Must-Visit Places Around The World At Halloween

Written by Ella Cawthorne Last updated May 2nd 202402/05/24

All over the country, Halloween traditions are in full swing from pumpkin picking to decorating the house, some people even have a Halloween tree! But if you fancy jetting off and discovering some new traditions from around the world, these are just some of the places we think are a must-visit!

Mexico

The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos as it’s known in Mexico, starts on October 31st and lasts until November 2nd. It is believed that on the Day of the Dead, the border between spirits and the living dissolve, allowing time for families to eat, drink, and dance with their loved ones who home altars, which may be decorated with candles and brightly coloured marigolds.

There are also parades all over the towns and cities throughout Mexico, with punters celebrating this national holiday. Expect to see decorations of skulls and skeletons, with lots of bright colours to bring a welcoming vibe.

Costa Rica

Every October 31, Dia de la Mascarada is celebrated throughout Costa Rica. People gather and wear large, colourful handmade masks and dance through the streets to folk music. This is a 200-year-old tradition which dates back to pre-Colombian customs and carnival. The most significant parades occur in Cartago, Escazu, and Barva de Heredia, well-known cities for their mask-making skills.

The masks themselves are works of art! They’re intricate, oversized paper mache heads representing characters from pop culture, mythology, and political figures. During the parades in the cities, as well as seeing these creative masks up close, you’ll also be treated to sounds of cimarron bands!

Transylvania

Transylvania, in Romania, is famous for its rich history and for being ‘home of Dracula’. Halloween is widely referred to as Day of Dracula in Transylvania and people from around the world flock to visit Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes’s ‘home’ at Bran Castle. Whether it was actually his home or not is up for debate, but it makes for a pretty spooky Halloween visit, right?!

Perched on a peak with turrets and towers, Bran Castle looks straight off the pages of your favourite vampire novel. It was built in the 14th century and crowds still flock to see the magnificent castle up close.

Florida

For the ultimate Halloween trip, we can’t recommend Florida enough! The Halloween season actually begins mid-August at Walt Disney World Florida, so you have plenty of time to take in the beautifully decorated parks. Of course, there’s plenty of Halloween themed merch to get your hands on too, and not forgetting the delicious Halloween treats, shaped like Mickey Mouse heads.

Elsewhere in Florida, we’d recommend taking a drive to the suburbs and checking out the Halloween displays put on by the locals. Halloween is a big event in America and the locals really get into it! You might pass by some pretty spectacular displays which would put some of the ones back at home to shame.