Halloween falls on October 31st, but in Greece, it is not a widely observed tradition. The USA devotes the most time and money to Halloween, with Americans estimated to spend a record 13.1 billion dollars on the celebrations this year!

Countries across the world, including the UK, have adopted some of the traditions and customs associated with it. The UK population is estimated to spend around £776 million this year on pumpkins, costumes, decorations, sweets and parties.

It is thought that the actual origin of the tradition was a Celtic pagan festival known as Samhain, a time when it was believed that the ‘doorways’ to the Otherworld opened, allowing supernatural beings and the souls of the dead to come into our world.

However, for Greeks, there is the more important festival time known as Apokries the traditional Carnival celebrations in the country, which is often referred to as the “Greek Halloween” and includes the day known as  Tsiknopempti (which occurs on the second to last Thursday before the Orthodox Christian period of Lent), when the population devotes their focus on BBQs and the consumption of large amounts of grilled and roasted meats, wine and beer to celebrate before Lent fasting commences.

In 2026, the Greek Carnival falls between February 15 and March 2 and Tsiknopempti is on Thursday, February 12.