October 31, 2021 is Halloween.
But what is the festival and where does it come from?
And is it a public holiday in Germany?
We explain what's behind it.
Every year on October 31st, the horror festival Halloween is celebrated.
In the USA in particular, a lot of effort is made to achieve this with decorations, parties, costumes and treats such as cupcakes.
But for some time now, Halloween customs such as the cry of “trick or treating” have been spreading in Germany as well.
We explain what is actually celebrated on Halloween and whether the festival is an official holiday in Germany.
When is Halloween 2021 and where does it come from?
Historically, it is not entirely clear where the custom of celebrating Halloween comes from.
It is believed that Halloween originated with the Celts.
On October 31st they are said to have celebrated the festival "Samhain" to thank the god of the same name for the harvest and to say goodbye to summer.
Supposedly, the Celts also believed that on this day the world of the dead blended with the world of the living.
However, there is no direct historical evidence for this assumption, but it could explain the reference to the spooks and ghosts of Halloween.
A Christian origin from Halloween is also possible.
The name "Halloween" is derived from the English expression "All Hallows 'Eve", the name for the evening before the Christian festival of All Saints' Day.
This is traditionally celebrated on November 1st, the day after Halloween.
On this day the Church commemorates the saints and Christian martyrs.
In addition, in the 10th century, the festival of All Souls was set for November 2nd.
Then Christians remember the dead and the souls in purgatory.
Nowadays, both festivals are particularly important in the Catholic area.
Scientists suspect that Celtic traditions mixed with Christian ideas as early as the Middle Ages.
From this mixture, the Halloween festival was probably created.
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Halloween 2021: why is the festival still celebrated today?
For a long time in Europe, Halloween was mainly celebrated in the Catholic areas of Great Britain and Ireland.
Irish and Scottish immigrants are said to have brought the festival to North America.
During the 19th and 20th centuries it developed into the great popular event that it is today.
Since the 1990s, Halloween has spread increasingly in the North American tradition in Europe.
1991 turned out to be a key year.
Because of the second Gulf War, the carnival season was virtually canceled this year - which is why the carnival industry was increasingly promoting Halloween, when people also dress up.
Halloween is becoming more and more popular in Germany - but there is criticism
In the meantime, Halloween with its various customs is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany.
However, the day comes under criticism again and again.
For example, it is lamented that with the spread of Halloween and the associated wandering of children collecting sweets, other traditions such as martin singing are being pushed aside.
The commercialization of Halloween and the vandalism often perpetrated on this day - for example by throwing eggs or toilet paper - has also been criticized.
Above all, the Protestant Church also distances itself from the festival.
On October 31st, it commemorates the work of the German reformer Martin Luther, which is often forgotten by the general population due to the overlap with Halloween.
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Is Halloween 2021 a public holiday in Germany?
Halloween is not a public holiday in Germany.
In some federal states, however, this day is still free.
This is due to the overlap with Reformation Day, because this day is a public holiday in a total of nine federal states.
These are:
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Lower Saxony
Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thuringia
In five other, mainly Catholic states, October 31st is not free, but All Saints' Day is on November 1st.
These are:
Baden-Wuerttemberg
Bavaria
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate
Saarland
However, since Reformation Day 2021 falls on a Sunday and November 1st on a Monday, only All Saints' Day this year has an impact on working people and schoolchildren.
All Saints' Day also has an impact on Halloween celebrations in these areas.
All Saints' Day is a so-called "silent holiday".
This means that public entertainment events that do not correspond to the serious nature of the holiday, as well as loud music, are prohibited.
Accordingly, public Halloween celebrations often have to end prematurely on October 31.
The ban on dancing on All Saints' Day, for example, repeatedly leads to discussions in Bavaria, as
Merkur.de *
reports.
NS
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen digital editorial network
