From carving pumpkins to dressing up in costumes, Halloween traditions are well-known to most UW-Madison students. However, these traditions and symbols aren't as familiar to international students studying and living here. Even though Halloween does have international roots, it is generally seen as an American holiday.
The Great Pumpkin Party, co-sponsored by the Conversational English Program at Greater University Tutoring Service and the Wisconsin Union Directorate Community Service Committee, sought to introduce and celebrate Halloween customs with international students and their families. The event included pumpkin carving, cookie decorating and Halloween coloring.
The participants at the Great Pumpkin Party ranged from children to graduate students. Yuan-Yeu Yau, a graduate student in genetics, detailed some traditions in his home country of Taiwan.
\We follow the lunar calendar and it's believed that ghosts come out in July when the doors of Hell are open for that one month,"" he said. ""The ghosts are known as brothers and people put food and lights outside of their doors for them. Kids especially take it very seriously. People are very cautious during that month. For example, when driving, people are taking precautions since the ghost might take your life away.""
Josh Feng, a graduate student in electrical engineering who is also from Taiwan, said Halloween is becoming increasingly popular.
""In some of the big cities with populations of Westerners it's more likely to see costumes and parties and people adopting this kind of holiday,"" Feng said.
Some graduate students, including Araceli Alonso, a teaching assistant and dissertator in anthropology and women's studies, brought their children along. Araceli's daughter, Sophia, and her friend Mimi, partook in the pumpkin carving at the party. Araceli is originally from Madrid, Spain.
""We don't have Halloween in Spain,"" Alonso said. ""We celebrate All Saints' Day on Nov. 1. We only worship the death and we take it very seriously.""
Spain does have holidays for dressing up in costumes, however.
""We have Carnival in February where people can change identities,"" Alonso said. ""Everything is allowed [for costumes] although it is not related to Halloween. Costumes range from pirates to very historical figures like Napoleon and Marie Antoinette.""
When asked what her 7-year-old daughter Sophia thinks of Halloween, Alonso said she enjoyed it.
""She loves Halloween, especially the trick-or-treating,"" she said. ""She'll be carrying a basket for UNICEF asking for a penny or whatever they can give her. It's very important to her."" The United Nation's Children's Fund collects money to provide food and services to poor children around the world.
Chris Subhapholsi, a junior majoring in Economics who is originally from Thailand, spoke about Halloween in Thailand.
""In general, Thai people know of Halloween, but few actually realize what goes on during this traditional holiday,"" Subhapholsi said in an e-mail. ""In fact, Halloween is innocently perceived as a day where ghosts roam freely and haunt people. This is why people are less than thrilled when Oct. 31 comes around.
""However, the influx of foreigners into Thailand during the past six to seven years has somewhat changed the way Thai people think of Halloween. As recent as last year, a big Halloween party called 'The Groovy Trick or Treat Sky Crawl' was arranged by a group of Americans, and reportedly, hundreds of Thais dressed up and attended the party.""
Lenee Kruse, the coordinator of the Conversational English program at GUTS, felt the event helped to shed some light on this American holiday.
""The reason why we organized the event was to give international students a better idea of why we celebrate Halloween,"" Kruse said. ""The mission of the Conversational English program at GUTS is not only to help international students with fluency, but also to help them understand American culture. The Great Pumpkin Party is a great way for them and their families to understand this primarily American cultural holiday.""
Jeff Heerhold of the Wisconsin Union Directorate Community Service Committee felt it was beneficial to provide these programs to the international student population.
""WUD doesn't specifically have a lot of internationally oriented programs,"" Heerhold said. ""We like to help with the Great Pumpkin Party to provide more international programs.""
Although Halloween is widely celebrated around the United States today, the holiday dates back some 2000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain. Their new year began on Nov. 1. Samhain, or the Celtic Lord of Death, was celebrated on the eve of the New Year, Oct. 31.
According to the ""Halloween History"" handout from the Pumpkin Party, the Celts believed that Samhain allowed the souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes for this evening. The Druids, or the priests and teachers of the Celts, would build a bonfire of oak branches from which the families would relight their hearth fires. The people sometimes wore costumes and told fortunes about the coming year.
The Romans conquered the Celts in 43 A.D. and during this period two Roman autumn festivals were combined with Samhain. These included Feralia, which honored the dead, and Pomona, which honored the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees this is why apples became associated with Halloween.
In the 8th century, All Saints' Day was established on Nov. 1. Pagan customs were combined with new customs to honor this Christian holy day. Later on, the Roman Catholic Church began to honor the dead on Nov. 2 and that day became known as All Souls' Day.
Various Halloween customs became a part of groups of Celts. In Ireland, people begged for food in a parade honoring the god Muck Olla. In Scotland, people paraded through villages carrying torches to light bonfires in order to scare away witches and evil spirits. In England, families sat by the fires, told stories and ate apples and nuts to celebrate Halloween, otherwise known as Nutcrack Night or Snap Apple Night.
