Each year at Halloween, people of all ages dress up from the like of a zombie to Mickey Mouse and ask strangers for sweets.

The festive holiday has become an excuse for young children to eat mountains of sugar and not be told not to and for teenagers to barely wear anything at all.

But where did this tradition originate?

The celebration is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would wear costumes and light bonfires to scare away roaming ghosts.

From here, shops and supermarkets have adapted the holiday to make a large profit in selling fake blood and costumes.

However, across the world Halloween is celebrated differently to suit different cultures.

In Mexico, for example, they don’t celebrate Halloween but ‘El Dia de los Muertos’, meaning ‘the day of the dead’.

The ‘Dia de los Muertos’ celebrates the dead by people wearing an array of vibrant and colourful masks, often the masks are of skulls.

It is also often celebrated by setting up an altar with offerings, decorating and cleaning graces, telling stories of the dead and making sugar skulls (and other sweets).

Much like Halloween the day is celebrated on October 31, although technically they event should take place on November 2.

Although Halloween is a thrilling and frightening time, it is important not to forget why we celebrate Halloween and to respect other cultures whilst having fun dressing up with our friends.  

Eve Burlton

Surbiton High School