How Does Poland Celebrate Halloween?
Is Halloween celebrated in Poland? And if Poland celebrates Halloween, how? Read on to find out how the rapid commercialization of American Halloween in Europe is changing Polish autumn traditions.
Autumn in North America has become synonymous with the celebration of Halloween, and this years’ sales are expected to hit $11.6 billion. The traditions now so closely associated with the holiday — trick or treating, pumpkin carving, scary movies, haunted houses, costumes — have been cultivated throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, when they uprooted the religious background of the holiday that had first come to the shores of the North American continent most likely from the influx of Irish immigrants in the 19th century. Then, the Irish brought with them the traditions of their homeland, which included the celebration Samhain, the ancient pagan festival celebrating the dead.
Taking place during the midpoint between the autumn equinox and winter solstice at the end of October and early November, Samhain traditions centered around the Celtic belief that during this time, there existed a bridge between this world and the next, where communication between those living and their ancestors was possible. But it wasn’t just the good spirits that could make their way to earth during this time; malevolent spirits could also visit. During Samhain, lighting bonfires was a common way to repel evil spirits, while feasting to celebrate the harvest, tournament sports, and even animal sacrifices were also staples of celebration.
Though Halloween seems like a uniquely American export, the holiday is derived from European traditions; although it’s Irish Samhain that happens to be Halloween’s closest ancestor, there are many European countries that have similar celebrations, Poland among them. In the Polish pagan tradition, it was not unusual to invoke powers from beyond throughout the year. During autumn, these times were Andrzejki and Dziady. Dziady, or Forefathers’ Eve, was celebrated by visiting cemeteries to commune with the dead. The belief was that in the autumn, those who had passed had an easier time accessing the mortal realm, made even easier by families opening their doors and windows and lighting bonfires to help guide the spirits to their homes where they would share in a harvest meal together. If that sounds familiar, it should — there was quite a lot of overlap in many pagan traditions from around Europe, as the agrarian culture of pre-industrial Europe was heavily focused on the changing of the seasons as well as the biological life cycle.
Old Habits Die Hard
Today, the autumn tradition in Poland continues, albeit in a slightly revised way. With the Christianization of Europe, the pagan traditions honoring ancestors were replaced with the honoring of Saints and praying for the salvation of the souls that have passed. Despite the passage of time (and it’s been centuries), visiting the gravesites of ancestors has remained the central tradition of the holiday, now known as All Saints Day. On 1 November, cemeteries across the country literally light up as visitors light candles marking their visit. In some areas of the country, people bring food to their ancestors’ graves, a direct extension of how the Polish pagans celebrated the holiday, as a way to share a family meal. In fact, cemetery visits on All Saints Day are so central to Polish identity that Polish comedy tiktokers have taken to poking fun at the tradition, insinuating that on this day cemeteries become fashion catwalks for their aunts and grandmothers, eager to outdo one another as they dress up to the nines to visit the plots of their departed family members while gossiping about the outfits of those around them doing the same.
So where does American Halloween come into play?
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and Poland’s adoption of democracy and capitalism, the holiday slowly crept into common consciousness. The introduction of American culture through movies and television has meant that Poland is not immune to the trend of trick-or-treating and dressing up.
According to a poll conducted in 2019, a bit less than 20% of Poles (18.6%, to be exact) celebrated Halloween in some form. It’s not surprising that the tradition is most popular with younger Poles between the ages of 18-24, who make up about 32% of those celebrating. Although people younger than 18 were not surveyed, it would not be at all unusual if the percentages were even higher; Halloween is celebrated in many Polish elementary schools at least in some form, and student culture at universities has adopted the important tradition of adult Halloween parties. The poll found that almost half of all people surveyed (46.3%) have seen children trick-or-treating on Halloween, while 30% polled stated they had prepared candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters. These are surprising statistics. More recent data has shown the uptick of participants in the American tradition; in a poll conducted in 2016, only about one out of 10 people in Poland planned to celebrate the holiday. As of 2023, that number is one out of every three.
Going back to that same poll from 2019, about half of pollsters indicated that they viewed Halloween as simply a fun holiday that did not hold any weight culturally, with a majority viewing it as a commercialized cash grab, not too different to how commercialized Christmas has become. And this can definitely be perceived, as year to year throughout September and October, scary decorations and costumes hang in stores, not just in specialty party shops but also in common grocery stores, drugstores, and mall kiosks.
There is also a percentage that view Halloween as a competitor to All Saints Day, however the poll was decided split on whether there was an actual growing threat to Polish traditions. For the moment, Polish tradition on All Saints Day is definitely here to stay, as 90% of all those polled said they were participating in it by visiting the gravesites of their family members. As for those who might feel the celebration is an affront to the teachings of Catholicism (the predominant religion in Poland), only 10% responded that Halloween was against their religious beliefs, according to a poll conducted in 2023. That is similar to the polling conducted in the United States.
Humans have always had a fascination with the afterlife; it’s safe to assume that whether it be Halloween, All Saints Day, or even the recent resurgence of Dziady celebrations, Poles will continue their yearly tradition of venerating the dead. But at the moment, although Halloween is gaining in popularity particularly among the younger generations in Poland, the time-honored customs associated with the autumnal equinox in Poland will continue to be the dominant tradition for years to come.
