Halloween in Italy

31st October

Whether you view Halloween as a significant religious date or an annoying commercial import from America, the 31st October has long been significant in many cultures across time and geography

Halloween is also known as:

Allhalloween
All Hallows’ Eve
All Saints’ Eve

It is believed that the Celtic origins of Halloween were as a day to remember and honour the souls of the dead and when people from Ireland and Scotland emigrated to the United States in the 19th century they took these customs with them.

Cat Moon — Cat Silhouetted Against The Moon

1st November

In Italy the 1st November is known as All Saints Day – in Italian:

Ognissanti

Tutti i Santi

which is is a day dedicated to honoring all of the saints and martyrs who have died for the Catholic faith. The faithful attend mass and celebrate Ognissanti by spending time together with family and visiting family graves. Ognissanti is a national holiday in Italy and most businesses are closed.

2nd November

In Italy the 2nd November is called:

Il Giorno dei Morti

or more often nowadays:

Tutti i Morti

and is the equivalent of All Souls’ Day.

Il Giorno dei Morti is a day of remembrance for loved ones who have passed away. Families visit cemeteries to pay respect by cleaning and decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and votive candles.

Italian have a strong sense of family and community and many natives of Southern Italy will travel from the industrialized north to return to their home towns and villages so that they can be close to family and celebrate these two religious holidays.

Part of the observance lies in the preparation and eating of traditional sweets including:

Fave dei Morti
Piadina dei Morti
Pane dei Morti

and these translate literally as:

Beans of the Dead
Flatbread of the Dead
Bread of the Dead

Fave dei Morti, beans of the dead, are small bean-shaped cakes that Italians eat on November 2, Il Giorno dei Morti. These rich and delicate little cakes are made of ground almonds and sugar combined with egg, butter, flour, and subtle flavorings.

Regional Variations

There are distinct regional identities and customs across Italy and this is reflected in regional variations for Il Giorno dei Morti.

In Sicily where Il Giorno dei Morti is celebrated more strongly than other parts of Italy it is a great fest (we would call it a fiesta) and children are taught that if they pray for the dead and respect their elders throughout the year, then the deaparted, or morti, will return on Il Giorno dei Morti with gifts. There are some parallels with the origins of Trick or Treat in other European nations.

On a happier note, in Rome Il Giorno dei Morti is used by couples to announce their betrothal and young men will send their intended an engagement ring packed in a conventional square white box which in turn is packed in an oval container surrounded by Fave dei Morti.

Halloween and Trick or Treat

Historically, Halloween was just the evening before the two days of Ognissanti and Il Giorno dei Morti. Nowadays across Europe Halloween itself is becoming an event loved by children who dress up and go door-to-door calling out “Trick or Treat?” – which in Italian is:

Dolcetto o scherzetto?

Although the event is evolving in Italy, in many of the rural parts of Italy Halloween remains true to it’s origins and free from the creeping commercialisation that we see here in the UK.

What is interesting is that there is a strong relationship between Trick or Treat and the European tradition of “Souling” where historically beggars would roam around collecting soul cakes on All Hallows Eve in return for saying prayers for the dead.

31st October

1st November

2nd November

Regional Variations

Halloween and Trick or Treat

Comments

One response to “Halloween in Italy”