Autumn Traditions from Around the Globe

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.

Emily Brontë

I can’t quite believe it’s October already in fact in a couple of weeks’ time we will be half way through Autumn with Winter just around the corner! I Love all the seasons for different reasons, Spring, seeing new life and the world being reborn, Summer for the long, hot, lazy days, Winter for the cold, crisp sunny days and Autumn for the amazing colours as the leaves turn a wonderful tone of browns, yellows and golds. The other thing I Love about Autumn are the traditions, almost every country in the world has some kind of festival that is celebrated with joy and happiness, here’s just a few;

Bonfire Night: United Kingdom

Every year, on 5 November, the UK celebrates “Guy Fawkes Night” on the anniversary of the failed Gunpowder Plot. In 1605, Guy Fawkes was arrested underneath the House of Lords guarding explosives intended to blow it up. To celebrate King James I surviving an attempt on his life, people lit bonfires all around London and have continued to do so across the UK for 400 years.

The town of Lewes is now home to the biggest Bonfire Night celebrations in the UK, with a torch-lit parade and a huge firework display. They also burn effigies of Guy Fawkes as well as the 17 martyrs who were burnt to death by Mary I in the town in the 1500s.

One of the most enjoyable traditions associated with Bonfire Night is the delicious food. Toffee apples have become staples of most Bonfire Night celebrations, and in north England, you can commonly find parkins, which come from a Pagan tradition of eating special cakes to mark the start of winter.

Chuseok: Korea

Also known as Hangawi, Chuseok is the Korean version of the harvest festival. It is a three-day festival that is celebrated starting on the full moon of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The Korean people celebrate this holiday to thank the heavens for a successful harvest.

To show their gratitude, they gather and enjoy a feast of the fruits of their harvest, hoping for another fruitful year ahead. After the Lunar New Year, Chuseok is the biggest holiday in Korea. Traditional foods include a popular rice cake known as songpyeon, filled with chestnuts, red beans, or sesame. Other traditions include percussion quartets, talchum dance, and ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling.

Dia De Los Muertos: Mexico

Celebrated annually on the 1st and 2nd of November, this autumn festival coincides with the Christian All Saints’ Day. If you visit Mexico during this national holiday you’ll be met with an explosion of colour, parades and parties. But behind this joyful celebration, the purpose of the Day of the Dead is to pay respect and remembrance to deceased loved ones. Families head to the local cemeteries to hold candlelight vigils and set up altars at home to welcome their deceased relatives on this special day. In fact, it is believed that the Day of the Dead is the only time of year when the spirits of the dead can return to earth.

What makes this autumn celebration even more fascinating are the amazing decorations. Throughout Mexico, the streets are adorned with colourful flower displays and paper cutouts. Street vendors sell candy skulls and local women paint their faces to resemble Catrina, a skeleton symbol of the Day of the Dead. One of the most unique autumn festivals around the world, visiting Mexico during the Day of the Dead is an unforgettable cultural experience!

Moon Festival: China

Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. This coincides with the full moon between September and October. A three-day national holiday takes place during the Moon Festival in China. Furthermore, families gather together to enjoy the festival and the elaborate illuminations that decorate China’s major cities. Another Moon Festival tradition is the eating of Mooncakes, a pastry treat made especially for the festival. The three principles of the Moon Festival are: gathering, thanksgiving and praying. Many believe that the Moon Festival is a time of good fortune.

La Mercè Festival: Barcelona, Spain

Celebrated every year on the 24th of September, La Mercè takes place in the wonderful city of Barcelona. This autumn celebration is in honour of the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy. Originating in the Middle Ages, the festival is characterised by its street parades, live music, fireworks and human towers, a unique Catalonian tradition! Expect an electric atmosphere if you travel to Barcelona during the festival. One of the highlights of La Mercè is its impressive wooden giants. These huge human-operated puppets parade the streets during the celebrations.

Loy Krathong Lantern Festival: Thailand

Known commonly as the “Lantern Festival”, Loy Krathong is one of the most spectacular autumn festivals around the world. The festival takes place on the night of the full moon on the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar. Usually, this is during the month of November. Although events take place throughout Thailand, the most significant lantern displays are seen in Chiang Mai. Traditionally, celebrations involve releasing a floating lantern, or Krathong, into a river or into the sky. A symbol of new beginnings, this optimistic festival is also the chance to wish for good luck and abundance in your life. The festival is popular with visitors, who are welcome to participate by purchasing or making their own lantern to join in this shared ritual.

Thanksgiving: United States and Canada

Thanksgiving is celebrated in both Canada and the USA a fact that escaped me until recently, I thought Thanksgiving was exclusive to the US. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls in October, and in the U.S., near the end of November.

The day calls for a feast. Traditionally, on holidays, families come together, even from a distance, so everyone is seated together around the table. A traditional Thanksgiving meal involves roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and of course, a warm pumpkin pie—just to name a few items!

Throughout U.S. history, many immigrants have added their own cultural traditions to the American Thanksgiving table, from rice with gravy to ube cheesecake and so much more.

I get the impression when I chat to my friends from the US that, Thanksgiving has been hijacked by commerce, personally I think that’s a real shame. I was once in the US for work over the Thanksgiving festival, one of my colleagues invited me to join their family for the feast and to give thanks. I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so welcomed by a group of strangers in my life! It’s something that has stuck with me for many years and, around the Thanksgiving period, I always host a Thanksgiving meal, my own tradition allowing my friends and I the opportunity to give thanks for what we have!

What’s on this week?