All Things Nordic #26: 'Halloween'
Your Digest from Scandinavia and the Nordic Countries
Summary: #1 Denmark and Halloween | #2 Faroe Islands and Halloween | #3 Iceland and Halloween | #4 Finland and Halloween | #5 Sweden and Halloween | #6 Greenland and Halloween | #7 Norway and Halloween| PODCAST: ‘The Faroe Islands Podcast’ #287: ‘Halloween past and present’
In Denmark, while Halloween is not traditionally a major celebration, its popularity has grown significantly in recent years
#2 Faroe Islands and Halloween
While Halloween has not completely replaced traditional Faroese festivities like Ólavsøka or Grækarismessa, it adds a modern, festive twist to the island’s cultural calendar
Halloween, or ‘Hrekkjavaka’ in Icelandic, has only recently gained widespread popularity. Though the holiday is not officially recognized, it is a fun occasion for children and adults alike to dress up and embrace the spooky atmosphere
Halloween is not a tradition in Finland, and the kids don’t go door to door asking for goodies: it is more of an excuse for young people to throw a party and hang out with friends
Celebrated alongside the more traditional All Saints’ Day, Halloween in Sweden is a relatively new but rapidly growing holiday that offers fun and festive activities for people of all ages
In Greenland, Halloween has become increasingly popular: children now enjoy going door-to-door, saying “trick or treat” in search of candy, much like their counterparts in other parts of the world
Norwegian kids first learned about Halloween by reading Donald Duck, the country’s most popular comic books, thanks to the ‘jack-o-lanterns’ carved by Donald’s nephews and their practice of Trick-or-Treat
‘The Faroe Islands Podcast’ #287: ‘Halloween past and present’
This week, we celebrate Halloween in the Faroe Islands. We’ll go back and listen to the famous spooky screams in the tunnels north of Klaksvik […]
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