I will definitely choose a treat :) Fortunately, the shops are full of various candies and treats dedicated to this holiday. Sad news: Halloween is not celebrated in Russia. At all. Totally. And this is really scary for me - a person who loves themed trinkets that appear on the shelves for holidays😱 Moreover, some Orthodox believe this to be an insult to their religion, supposedly this holiday is pagan, and celebrating it means not respecting traditions. Despite this, some companies in Russia are still trying to come up with something special in honor of this holiday, be it special discounts, parties and events or, for example, special new items on the menu. But this year I found Halloween in Turku, which means I had the opportunity to watch how they prepare and celebrate it in Finland. As I said, in the grocery full of chocolates especially for the All Hallows' Eve, coffee shops and shops are decorated with artificial web, skeletons and pumpkins. I even found a charming garland with little bats! It’s as if everything turns briefly in violet-orange tones. In the city center there is a shop with “informal” attributes, where you can find a costume for the holiday or pick up accessories and make-up.
A little historical background! In the country of Suomi, from pagan times there exists a Halloween-like holiday - Kekri Day. Kekri is the Karelian God of the harvest, the patron of cattle. For the Finns, “kekri” is the beginning, denoting the end of something, and the end, followed by some beginning. In former times, the day of Kekri was a celebration of the harvest and magical rites of the cattle. Kekri is a period of changing seasons, a transition from a generous productive autumn to a long and cold winter.
But it was before. Now Halloween in Finland is a family holiday, and young people are celebrating it just as we used to imagine.
Unlike other countries where All Hallows' Eve is celebrated on November 1 and Halloween is October 31, the celebration of Pyhäinpäivä in modern Finland varies depending on the date. Here, Halloween is celebrated on the first Saturday, which falls on the period from October 31 to November 5. This year, Saturday just fell on November 5th, and around the world Halloween will be celebrated almost a week earlier than in Finland. However, many theme parties still start from the end of October and continue until November, but most young Finns prefer to celebrate Halloween directly on All Hallows' Eve. After all, this is an official day off when the shops are closed, but bars and restaurants are open, so you can safely relax and have fun.