"Ït was a dark and stormy night" (Just kidding)....The arrival of witches and goblins in all shapes and sizes will grace our doors within a couple of weeks. Painted and masked faces all anticipating the shower of candies and chips that will surely come their way. Cries of Trick or Treat in either English or French - depending on what part of Canada one lives in - fill the air while pumpkins glowing with candles light their way from door to door. Such is Halloween in Canada. But not so in countries like Brazil and Portugal.
Halloween is not celebrated on Oct. 31. It is not considered a grand event, at least not the way we make it out to be, and small children do not usually dress up. There are parties, but usually private teen parties and at those times the teenagers dress up completely in black. But that is not to say that nothing happens on Halloween in Brazil. Children do go from door to door. They stretch out their hands and are rewarded with candy and sweets. Instead of Trick or Treat, they call out "Doce ou Travessura" (Sweets or Tricks).
In Portugal, Halloween is not a nighttime event. It comes on November 1st, All Saints Day, and children pass from door to door during the day. They also do not dress up, but they, too, are rewarded with treats for their efforts. What kind of treats? Well, how do apples, nuts, and small cakes sound? This celebration takes place in the small villages where everyone knows everyone and are related to some extent, so it is quite normal to give fresh fruit, nuts and cakes to the children.
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