Halloween and Diwali, though celebrated on the same day this year, reveal vastly different traditions.
Americans have a unique festival called Halloween, celebrated on October 31st each year. This holiday, rooted in ancient Celtic traditions and later adapted by various cultures, has evolved into a day filled with costumes, decorations, and an atmosphere of light-hearted fright.
Traditionally, people believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the spirit world thinned, allowing ghosts to roam among us. Today, Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States, blending ancient customs with modern commercialism.
A couple of years ago, I was in Fremont, California. On the evening of October 31st, I went for a walk and observed houses adorned with a strange assortment of ghosts, vampires, skeletons, witches, spider nets, pumpkins with lights inside, and other kinds of weird, spooky, eerie, bizarre and wacky things.
The pumpkins, carved into ghastly faces and illuminated from within, created a bizarre yet enchanting scene. These decorations, which are often whimsical and spooky, aim to invoke a sense of the supernatural while being fun and inviting—a reflection of the American spirit of celebration.
One of the most popular customs on Halloween is trick-or-treating. Children, often dressed as monsters, superheroes, or other characters, go door-to-door in their neighbourhoods.
When they arrive, they call out “trick or treat,” essentially asking for sweets, candies, or other treats. The implication is that if the homeowner doesn’t offer something sweet, the children might play a prank on them—hence the “trick.”
It’s practically a form of extortion—no wonder the Mafia took root in America! Halloween makes excellent childhood training for it!
This year, Halloween in America and Diwali in India coincided on the same day, October 31st. Diwali, known as the festival of lights, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.
While Halloween brings out eerie decorations and costumes, Diwali in India brings an outpouring of joy, with homes adorned in lights and fireworks lighting up the sky.
I happened to be in India this year on Diwali, and instead of Halloween’s quiet celebrations, I experienced a night filled with exploding crackers, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling against bursting them.
Reflecting on these two festivals, I’d say I would prefer Halloween over Diwali—at least it doesn’t disturb one’s sleep! 
Markandey Katju
Justice Markandey Katju is former Judge, Supreme Court of India and former Chairman, Press Council of India.
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