Non-spanish Holidays Adopted in Spain

[ValenciaSon]

I heard it is becoming custom to celebrate Halloween in Spain. I wonder how that happened. Maybe Hollywood is the reason, anyway I wonder what other holidays have been adopted by spaniards in Spain. Anyone know?

[Polly]

You mean because of our export of scary movies?

There are a few films and TV shows I can think of that have depicted the actual celebration as it truly is (or was, rather) - with children dressing up like ghosts, gobblins, witches, fairy princesses, cartoon characters and superheros going door to door begging candy from neighbors --

Celebrating Halloween like that used to be a huge event here and as children we would go out faithfully for hours upon hours (even on a school night!) to collect our treats on All Hallow's Eve.

But it's changed a lot over the last couple of decades -- gone way more conservative.
Have you noticed the change there in Maryland, Valenciason?
Here in the Midwest, most cities and towns now have very strict times as to when children can "trick-or-treat" usually just a 2-3 hour block beginning right after school and finishing before dusk (say 16:30 or 17:00 hrs) -- and not always on October 31 anymore, either.

More often, there are school or house or neighborhood community center parties, and the children don't go out door to door much anymore. This is due to parents' fears over safety - police concern over adolescent mischief and vandalism - and also general adult apathy - or just a lack of being home in time in the late afternoon to hand out treats.

University students and Adults still celebrate wildly in the bars, though! There are costume contests everywhere in the bars and clubs.


Carnival was being celebrated just a day or two before I was leaving Spain early in March -- We were very surprised to see a lot of little witches in the road! It looked just like Halloween to us, but obviously the wrong time of year. I was previously unaware of the custom, but I never really got any other explanation for it except that it was Carnival. Which also seemed strange to me, because the celbration that I have always known as Carnival, (or Mardi Gras) is celebrated just before lent -- and this was in the middle of lent, still a few weeks before Easter. :confused:

[ValenciaSon]

Well I live in a pretty liberal county and in a neighborhood that is a real community so the kids still trick or treat as we did as kids, except that I accompany my kids, whereas I used to go with my friends when I was a kid. It's hard to believe there are local governments imposing trick or treat curfews. I'm aware that some of the more conservative areas in the US shun halloween since it is a considered a pagan holiday and not christian. Where are you at, Polly?

[Polly]

Im in Green Bay, Wi. But this trend is all over the Midwest - Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis - etc. Detroit really cracked down 20 years ago because of the Hell Night (October 30) activities with lots of arson, vandalism and shooting of firearms, etc.

I remember taking my ex's kids out to trick-or-treat and we couldn't walk the route -- everybody had their kids bundled up in cars & vans, & would only let them go a block at a time -- the police and neighborhood watch patrols were out if full force to direct traffic and have a visible presence to help dissuade trouble.
It surely wasn't the innocent fun I remember having as a kid in California. Infact, it was kind of frightening - not in a fun way but in a malevolent way.

Curfew is mandatory in many towns & cities now - even in gated communities. And as far as I've witnessed, it hasn't been about the conservative christian movement so much as it is about trying to keep order in the streets. Thus the trend towards indoor activities and theme parties for school children. Maybe it helps , but I also think it's sucked the fun out of what used to be a great adventure for kids.

[cubix]

Valentine's day (i think) is celebrated in Spain. When I was there the week after I saw alot of stuff for it..

Curfew for kids is common in many areas, where I live it's Midnight. Not like there is much legal stuff to do after midnight, only 2 things open round me after 12 are waffle house and dunkin donuts,

and then a few bars, but that's a whole nother topic....