How Does Canada Celebrate Halloween?
How Does Canada Celebrate Halloween?
Halloween is celebrated in many countries around the world, including Canada. In each place, there are different meanings and slightly different traditions. However, from costumes and candy to scary movies and parties, Halloween is not just for kids! So how does Canada celebrate Halloween?
Growing up in Canada, Halloween was a time-honoured tradition that you looked forward to as a child. I can remember getting together with my friends and not just discussing our costumes (most were homemade back then), but carefully planning out our trick-or-treating route to maximize the amount of candy we could score!
We definitely took it for granted that many places around the world not only didn’t celebrate Halloween, but some had never heard of the day altogether!
Even today, Halloween is definitely Hubby’s absolute favourite time of the year! From the planning of his costume to the decorating of our house, he is all in!
With that in mind, we feel extremely qualified to talk about all the ways that Canadians like to celebrate Halloween.
Do Canadians Celebrate Halloween?
Yes! Halloween is actually a very popular celebration in Canada. Other than Christmas, Canadians spend more money on Halloween than any other holiday.
When is Halloween in Canada?
Halloween is celebrated annually on the night of October 31st. However, it is not uncommon to find Halloween festivities occurring throughout the entire month of October.
Why do Canadians Celebrate Halloween?
It is fascinating to learn just how far back our modern-day traditions can be traced. From the word Halloween to why jack-o-lanterns are a thing, and how the whole Trick or Treating ritual got started, there are many myths and stories behind what makes the scariest night of the year so much fun.
Christian Origins
Although many people disagree that our reason for celebrating Halloween comes from Christian origins, there seems to be a consensus about the name.
Occurring on November 1st, All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows Day, is the day that honours all the saints (or hallows) of the church. So the night before, October 31st, is considered All Hallows’ Eve. Hence the word Halloween.
Celtic Origins
Most people can agree that Halloween is based mostly on Celtic traditions. The Celts celebrated the end of the harvest and the start of the long winter with a festival, called Samhain (pronounced SOW-in). The festival marked the division between the light and dark halves of the year.
Samhain was celebrated on October 31st, the day the Celts believed that the boundary between the living and the dead was at its weakest. It was thought that all sorts of ghosts, fairies and demons, including the souls of the dead, were able to visit the living on this night.
Another Celtic custom that may have been a precursor to today’s Halloween celebrations, was the tradition of wearing costumes and masks to disguise themselves and ward off harmful spirits. Lastly, offerings were left out by the Celts in order to appease malevolent spirits that might bring bad luck to the home.
Halloween in Canada vs. US
Halloween is celebrated pretty much the same way in both the US and Canada. Both countries honour the traditions of carving pumpkins, dressing up in costumes, watching scary movies, going trick or treating, and attending Halloween parties.
One of the big differences, however, is that Canadians spend more per capita ($70) than Americans on candy, costumes, and decorations. And of course, it is worth mentioning, that Canadians dress up as hockey players way more than our American neighbours. Coincidence? I think not!
One other thing that we as Canadians did for Halloween, which did not happen in the US, was to collect spare change in support of children in need all over the world. The iconic UNICEF orange coin collection boxes were very much a part of Canadian children’s trick-or-treating history until 2006.
Nowadays, UNICEF has moved to an online donation system. But that has not stopped Canadians from donating an average of three million dollars every Halloween!
How Does Canada Celebrate Halloween?
Although many families have different traditions for celebrating Halloween, there are several that are pretty universal among all Canadians.
1. Pumpkins
Pumpkins are definitely a must-have piece of decor at Halloween. Carved out and designed with spooky faces, favourite characters, or any number of creative designs, these Jack-o’-Lanterns go way back in history.
Believed to have been brought to Canada by early Irish and Scottish immigrants, the custom of carving pumpkins was adapted from the previous tradition of hollowing out turnips, beets or potatoes.
These hollowed-out vegetables were carved with demonic faces, lit with candles, and placed in the windows of homes and doorways of homes to ward off evil spirits on All Hallows Eve.
Jack-o’-Lanterns
The use of pumpkins as Jack-o’-Lanterns didn’t begin until the 1800s, however. This is when the Irish settlers most likely discovered that pumpkins were much easier to carve than turnips.
Fun Fact: The stem of a pumpkin is called a Peduncle. I didn’t learn that until I was an adult, and 4-year-old Mr. Bump became upset when he noticed that his pumpkin was missing its stem! Ha!
Even the term Jack-o’-Lantern is derived from a 17th-century myth. According to Irish folklore, a drunk and a cheat named Stingy Jack was refused entry into both heaven and hell, because of his miserly and mischievous acts.
Stingy Jack was condemned to roam the earth, existing between the living and the dead, until Judgement Day. He was given only an ember from hell to light his way, which he kept in a carved-out turnip as a lantern.
And so he was known as Jack of the lantern, or Jack-o’-Lantern. And even to this day, Jack-o’-Lanterns are considered an iconic symbol of Halloween.
Nowadays, in and around Halloween, pumpkin-carving contests are extremely popular all over Canada. Occurring in schools, workplaces, festivals, and communities, the level of artistry and creativity is often mind-blowing.
And pumpkin carving has definitely been made easier. Today, you will not only find essential pumpkin carving tools and templates in the stores, but you will also find books, videos, and tutorials online on how to carve your pumpkin like a pro.
Fun Fact: Whole communities in Nova Scotia gather to compete in the annual pumpkin carving contest held in Kejimkujik National Park.
2. Costumes
You can’t celebrate Halloween without costumes! And costumes are probably the most common thing that people associate with Halloween.
Costumes are also one of the few traditions you can start as a child and keep doing well into adulthood. And just like many other Halloween traditions, costumes can be traced back to Celtic customs.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, people wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves and ward off harmful spirits. Anonymity definitely an integral part of the costumes.
Of course, that is no longer the case. Today’s Halloween costumes can literally be anything, although more often than not, they are often influenced by pop culture.
From fictional movie characters to superheroes, parodies of entertainment personalities, cartoon or video game characters, to the ever-popular food items, a lot of thought, effort, and often money, are put into Halloween costumes.
Costumes Are Not Just for Trick or Treating Anymore
Many schools nowadays don’t allow costumes with accessories or props, or may not allow anything too scary. As a result, many kids will often have one costume for school that is simple, and then their ‘real’ costume for Trick or Treating.
And since Halloween fun is for grown-ups too, many adult couples will purchase (or design) co-ordinating costumes for parties. In fact, most bars or parties hosting a Halloween event will inevitably have a contest for the best costume.
Of course, adults will also often wear a costume to the office on Halloween. You won’t get penalized for not wearing one, but often, people will think that you are a poor sport if don’t show up in costume.
Most grocery or department stores will begin selling Halloween costumes in September. This is around the time many specialty stores and temporary Halloween shops will also begin to pop up.
Our recommendation is to get your costume together as soon as possible. By the time October rolls around, there will be slim pickings.
This goes for those who are trying to piece together their own costumes by shopping at thrift stores. Many people, especially teens, have become savvy with this idea, so those types of shops will also begin to sell out of popular items early.
3. Decorating Your House
Just like at Christmas, many people (like us!) will go all out when it comes to decorating our homes. And that means both inside and out!
For years, Hubby and I have decorated our lawn to look like a cemetery. The house is decorated with spooky props, complete with projections in the windows, cobwebs, scary lighting, creepy music, and of course, Hubby dressed in a scary costume. We do ALL OF THIS for just one day!
Fun Fact: Spiders are a common symbol of Halloween. And although pop culture makes them out to be evil little creatures, this was not the case throughout history. In fact, many myths actually explain that spotting a spider on Halloween is really a loved one watching over you.
And although Hubby has enjoyed the status of having one of the best-decorated homes in the neighbourhood, it is a ton of work! And we have enjoyed changing it up to keep the scare factor alive over the years!
Inside Decor
Inside the house, we tend to have our Halloween decorations ready to go after Thanksgiving (which is the beginning of October in Canada). I have a variety of Halloween decor pieces spread around the house, including purple and orange fairy lights, pillows, and tabletop pieces.
But the kid’s absolute favourite Halloween decoration is the Spooky Town set up on our fireplace mantle. Much like what you find with a Christmas village, the Lemax Spooky Town is just darker with Halloween-themed buildings and characters. Our village even has animated pieces, creepy lights, and plays spooky sounds!
4. Trick or Treating
Trick or Treating has become synonymous with Halloween. Children going door to door and collecting candy on October 31st is actually a practice that dates back to the Middle Ages.
Originally known as souling or mumming, the modern precursor to Trick or Treating can be traced back to the 15th century. In those days, the poor would visit the homes of the wealthy and offer to say a prayer for the homeowner’s deceased relatives. In exchange, the poor would receive soul cakes – a form of alms for the dead.
Fun fact: The term “Trick-or-Treat” was first used in the Lethbridge Herald on November 4, 1927, in reference to festivities in Blackie, Alberta.
As Halloween traditions changed and evolved, the practice of souling was adopted by children. But instead of saying prayers, the kids would sing songs, recite poems, or perform entertaining tricks in exchange for nuts, fruit or coins.
And it wasn’t until the 19th century, that the practice of dressing children in disguise (guising) for souling became common. In fact, the first recorded Canadian instance of children dressing in disguise on Halloween, was in Vancouver, BC, in 1898.
Rules to Adhere to When Trick or Treating
There are several unwritten rules that both parents and kids should be aware of when it comes to Trick or Treating. Following these guidelines will keep everyone happy, safe, and having fun.
Rules for Parents
1. Consider Allergies – with many kids having nut allergies nowadays, be sure to buy candy or treats that are nut free.
2. Homemade Treats – Homemade treats are a definite no-no! Many kids are taught not to accept goodies that are not store-bought because of allergies. And honestly, unless it was a neighbour I trusted, those items went straight into the trash.
3. Buy in Bulk – Halloween candy can get expensive, especially chocolate bars. If you are on a budget, head to places like Costco where you can buy large bags of lollipops, hard candy or gummies.
4. Halloween Taffy – Don’t buy it! Seriously, eeew! Most people (especially kids) will NOT even look at the taffy wrapped in the orange Halloween paper!
5. Stickers – If you want to skip the candy altogether, or have an alternative for kids who may not be able to have candy, you can buy rolls of stickers, temporary tattoos, pencils, erasers or other small items kids may enjoy. Again, places like Costco are great for this.
6. Clear Walkways – Most kids are in a sugar-induced frenzy on Halloween and are not necessarily careful of where they are going. You can help prevent accidents by ensuring your walkway is clear of tripping hazards, or anything that may catch on to long flowing costumes. You can even move planters and urns, and keep decorations away from the door to give the kids as much space as possible.
Rules for Kids
1. Costumes – Wear one! Even if your parents can’t afford something fancy, be creative and come up with a homemade costume. And make sure that you can safely see and walk in your costume!
2. Don’t Trick or Treat Alone – ALways Trick or Treat with a family member, neighbour or friend. Avoid crisscrossing the road, and let an adult know your route.
3. Be Polite – Say Trick or Treat, wait your turn, don’t scoff at getting candy that you may not like, and don’t push the little kids out of the way!
4. Questions – Don’t be upset if someone asks you what your costume is. Just tell them!
5. Homemade Treats – Do not accept food that is not sealed, packaged or store-bought. Parents may say it’s ok if it is from a neighbour whom they know well or the parents of one of your friends.
6. Return Visits – Don’t return to the same house multiple times! Even if the treats are your favourite, other kids will want to have a turn.
7. Take Just One – If someone has left out a bowl of treats, take just one piece of candy and move on. Do not take a handful and that is definitely not fair for all the kids who may show up later.
8. Property – Be respectful of peoples’ properties. Use the walkways. Don’t try to shortcut through their flower gardens or jump over fences.
9. Dark Homes – If the house is dark, move on. If the outside porch lights are off, it means that the homeowners are not giving out candy. Don’t disturb them by ringing their doorbell.
10. Say Thank You – Always. What more can we say?
Adult Halloween Traditions in Canada
Halloween is no longer just for the kids. In fact, I know of quite a few grown-ups (Hubby, for instance) who look forward to October and the ‘Spooky Season’. So how do adults in Canada celebrate Halloween?
1. Handing Out Candy
Handing out candy lies at the very centre of the Halloween celebrations in Canada. Adults purchase candy to hand out to all the kids who visit their homes on Halloween.
Nowadays, the treats are more of a reward for getting into costume and less about preventing tricks from being played on the homeowner. In fact, many homeowners will also dress up and maybe play a few tricks of their own!
Just remember, if you are not planning to hand out candy, make sure your outside porch lights are turned off, and your house appears dark. This is a signal for the kids to skip over your house.
Fun Fact: According to Statistics Canada, Canadians spent about $350 million just on candy in October 2011, and that number has only been going up.
2. Watch Halloween Movies
Halloween is often tied to demons and monsters. So it comes as no surprise, that although fun for kids, the holiday does have its dark elements.
During Halloween, many adults will enjoy having the pants scared off them with a scary movie marathon. Grab a bowl of Halloween candy, make sure the house is nice and dark, and prepare for a sleepless night!
Hubby has an entire box of scary Halloween movies that he likes to haul out come October. And binge-watching horror movies is not just something we enjoy in our household.
Yes. This is actually a fun way to spend the evening! In fact, some of our favourite movies to watch (yes, we like the oldies) include some pretty terrifying selections:
- Carrie
- Halloween
- The Shining
- Nightmare on Elm Street
- Blair Witch Project
- The Exorcist
- Silence of the Lambs
The kids also have their box of Halloween movies which gets dusted off in October. Their faves include:
- Hotel Transylvania
- Frankenweenie
- Casper
- Corpse Bride
- Hocus Pocus
- Beetlejuice
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Coraline
3. Go to a Party
Halloween parties are something you can enjoy from when you are quite young, until right into adulthood. The themes, games and treats may change, but the fun of getting dressed up remains the same.
From house parties with friends to a night at a club or an all-out costume ball at a social club, Halloween parties will continue to be a huge part of the Halloween tradition in Canada.
In fact, many big attractions in Toronto will host Halloween parties after hours. Places like Canada’s Wonderland and Casa Loma have hugely popular events every year (more on those below).
4. Try Out Some Halloween-Themed Food
Nowadays, Halloween is not just about the candy, but also the gruesome-themed food that can be found at many parties and bars in October. For kids, this usually entails candy apples, caramel corn, spooky cookies and cupcakes, or ghoulishly green mocktails.
Adults tend to take party foods to a whole new level, however. With regular foods masquerading as corpse parts, desserts served out of plastic skulls or drinks mixed with dry ice to appear deadly, it often tends to get a little too gruesome.
But if you are not into the weird, you can always settle for Halloween-themed cocktails served at many bars. From Pumpkin beers to Pumpkin Chai gin, or black poison apple martinis, there are some pretty delicious and festive concoctions out there.
5. Head Out to a Spooky Attraction
In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of spooky attractions available around Halloween. From light displays to haunted houses, costume nights at theme parks, and Halloween-themed festivals, there is plenty to keep you busy throughout the month of October.
And while many of these Halloween attractions are family-friendly, if you are planning on taking the kids along, you may want to double-check how scary they are. Below is a small list of some of our favourite Halloween attractions in and around the GTA (Greater Toronto Area):
For Families
1. Monster Month in Elora – Very family-friendly, you will find a variety of Halloween-themed events throughout the whole month of October. From parades to movie nights, special cocktails, to ghost walks, there is something for everyone.
2. Pumpkins After Dark – This drive-through light show located in Milton, Ontario is absolutely incredible! From incredible light displays to pumpkin artistry, scary music and costumed figures, it’s family-friendly fun.
Best of all, you are in the comfort of your own vehicle. Be sure to visit later in the evening when it is less busy, as you can take a little more time looking at all the displays.
For Adults and Teens
3. Halloween Haunt – Taking place on select nights at Canada’s Wonderland, Halloween Haunt is when the theme park comes alive with hundreds of monsters, terrifying scare zones and mazes, ghoulish street performers, live music, thrilling night rides, and electrifying live shows.
This immersive event transforms the theme park into a scream park! In our opinion, Halloween Haunt is a little much for younger kids. Wonderland does offer daytime Halloween events that are much more appropriate for the younger crowd.
4. Legends of Horror – This is when Casa Loma in Toronto is transformed into an immersive haunted house. Legends of Horror is definitely not suited for younger children. In fact, Casa Loma even issues a parental advisory on this attraction!
The experience involves walking through a 2 km trail, which starts in the castle gardens. Guests wind their way through the castle’s tunnels and darkest spaces, where they will encounter any number of monsters, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night!
5. Ghost Walks – This is one of my favourite things to do around Halloween! Take a guided tour through one of several spooky locations or neighbourhoods after dark. The tour guides will regale you with history and stories of hauntings, the unexplainable, or just the plain weird.
FAQs About Canadian Halloween Celebrations
What is Halloween called in Canada?
Halloween does not have a fancy name in Canada. It is just referred to as Halloween.
Is Halloween a Public Holiday?
Halloween is not a public holiday. Businesses operate with regular opening hours.
Is Halloween a big deal in Canada?
Yes. Canadians love to celebrate Halloween! With millions of people participating in Halloween events, parties, and traditions all across the country, this holiday really is a big deal.
And although businesses do not shut down for Halloween, many companies allow their employees to dress up and get into the Halloween spirit.
When did Canadians start celebrating Halloween?
Historians can trace Canadian Halloween traditions back to the 1800s when there was an influx of Irish and Scottish immigrants. But the first actual documented example of Canadian children dressing up for Halloween occurred in Vancouver back in 1898.
Final Thoughts on How Canadians Celebrate Halloween
Although Halloween is thought to have its roots in Celtic customs, today, Canadians still enjoy celebrating many of the old traditions. And with this spooky holiday becoming a fast favourite in our country, it’s no wonder that people visiting from abroad are often curious about why and how Canadians celebrate Halloween.
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