Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by admin

If you’re going to be in Italy at the end of October, you might be wondering if Italians celebrate Halloween. 

The answer is yes and no.

Some Italians think it’s an import and has no place in Italy, while others have embraced the American-Canadian-Irish traditions of trick-or-treating and costumes parties. 

Others still carry on local traditions, some of which include pumpkin carving and children going door to door to ask for offerings, and say that Halloween and the days surrounding it are actually a mostly lost part of the local culture.

We also know that the mixing of ancient Roman and Celtic traditions eventually led to the holiday that we know today. Even one of the most popular Halloween party games that people still play celebrates a Roman goddess!

Read on to find all about Halloween in Italy.

Halloween in Italy

The Celtic (and Roman) origins of Halloween

Halloween’s origins can be traced to Ireland, more specifically to the Celtic New Year festival of Samhain on October 31. 

Samhain celebrated the transition from the harvest time to winter, the season most associated with death, owing to the cold and darkness it brings. 

The Celts believed that the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead thinned on the night of October 31, allowing ghosts to return to earth.

They also believed that the Druids (priests) could make predictions for the coming season that night. 

People put out the fireplaces in their homes, dressed in animal costumes, and then sacrificed food and animals to their deities in bonfires built by the Druids at night. Afterwards, they relit their hearths from the bonfires in the hopes of garnering protection for the coming winter. 

By the year 43 AD, Rome had conquered most of the Celt’s territory, and during the 400 years of their reign over Celtic land, the Roman festivals of Feralia and Pomona were combined with Samhain.

Feralia served as a day to commemorate the dead, and Pomona celebrated the Roman goddess of trees and fruit, symbolized by the apple. According to the History Channel’s post on Halloween, it is probably from the celebration of Pomona that we get the tradition of bobbing for apples. 

Another Roman festival called Lemuria, which honored the malevolent spirits of those who were killed violently or too soon was also eventually rolled into the mix during The Great Catholic Coverup of All Things Pagan – keep reading for more on that.

The impact of the Catholic faith on the holiday

When Christianity spread, the Catholic Church discouraged pagan celebrations by slapping holidays of their own over them. In the case of Samhain, the shift happened over the course of a few centuries, starting in 609 AD, when Pope Boniface turned the final day of Lumeria in May into the feast of All Martyrs.

In 837, Pope Gregory IV threw All Saints into the mix, and moved the feast day from May to November 1. All Souls’ Day then followed on November 2. 

All Saints’ Day was called All-hallows or All-hallowmas in Old English, with the night before, October 31, referred to as All-Hallows Eve, which eventually morphed into “Halloween.” 

Despite the church’s efforts to erase the pagan origins of these days, many activities during this period resembled those of Samhain, with bonfires still happening, and people dressing up as angels and devils and having parades.

Modern celebrations in Italy that share elements with Halloween are often celebrated on November 1 and 2 (more on these below).

Regional celebrations in Italy between October 31 and November 2

According to this post on the history of Halloween in Italy, it was indeed celebrated widely at the beginning of the 20th century, although not necessarily on October 31 and in diverse ways. The writer states that anyone who regards it as the importation of a North American or Irish tradition is mistaken. 

In this post entitled “the Italian Halloween,” many old regional traditions are listed, for those of you who are interested.

Today, there are still some festivals and celebrations that share similarities with Halloween in the following regions.

Abruzzo

In Santo Stefano di Sessanio, for “La Notte Delle Lumère” (the night of the jack-o-lanterns), several activities take place to explore what Halloween is and how it’s tied to the region. On October 31 and November 1, you’ll find music, storytelling, shows, presentations, walks, and other events, including, of course, pumpkin carving.

Find out more about Halloween in Abruzzo here.

Liguria

Liguria’s Halloween celebration is centered in a town called Trioria, aka, il Borgo Delle Streghe – the Village of the Witches!

Year round, you can visit the village’s Museum of Ethnography and Witchcraft, where you’ll learn about the women who were tried for the latter, among other things.

The Cabotina is the site of these women’s alleged “demonic sabbaths.” It lies just outside of the village center. 

On October 31 and November 1, the village comes alive with a series of thematic events, including a market, shows, workshops, debates, lectures on witchcraft and Tarot, music, and more. After reading about last year’s program, I wish I could go this year!

Lombardia

“La Festa delle Lumere” is also celebrated in Mantua. Pumpkins are carved and turned into jack-o-lanterns to ward off death and acknowledge the link between the worlds of the living and the dead.

This year, it will be celebrated on October 26, and the day includes pumpkin carving, a magic show, and other activities for kids, as well as pumpkin-themed street food and a market selling pumpkin products, too.

Puglia

On November 1 and 2 in Orsara di Puglia, the streets are ablaze with bonfires and lit pumpkins for a festival called “Fucacoste.”

Note that the festival isn’t a celebration of Halloween per se, but rather a way to honor the memory of the dearly departed. 

Sardegna

In different areas of Sardegna on November 1 and 2, children go from door to door in a way that’s very similar to trick-or-treating. 

Known as “Is Animeddas, Is Panixeddas, Su ‘ene ‘e sas à animas, Su Mortu Mortu” or “Su Prugadòriu,” kids go around reciting nursery rhymes in dialect and asking for offerings for souls stuck in purgatory. They chant “Peti cocone” when asking for the offering, in the same way that Anglophone kids say “trick or treat!”

A special dinner of Sardinian gnocchi is also made and left on the table all night so that souls returning to earth can have a meal. 

What do Italians do on Halloween?

Although Halloween isn’t as much a part of modern Italian culture as it is in the US, Canada, and Ireland, some Italians have taken on the traditions of dressing up, having parties, and trick or treating, especially in the last decade or so.

There’s even a word for “trick or treat” in Italian: dolcetto o scherzetto, which translates just about identically. 

It’s not uncommon for bars, pubs, clubs, and social centers to have Halloween parties for adults, and there are events for kids as well. 

Not all Italians celebrate Halloween

Some Italians don’t like Halloween – they consider it to be an American import that’s eroding the local culture. 

I snapped this picture a few years ago on the Rome metro. It declares Halloween “American shit.” 

The importance of All Saints’ Day (November 1) in Italy

November 1 in Italy is a national holiday, and a holy day of obligation for Catholics. 

For those of us pagans who do celebrate Halloween the night before, it’s nice to have the following day off to recover!

Typical foods

Traditional meals for All Saints’ Day include seasonal ingredients like mushrooms, chick peas, walnuts, chestnuts, and of course, squash and pumpkin.

There are cookies associated with the day that are called ossa dei morti or bones of the dead. It’s a simple recipe containing almond flour, sugar, and egg.

Carnevale

There is a holiday on which you’ll see kids running around dressed up in costumes, and some adults, too.

It’s Carnevale, which falls just before Lent. During this time, people have parties (where they often dress up), eat, drink, dance, and otherwise make merry before the solemn lead up to Easter. 

The most famous Carnevale celebrations in Italy are in Venice and Viareggio.

Want to know more about holidays in Italy?

Here’s my guide to Christmas in Rome.

And this post on the best time of the year to visit Rome has info about public national holidays.

In case you missed it, I’ve got a post on the ten spookiest spots to visit at Halloween in Rome, too.