{"id":4321,"date":"2017-10-24T17:23:38","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T21:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog?p=4321&#038;preview=true&#038;preview_id=4321"},"modified":"2018-09-20T08:50:31","modified_gmt":"2018-09-20T12:50:31","slug":"experience-halloween-around-the-world-by-teaching-esl-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/experience-halloween-around-the-world-by-teaching-esl-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Experience Halloween around the world: teach ESL abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With Halloween approaching, costumes, parties, and candy are on everyone\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re thinking about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/teaching-abroad\/\">teaching English abroad<\/a>, you may find yourself wondering how you\u2019ll celebrate your favorite holidays after you go overseas, as well as what kinds of new holidays you\u2019ll get to experience.<\/p>\n<p>It may surprise you to learn that Halloween is predominantly a North American holiday, with only a handful of other countries (and expat communities of ESL teachers abroad) partaking in the fun of trick-or-treating and dressing up like their favorite super heroes and celebrities.<\/p>\n<p>That being said, many countries and regions have holidays that, while different in meaning and custom, offer a similarly spooky experience.<\/p>\n<h2>Check out some of the frightful festivities of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/mexico\/\">Mexico<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/hong-kong\/\">Hong Kong<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/teaching-abroad\/where-you-can-teach\/#westernEurope\">Europe<\/a> below!<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4328\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4328\" class=\"wp-image-4328\" src=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920.jpg\" alt=\"Dia de los Muertos\" width=\"800\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920.jpg 738w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920-690x512.jpg 690w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920-320x238.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920-150x111.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/costume-2253726_1920-194x144.jpg 194w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4328\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dia de los Muertos celebrations happen throughout Mexico on November 1st and 2nd<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>1. Dia de los Muertos, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/mexico\/\">Mexico<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Known in English as the \u201cDay of the Dead\u201d, Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday focused on celebrating and showing love for deceased family and friends. The holiday takes place annually on November 1st and 2nd, and involves festivals and parades, colorful makeup and costumes, as well as feasting and ceremonies commemorating the dead.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4327\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4327\" class=\"wp-image-4327\" src=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920.jpg\" alt=\"Dia de los Muertos\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920.jpg 816w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920-690x460.jpg 690w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920-216x144.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4327\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of the many Calavera Catrinas at Dia de los Muertos<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The most common symbol associated with Dia de los Muertos is the Calavera Catrina, a female, skeletal figure dressed in a large hat and ball gown. The Calavera Catrina was created in 1947 by artist and political satirist, Diego Rivera to satirize what he saw as an obsession with wealth and European culture in Mexico at the time.\u00a0 Images and costumes depicting the Calavera Catrina are very common in parades and other celebrations of the holiday.<\/p>\n<p>Dia de los Muertos celebrations take place throughout Mexico, and each region celebrates differently, making the holiday a varied and exciting experience\u00a0regardless of where you are<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/mexico\/\"> teaching in Mexico<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>More info about\u00a0Dia de los Muertos:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitmexico.com\/day-of-the-dead\" target=\"_blank\">www.visitmexico.com\/day-of-the-dead<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/travel\/destinations\/north-america\/mexico\/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.nationalgeographic.com\/travel\/destinations\/north-america\/mexico\/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. The Hungry Ghost Festival, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/hong-kong\/\">Hong Kong<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4329\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4329\" class=\"wp-image-4329\" src=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo.jpg\" alt=\"Hungry Ghost Festival\" width=\"800\" height=\"470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo.jpg 816w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo-690x405.jpg 690w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo-320x188.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo-150x88.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/pexels-photo-245x144.jpg 245w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4329\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The fires and festivities of Hong Kong&#8217;s Hungry Ghost Festival<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Similar to Dia de los Muertos, Hong Kong\u2019s Hungry Ghost Festival honors and appeases deceased ancestors and loved ones in the spirit world. The festival, also known as \u201cYu Lan\u201d takes place on the 15<sup>th<\/sup> day of the 7<sup>th<\/sup> month of the Lunar calendar, but celebrations and ceremonies can take place throughout the month.<\/p>\n<p>During the festival, ghosts and sprits are said to return to the world of the living. People taking part in the festival will light fires, put on plays, and make offerings of food, fake money, and household items to assist these wandering ghosts in the afterlife.<\/p>\n<p>As the festival is tied to the lunar calendar, the date on the western calendar changes each year. To see when next year\u2019s Hungry Ghost Festival is taking place, check the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.discoverhongkong.com\/ca\/see-do\/events-festivals\/chinese-festivals\/index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">Hong Kong tourism board\u2019s website<\/a>. If you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/hong-kong\/\">teaching ESL in Hong Kong<\/a> or planning to, Yu Lan is one of the better ways to experience the region\u2019s unique culture.<\/p>\n<p>More info about the\u00a0Hungry Ghost Festival:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.discoverhongkong.com\/ca\/see-do\/events-festivals\/chinese-festivals\/the-hungry-ghost-festival.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">www.discoverhongkong.com\/ca\/see-do\/events-festivals\/chinese-festivals\/the-hungry-ghost-festival.jsp<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.discoverhongkong.com\/ca\/see-do\/events-festivals\/chinese-festivals\/index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">www.discoverhongkong.com\/ca\/see-do\/events-festivals\/chinese-festivals\/index.jsp<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. Walpurgisnacht<\/strong><strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/germany\/\">Germany<\/a> and Northern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/teaching-abroad\/where-you-can-teach\/#westernEurope\">Europe<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4330\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4330\" class=\"wp-image-4330\" src=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280.jpg\" alt=\"Walpurgisnacht bonfire\" width=\"800\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280.jpg 816w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280-690x524.jpg 690w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280-320x243.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280-150x114.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/human-618669_1280-190x144.jpg 190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4330\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Large bonfires are a common Walpurgisnacht celebration throughout Europe<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Walpurgisnacht, or \u201cthe night of witches\u201d is celebrated on April 30<sup>th<\/sup> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/country\/germany\/\">Germany<\/a> and other areas of Europe. The holiday finds its roots in folklore surrounding the Harz Mountains in Germany, which were supposedly a gathering site for witches to perform rituals to celebrate the arrival of Spring.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4331\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4331\" class=\"wp-image-4331\" src=\"\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920.jpg\" alt=\"Walpurgisnacht\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920-690x459.jpg 690w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/witches-641233_1920-216x144.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4331\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In Germany, many celebrate Walpurgisnacht by dressing up as witches and other supernatural creatures<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Today, Walpurgisnacht is celebrated in a variety of ways. In Germany, people celebrate the day by dressing up as witches and devils and hosting parties, similar to Halloween. In other countries such as Sweden, celebrations are more traditional, with revelers opting to light bonfires and sing traditional songs to celebrate the arrival of Spring.<\/p>\n<p>More info about\u00a0Walpurgisnacht:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Walpurgis-Night\" target=\"_blank\">www.britannica.com\/topic\/Walpurgis-Night<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Do something different this year<\/h2>\n<p>These are just a few of the unique holidays that the world has to offer. While the candy and costumes of Halloween are the highlight of the Fall season for many, make this the year you try something different and explore the world around you. Whether it\u2019s Dia de los Muertos, the Hungry Ghost festival, Walpurgisnacht, or any number of exciting holidays around the world, taking the chance and exploring other countries and cultures will give you the experience of a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p><h2>Learn More about Teaching English Abroad<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/course-guide\/\">Download our Course Guide<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/teaching-abroad\/free-info-sessions\/\">Sign up for a free information session<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/tesol-tesl-tefl-course\/locations-dates\/\">Find a TESOL\/TESL\/TEFL course near you<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>[wp_social_sharing social_options=&#8217;facebook,twitter,pinterest&#8217; twitter_username=&#8217;oxford_seminars&#8217; facebook_text=&#8217;Share on Facebook&#8217; twitter_text=&#8217;Share on Twitter&#8217; googleplus_text=&#8217;Share on Google+&#8217; pinterest_text=Share on Pinterest\\&#8221; icon_order=&#8217;f,t,g,p&#8217; show_icons=&#8217;1&#8242; before_button_text=&#8221; text_position=&#8221; social_image=&#8217; \/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-social-sharing\/static\/socialshare.png&#8217;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With Halloween approaching, costumes, parties, and candy are on everyone\u2019s mind. If you&#8217;re thinking about\u00a0teaching English abroad, you may find yourself wondering how you\u2019ll celebrate your favorite holidays after you go overseas, as well as what kinds of new holidays you\u2019ll get to experience. It may surprise you to learn that Halloween is predominantly a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":4333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,27,26,343],"tags":[420,94,418,148,419,421,106,422],"class_list":["post-4321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-abroad","category-oxford-seminars","category-switching-cultures","category-travel","tag-day-of-the-dead","tag-germany","tag-halloween","tag-holidays","tag-hong-kong","tag-hungry-ghost-festival","tag-mexico","tag-walpurgisnacht"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4321"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5009,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4321\/revisions\/5009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxfordseminars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}