Halloween in Calabria: 3 spooky destinations

While it is true that the Halloween festival officially originated in the Anglo-Saxon world, it is also true that Halloween in Calabria draws on ancient local traditions that, according to some, may have influenced certain aspects of Halloween's origin at the time of Calabrian emigration to the Americas.

A few examples? In Serra San Bruno, in the province of Vibo Valentia, it is a centuries-old tradition on 2 November for children to go from house to house in search of a treat, each with their own carved and illuminated pumpkin.    

Let's immerse ourselves in the gothic atmosphere of Halloween in Calabria and find out which are the "creepy places" where to spend an unusual day, steeped in local traditions and ancient legends.

The festival of Halloween originated around the Middle Ages in the area of Northern European Catholic countries (mainly Ireland and England), where some scholars see an ancestral link to the Celtic and pagan festival of Samhain (change of season on the night between 31 October and 1 November).

Literally, the meaning of Halloween translates as "All Hallows' Eve" and recalls one of the most solemn celebrations of the Catholic Church, also associated with the next day, the "Day of the Dead", the time of the liturgical year dedicated to the memory of the saints and the dead. 

In addition to the northern regions, Halloween is also celebrated in other European countries with a Catholic majority (notably Italy, Spain, Poland and Hungary), where several ancient traditions assimilated by the modern Halloween festival (such as wandering with a request for food) still survive.

Having arrived overseas with the first Anglo-Saxon settlers, the origin of the Halloween festival is also mixed with the indigenous traditions of South America, in particular with the Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico, of ancient Aztec origin and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today, the customs of All Saints‘ Eve, or Halloween, have undergone a worldwide spread that has emptied them of their original Catholic Halloween meaning, transforming them into a fun secular carnival, full of colours, sounds and sweets that goes through the traditional trick-or-treating, costume parties, decorations with classic Jack-o’-Lantern shaped pumpkins, night bonfires and themed games.

What is the Calabrian festival all about and what are the 3 "creepy" destinations to celebrate Halloween in Calabria? Follow us on a dark-coloured journey, discovering the most lugubrious places.

We said at the beginning that in Serra San Bruno, a small town nestled in the woods of the Serre Regional Park in the province of Vibo Valentia and famous for its Charterhouse dating back to the year 1000, the tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween has existed since ancient times.

Since time immemorial, children have waited for the date of 2 November to artfully carve their pumpkins, light them with a candle in the centre and go house to house in search of a treat, which often results in a treat. Does this remind you of anything?

The Serra San Bruno version of Jack-o'-Lantern blends the myth of the Irishman Jack, a drunkard who escaped the devil, with the ancient Catholic rites of the Day of the Dead, contending with the Anglo-Saxons for the paternity of the skull-shaped pumpkin, which in these parts is called còccalu di muòrtu (skull of the dead).

Ready to meet the Magàre and the Fantastica of San Fili, in the province of Cosenza? Among the places to visit on Halloween in Calabria is the historical centre of San Fili, perched on three hills and embellished by numerous churches.

Known as the "Land of the Magàre", San Fili links its history to the figure of some healers (the famous "witches of San Fili"), women capable of removing the evil eye (sfàscino), experts in the processing of herbs and natural remedies passed off as "love potions". Not only that, legend has it that the "Fantastica", a sort of "tutelary deity", wanders among the lanes of the village. A flying woman, dressed as a bride, who appears at street crossings.

Those who wish to have a close encounter with these magical creatures can visit the town on the occasion of the suggestive "Night of the Magare" (usually in August), when tradition is revived through women's masquerades, shows and tastings; or choose San Fili as a destination for the Halloween festival, wandering the streets in search of the Fantastica, who will certainly not fail to appear in flight.

There is nothing better to celebrate Halloween in Calabria than to spend it with a nice tour of "ghost towns", among small agro-pastoral villages that calamities, historical events and emigration have turned into real "ghost cities".

Earthquakes, floods and emigration are among the most frequent reasons for the depopulation of inland Calabria. Traces of these abandonments can still be found in the small hillside villages, lonely but deeply romantic places, where the doors and windows of the houses are wide open to empty rooms, which in some cases still have their original furnishings and set tables, waiting for someone to return...

Here is a list of "ghost towns" to visit during Halloween in Calabria:

• Acerenthia (or Cerenzia Vecchia)
• Africo Vecchio
• Avena
• Brancaleone Vetus (or Superiore)
• Ruins of Cirella
• Papaglionti
• Pentedattilo
• Roghudi