Image credit : Illustrative Image

Bengaluru: Halloween is on the 30th of October. My friends have already made plans for a visit to their favourite restaurant that has a special something on this day. When we were growing up, very few of us knew about Halloween, and how big it is, atleast in the west. And now, Halloween is celebrated here in India as well. But, do you know that we Indians have a Halloween of our own? Celebrated night before Kali Pujo or Diwali, Bhoot Chaturdashi is very similar to Halloween with ghosts and spirits dictating the celebration. This year too, we lit 14 lamps around the house, especially dark corners to ward off evil spirits away. “The 14 lamos represent 14 forefathers. We also consume 14 kinds of leafy vegetables instead of Jack-o-lanterns .But the two have eerie resemblance. Both–Halloween and Bhoot Chaturdashi deal with darkness and the belief of the ghost world. Both believe that the passage between the dead and the living opens up on this day. And Both emphasise on vegetables–be it pumpkin or leafy veggies,” says Munmun Chakraborty. She adds, “though, Bhoot Chaturdashi is known to Bengalis and the rest of India doesn’t know. But who knew about Halloween in India few years back?”

Halloween celebrates the dead and the living. It celebrates the superstition. Kids dress up as saints, vampires and skeletons and trick or treat. The origin of the festival is believed to be from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain where people would wear costumes and roam around to ward of ghosts. But the modern twist comes from Pope Gregory III’s decree in the 8th century that we celebrate it the way we do now. “It is believed that the trick or treating and dressing up came from Ireland, Scotland and Wales where people went from one door to the other asking for food in lieu of a song,” says Tanushree Ganguly, a resident of California who celebrates Halloween.

Halloween special:

Bangalore:
Showcase of finest wines by leading wineries of the country. Top notch performances by well-known artists of the country. Quality shopping engagement and entertainment at Phoenix Marketcity Bangalore.

Mumbai:
Something hauntingly mysterious is brewing at Grand Hyatt Mumbai. From Halloween Treats at the Gourmet store to hypnotic concoctions at the Bar & a spooky feast at Celini, this Halloween, we are giving you culinary jitters that will haunt your taste buds.

Halloween treats at Gourmet Store – October 29 – October 31, 2017
Trick or treat your friends with Halloween special cupcakes, cookies, candies and signature rum- balls, specially crafted by our team of seasoned pastry chefs. Indulge in the bloody brownies, pumpkin cheesecake, haunted chocolate cake, Baileys alcazar Gateau & more.

Halloween nights at the Bar- October 30 – November 03, 2017
Amidst pumpkin-lit tables, an array of eerie & sinister snacks & ghoulish & hypnotic Bloody Marys, blood-drip vampire martinis & blood curdling witches brews, we will raise your spirits & send them hovering around in a new avatar.