With Halloween right around the corner, we wanted to know what our exchange students thought about Halloween. We asked them four different questions:
1. What do you think about Halloween in America?
2. Do you celebrate Halloween in your country? If not, what is a similar holiday/tradition?
3. What are you dressing up as this year?
4. How have you celebrated Halloween with your host family? Or how are you going to celebrate Halloween this year?
We got some interesting, spooky and surprising responses.
Check out what 8 different countries have to say about Halloween…
1. What do you think about Halloween in America?
Halloween is a little bigger in America than it is in Norway. Americans go big! All in or nothing! And I like that!
Anna, Norway
Halloween is the best event in American culture from what I hear. And I could not agree more! It’s a time where you get to be whoever or whatever you want to be. It is a time full fun and creativity, not to forget all the candy too!
Saleh, Kuwait
It’s really cool! Almost every house has Halloween decorations in their porch. And they have haunted houses everywhere!
Fasha, Indonesia
Halloween is the holiday my sweet tooth has been waiting for! In South Africa everyone knows about it but they don’t really celebrate it. We just see it through movies on TV and some stores in our mall sell costumes. Americans really get into this holiday and that’s what makes this holiday such a great bonding experience for families, friends and the community.
Zoe, South Africa
I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT! While we do in fact celebrate Halloween in my country and have parties and all that, the Americans take it to whole new level! I love the suspense, the scares, the detailed makeup, the decoration of the houses and hayrides, and the fact that it took my voice away for the night!
Reem, Lebanon
Do you celebrate Halloween in your country? If not, what is a similar holiday/tradition?
In my culture, there is a similar tradition involving the candy and trick or treating. In the middle of Ramadan, all the children of Kuwait dress up nicely, and go around houses in their neighborhoods singing songs, kind of like Christmas carols, and we would get candy as a treat.
Saleh, Kuwait
We actually don’t celebrate Halloween like this back in my country people don’t really wear creepy costumes or dress up like that it’s just like an ordinary day. We do have carnival where we dress funny make people laugh.
Iraisha, Suriname
What are you dressing up as this year?
It’s a BIG secret!
Cevdet, Turkey
I think me and my family will be the characters of Sons of Anarchy this Halloween
Iraisha, Suriname
I want it to be a surprise to everyone including AYA.
Nil, Turkey
I’m going to be a broken doll!
Fasha, Indonesia
How have you celebrated Halloween with your host family? Or how are you going to celebrate Halloween this year?
We’ve been decorating the house a month early which got me super pumped for Halloween! We also went to a haunted house and watched a bunch of scary movies!
Reem, Lebanon
We’re going to our Local Coordinator’s house to celebrate Halloween and then we’re going to the church where there will be a trunk of treats in the parking lot. We will be giving the candies away and then we will go to trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.
Iraisha, Suriname
My host family, my American friends and another American families who are interested in cultural exchange are going to celebrate Halloween with all of the exchange students. Our coordinator is organizing a Halloween party, and I bet it’s going be the best Halloween party in my whole entire life.
Emily, Armenia
Looks like everyone is getting excited for Halloween this year and there will be a lot of creative costumes! Send us your photos in your costumes or post them on Facebook with #AYAclassof15!
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