 1745. At that time, the tradition of going from house to house, dressed up as ghosts and asking for a treat was born. The ghost costumes symbolised the souls of the deceased. Halloween came to America in the 19^thcentury thanks to the mass migrations of the Irish and the Scottish.

Halloween is celebrated on the 31^st of October, the day before All Saints' Day. Pumpkins are an essential part of the festivities. In the past, candles lit inside the hollowed-out pumpkins helped people to see in the dark streets at night. Scary faces were carved into the pumpkins to ward off evil spirits. The costumes and masks of Celts served the same purpose.

Halloween in the world

Do you know how Halloween is celebrated all over the world? In Alaska, where it is very cold in October, people really look forward to Halloween. On the last day of October, a heated Halloween train leaves Anchorage, and for the entire two-and-a-half-hour journey, it offers lots of Halloween entertainment (mainly) to children.

In Spain, people decorate small private altars in their homes, where the family comes together and honours the deceased with sweets and drinks. There are similar traditions in Mexico, but family members come to the altar in traditional costumes, and they bring gifts for the dead, such as baked goodies, tequila and specially-made skulls.

In Haiti, the equivalent holiday, called Fed Gede (Ancestral Festival), is very popular. Locals go to cemeteries wearing masks, where they worship Baron Samedi, the father of the spirits of the dead, especially with fruit, coffee and rum.

Halloween in the Botanical Garden in Prague

Scary costumes and pumpkin carving are becoming more and more popular in the Czech Republic. Prague Botanical Garden will also organise sausage-roasting and a parade with lit pumpkins through the Ornamental Garden. There will also be various Halloween competitions for children.

For further information, please visit: https://www.botanicka.cz/en