Halloween in New York
Halloween in New York is a big deal! Each year people go all out for Halloween. They put on their most outlandish costumes and kids can go trick or treating, door to door for sweets and treats. Read on for my fun tips for Halloween in New York!
What is Halloween?
Originally, Halloween was a pagan festival. It was considered the day on which spirits could contact the physical world. Nowadays, people celebrate by dressing up and going out in their creepy costumes. Children go door to door, trick or treating in their local neighbourhoods to collect bags full of candy. Most households are well prepared with treats but if no sweets are available, a trick may be played! All this is done in fun, it is not the intention to pull nasty pranks.
When is Halloween?
Every year Halloween falls on October the 31st.
What can you expect on Halloween?
During Halloween (and the weeks prior to it) in New York, some houses and shops are decorated with Halloween memorabilia. Examples of which are: bats, spiders, witches, skeletons, blood, tombstones and, of course, ghosts and pumpkins that have been carved in to ghoulish shapes. These symbols can also be seen in people’s Halloween costumes.
The shops in New York are open for business as usual during Halloween, as it is not a public holiday. You also won’t experience problems with irregular subway schedules.
Halloween Tours
If you are in the mood for something spooky, then I suggest taking the Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tour. This 1.5-hour tour in a Victorian style decorated trolley will give you goosebumps as you explore the darkest parts of Brooklyn! The tour is available on Wednesday through Sunday.
Another tour through New York’s most haunted locations is the Ghost Tour of Greenwich Village. Discover some of the spookiest spots in the city, like the house of Edgar Allan Poe and the Hanging Tree in Washington Square Park.
If you want to learn all about the ghosts of Broadway, you can book the Haunted Broadway Walking Tour. You’ll visit haunted theatres and sing along to famous ‘dark’ musicals like Ghost and Phantom of the Opera.
What can you do on Halloween in New York?
In the evening, at 19:00, the (Greenwich) Village Halloween Parade takes place in New York. Anyone (in costume) can participate in this parade, so you can too. Up to 50.000 people participate in the parade each year. There is live music, creepy decorations and people dressed up in their wildest Halloween costumes.
