New Delhi: As the clock ticks towards October 31, India’s urban youth are gearing up for a night of ghoulish glamour, with Halloween’s spooky allure casting a spell on the nation.
Once a distant Western import, the festival is now a full-blown craze, blending ancient Celtic roots with Gen Z’s digital flair. But what’s fuelling this eerie enthusiasm in a land of Diwalis and Durga Puja?
Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, traces its origins to over 2,000 years ago in ancient Celtic Europe. Rooted in the harvest festival of Samhain, it marked the veil between the living and the dead’s thinning on October 31. Celts lit bonfires, donned masks, and left offerings to appease wandering spirits, warding off winter’s chill.
With Christianity’s spread, the eve before All Saints’ Day on November 1 evolved into Halloween — a fusion of pagan rites and saintly reverence. Today, it symbolises conquering fear through creativity, where costumes morph dread into delight.
In India, the festival’s rise over the past decade owes much to Hollywood horrors, global fashion waves, and social media sorcery. Metro hubs like Mumbai and Bengaluru buzz with themed parties in cafes, colleges, and corporations. Brands join the haunt with pumpkin lattes, dark glam collections, and AI ghost filters.
For Gen Z, it’s less about tricks and more about treats of self-expression: Instagram reels tagged with #SpookySeason feature vibes inspired by Wednesday Addams, Taylor Swift’s various eras, and Bollywood bhoot icons. TikTok challenges and Snapchat filters turn the night into a content carnival, where memes meet make-up mastery.
As jack-o’-lanterns glow in high-rises, Halloween isn’t just a party — it’s India’s youthful nod to reinvention, proving even ghosts can go viral.
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