5 Ways to Bring Halloween Into the Italian Classroom

Halloween is now a familiar and well-established tradition in Italy. As with every culture-related occasion, there are peculiarities that make Italian Halloween somewhat different from the “original” Anglo-Saxon version.

Let’s see 5 of them—they can serve you as a cue to investigate and find more.

1) Halloween, Ognissanti, Giorno dei Morti

Halloween in Italy is part of a 3-day holiday that includes Halloween, Ognissanti (All Saints’ Day) November 1^st, and Giorno dei Morti (Day of the Dead) November 2^nd. Since Ognissanti only holds the status of public holiday, the day usually serves also as “unofficial” Giorno dei Morti, i.e., family and friends take advantage of the day off to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died. The “aesthetics” of Giorno dei Morti have little to do with the Día de Muertos you might be somewhat familiar with in the US. There’s not much colour nor joy—it’s normally a day in which you go to the cemetery to bring chrysanthemums to your loved ones who have passed away.

2) Spooky vocabulary

Halloween in Italy is spooky-only, i.e., you won’t see any “festive” or funny costumes (those are set aside for Carnevale). Rather, Halloween is all about zombies, skeletons, vampires, ghosts, witches, or otherwise spooky costumes. Let’s learn some 101 spooky vocabulary: Halloween is, well Halloween with an Italian twist, that is, pronounced àlloween—no h, stress on the first syllable. Zombie is… zombie, pronounced tsòmbee. Skeleton is scheletro, ghost is fantasma, vampire is vampiro, and witch is strega. Spooky is spaventoso, or spettrale. Trick or treat is dolcetto o scherzetto, while Jack-o’-Lantern is zucca intagliata(carved pumpkin).

3) Italian superstitions

Halloween is a recent addition to Italian culture, so most of its paraphernalia is clearly imported from the US. In place of Halloween-related superstitions, there are several superstitions related to Giorno dei Morti. In some households, after the dinner on November 1^st, tables are not cleared so that the dead souls can find some food after their journey from the afterlife. In the past, some people, especially in the Southern regions and in Sardinia in particular, would not sleep in their beds so the dead ones could come and rest in what used to be their bed. All these rituals would be performed to honour i morti but also to avoid angering them. In general, having parties, dancing, and singing on November 2^nd has traditionally been strictly banned, under penalty of attracting bad luck or severe punishment.

4) Legends and folklore as reading practice

There is a lot to learn and read about Italian legends and traditions (leggende e tradizioni) related to Halloween and, even more so, to Ognissanti e Giorno dei morti. The spookiness, the gloomy weather, the bittersweetness of honouring your beloved ones who passed away… all of this prompts the exchange of stories and the sharing of traditions. The whole idea of these celebrations is to welcome the souls of the dead, so not clearing the table or leaving some treats on the table is part of the welcoming kit. Spookiness is often part of stories that have been told and passed on through the years. Il Monaco Bianco from Matera, for instance, is said to be a shadow that walks around the Sassi (ancient cave dwellings and stone-carved neighbourhoods typical of and unique to the city) on the evening of November 2^nd, then disappears into the walls themselves. A quick online search and you would be surprised by how many, and how specific legends every region, or city, keeps well and alive.

5) Make-Your-Own Spooky Dialogue

A great and easy way to have a glimpse of the Italian Halloween is to role-play an Italian Halloween! Use what you just learned about it —the vibe, the vocab, some spooky legends—and imagine having to get ready for a Halloween party in Italy. You get to choose where (a big city? a tiny, remote village?), when, which costume, which theme, and which party. Have a spooky, Italian Halloween!