Most people tend to confuse Halloween with Carnival for the simple reason that in both cases everyone dresses up, celebrates, drinks, and has fun. In Greece at least, Halloween seems like a foreign, American custom far away from our mentality that tries - and succeeds - to "enter" our culture. The truth lies somewhere in the middle as Halloween does have a different character than Carnival but its roots are not so far away from it!

Halloween or Halloween Horror!

Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31st, during which children dress up, usually in something "scary," and visit houses collecting lots of sweets, "trick or treat." For the Celts, this day marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, while also being a bridge between the upper world and the world of the dead.

The root of this word comes from All-hallow-even and signifies the eve of the celebration of All Saints' Day. Halloween is associated with supernatural activity. According to some traditions, this day is one of the few that can make contact with the spirit world!

Another characteristic of this celebration is the lanterns made from real pumpkins, on which human features are carved, funny or scary.

Carnival and its roots

Carnival is celebrated three weeks before Lent and is a movable feast that originates from the ancient Greek tradition of Anthesteria, during the Dionysian ceremonies. Anthesteria was in honor of the god Dionysus and marked the arrival of Spring and Rebirth after the difficult Winter, while also tasting the new wine for the first time. The ancient Greeks believed that during Anthesteria, the souls of the dead ascended to the upper world, so they honored them by offering them grain, legumes, and wine. They also anointed their faces with wine must and passed over fires, pretending to be ancient Satyrs.

In Greece today, the biggest Carnivals in the Balkans take place (the Patras Carnival, the Xanthi Carnival, and the Rethymno Carnival). Various customs are revived throughout the country, from the Vlach Wedding in Thebes, which is a comical representation of a wedding, to the "gaitanaki" with its 12 long ribbons, to the Cretan love songs sung by Rethymnian carnival-goers and the "Koudounoforoi" of Thessaloniki, who pour into the streets singing in goat-shaped costumes. All of Greece celebrates every year to the rhythms of Carnival!

Today, the spirit of Carnival has not changed much. The mood for drinking wine, dancing, feasting, the masquerades that parade by the thousands in the streets singing and dancing have remained almost unchanged. On the contrary, the mood of Halloween has changed quite a bit. Although it used to have a darker and supernatural character, today both young and old have fun, children dress up and go from door to door asking for sweets or money (trick or treat), housewives make sweets and decorate their homes accordingly. 

In conclusion, whether Carnival or Halloween, the important thing is to have a good time!