On October 31, 73% of residents of Latvia will not celebrate Halloween, while 19% plan to participate in the celebration, reports the LETA agency, citing a survey conducted by the internet technology and research company Gemius Latvia.
Another 8% of respondents have not yet decided whether they will participate in the festive events.
Among those who will celebrate Halloween, 47% plan to wear masks or costumes and go trick-or-treating, 46% intend to decorate their homes, and 27% will attend Halloween-themed events. At the same time, 26% indicated that the holiday will mainly be celebrated by their children, while 15% will spend Halloween with close ones, hosting themed parties or visiting friends.
Other respondents reported that on this day they will treat children to sweets, dress in Halloween themes at work, watch horror movies, or celebrate other events such as birthdays or name days.
Survey participants who decided not to celebrate Halloween cited the main reason that they are not close to this tradition — this was the response of 47% of those surveyed. Another 46% do not consider Halloween a holiday at all, 35% do not participate in the celebration because their friends or family do not, and 5% admitted that they lack knowledge about the traditions of this holiday.
Some also indicated that Halloween contradicts their religious views, others simply find it uninteresting or unpleasant, and some noted that it is not a Latvian holiday. Some respondents reported that they no longer celebrate Halloween because they or their children are already too old for it.
The most active participants in Halloween celebrations are residents of Pieriga (28%), followed by residents of Riga (24%) and Vidzeme (16%). The least likely to celebrate Halloween are in Latgale, where 80% of respondents reported that they will not celebrate it. In Vidzeme, this figure is 78%, and in Zemgale and Kurzeme, it is 77% each.
The survey involved 1,659 internet users from Latvia.
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