Top 5 Cities for Halloween :
If you’re tired of celebrating Halloween in the same old places, grab your best costume and head to the airport for an All Hallows Eve you’ll never forget.
Here are the top five destinations around the world to celebrate Halloween.
1. Derry, Northern Ireland
Does the name ‘Derry’ ring a bell…?
Well, it should if you have seen the latest horror movie ‘IT’. The place where the clowns are anything but funny. The nest of clown ghost… But don’t worry, this isn’t that ‘Derry’.
Derry, the isle of Ireland is considered the birthplace of Halloween. The place where all the scary celebrations began. It started as a pagan festival called Samhain in which people celebrated having finished the harvest. Irish immigrants to the United States brought their Samhain traditions to the Americas, and the festivity evolved into Halloween. Now, because of the influence of American culture, the Irish and Northern Irish celebrate Halloween just as much as Americans do.
Check out the Derry Halloween carnival in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry (also known as Derry), which pays homage to both Samhain and Halloween with a four-day calendar of events ranging from parades to farmers’ markets to small concerts by renowned Irish musicians.
2. Salem, Massachusetts
This small city is best known for being the site of the terrifying Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Over two hundred people were accused of witchcraft and nineteen were actually executed one of history’s most notorious cases of mass hysteria. Today, Salem has embraced its witchy history and Halloween in general.
There are dozens of seventeenth-century houses still standing, like the House of the Seven Gables and the Witch House, which was the home of one of the trial judges.
Tours to all these historic locations are offered throughout the year, but the Halloween season really ramps up the excitement (and the spookiness). You can see the full calendar of events on the Salem Haunted Happenings site.
With all these notorious and scary flashbacks, Salem is a must in the top 5 cities for Halloween.
3. Universal Studios, Orlando
If what you crave is a good scare, then Halloween Horror Nights in Universal Studios in Orlando is where you should go.
Every year, the theme changes but the scares are just as heart-pounding. This year, the theme is the 1980’s, with guaranteed appearances by some of the most terrifying horror movie villains in history along with some new frightening faces.
Image source: Flickr
There will be ten haunted houses this year, and five scare zones where the park’s “scare-actors” will terrify you. We personally recommend taking a trip to the Upside Down in the ‘Stranger Things’ haunted house. And remember to leave the kids at home: Halloween Horror Nights are too scary for kids under 13.
4. Kawasaki, Japan
Japan has major influences from American culture. One of the things they’ve gleefully adopted is Halloween..!
It’s no wonder, considering how Japanese folklore is already full of spooky things, like the yokai creatures that have influenced horror stories around the world. If you want to watch one of the greatest Halloween parades in the world, then head to the city of Kawasaki, just south of Tokyo.
Image source: Flickr
The Kawasaki Halloween Parade has been going on since 1997 and it’s the perfect place to admire some of the wildest costumes you will ever see. From cosplay replicas of popular anime and movie characters to gory special-effects makeup looks, you will be in awe at what the participants can do.
It’s a place where the haunted celebrations of the West meet the East. Their diversity in celebrations has earned Kawasaki its place in the top 5 cities for Halloween around the world.
5. Mexico City, Mexico
Okay, this one is kind of cheating. We don’t want you to go to Mexico City for Halloween, we want you to go two days later. November 2nd is Día de Muertos or the Day of the Dead and it’s a cultural and religious holiday when people pay homage to their dead loved ones by visiting their graves and leaving offerings such as marigolds and sugar skulls or Calaveras.
Mexico City didn’t use to throw a big Day of the Day party, but since the release of Spectre, the 2016 James Bond movie which starts with a big Día de Muertos parade, the Ministry of Culture has begun celebrating a parade every year. The celebrations go on for a full week, with processions, offerings, and parades culminating with the big Day of the Dead parade on November 2nd.
With all these rich scary history, vibes of celebrations and your desire to experience new and scary days of life. These are the best and top 5 cities for Halloween to celebrate your haunting experience.
Let us know if you visit any of these destinations for Halloween..! And remember, if you’re planning on buying travel insurance for your trip, it won’t cover you if you get drunk, so use your best judgment (but have fun)…
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