Top 12 Spookiest Halloween Traditions

Halloween is now fast approaching, and adding a custom Halloween web chat for website visitors is a fantastic way to get into the spirit of things.

Thanks to Click4Assistance, making live chat windows look and feel more seasonal is relatively easy while the benefits for your business are huge. It makes the brand more relevant and adds an extra layer of engagement for your visitors. In turn, this creates far more memorable interactions.

Before adding your Halloween chat for website interactions, though, you must first decide what to include in your themed web chat window as well as how you want your live agents to alter their approach without compromising the brand message. Here is a list of 12 spooky Halloween traditions to provide inspiration.

#1. Pagan Trick or Treating

While most people think of Halloween as an American tradition, the history of Trick or Treating may actually be rooted in pagan Celtic traditions. So, while the image of kids dressing up for sweets may seem cute today, the tradition is far spookier.

Samhain is a Gaelic festival traditionally held on November 1st (actually starting from sunset on October 31st as per the Celtic traditions of when days start) to signal the end of the harvest season and usher in the winter. The folklore states that people would leave food out to appease the visiting ghosts and souls during the night of October 31st.

Given the popularity of Trick of Treating worldwide, it is a great option to include in your themed web chat for website visitors.

#2. Jack-O-Lanterns

The concept of Jack-O-Lanterns is another that most people assume is an Americanism, but actually came from this side of the Atlantic. The tradition originated in Ireland, albeit with turnips rather than pumpkins, and is associated with a pretty spooky tale.

As the story states, Stingy Jack trapped the Devil and then released him in exchange for immunity from Hell. However, after his death, Stingy Jack was not accepted into Heaven either and his soul was left to wander the earth with only a burning piece of coal (held in a carved out turnip) for light.

While the story isn’t commonly shared in today’s pumpkin carving activities, the underlying message of the fun activity remains spooktacular indeed.

#3. El Dia de Los Muertos

In Mexico, Halloween isn’t just a time for spooky spiders and witches. Instead, it is a celebration of the dearly departed as families and communities come together to remember their lost loved ones.

El Dia de Los Muertos (which translates to Day of the Dead) is traditionally celebrated on November 1st or 2nd but sometimes falls on October 31st. Traditions include having a big celebratory meal, placing flowers (cempasuchil) down, writing poems (calveritas), and making drawings to welcome the spirits of their relatives back into the home.

It is a lighthearted and positive relationship with death but remains quite a spooky tradition to outsiders.

#4. Dressing Up

The Celtics are responsible for a number of spooky Halloween traditions, and we also have them to thank for the concept of dressing up. While we now dress up as an array of scary figures, it was initially just ghosts. And there’s a good reason for it.

As Samhain saw spirits visit, the Celts soon began to celebrate All Souls Day on November 2nd (from sunset on November 1st) in which the living and the dead shared the same space. With this in mind, they soon dressed up as ghosts/spirits so that the real spirits would get confused and ultimately leave the living alone.

Again, it’s a spooky tradition that can certainly be incorporated into your web chat for website interactions. For example, agent avatars can be dressed up as Halloween characters.

#5. Decorating Black & Orange

If you read the Jack-O-Lanterns section and felt confused as to how turnips changed into pumpkins, the answer may be linked to the fact that they are orange. Black and orange have long been considered the colours of Halloween. Once again, it’s a Celtic tradition.

Black is the colour associated with death in many cultures, and the Celts were no different. Meanwhile, the orange tones were associated with the end of harvest as celebrated during Samhain. Of course, it’s also the colour of fire. It’s not hard to see why pumpkins, candle lights, and orange decorations are commonly seen at this time of the year.

As a business, incorporate black and orange colour schemes into the design of your chat for website based communications this Halloween season.

#6. Dracula Celebrations

When considering Halloween ghouls, Count Dracula is one of the first to enter our thoughts. The story is based in Transylvania, Romania. Unsurprisingly, the tale of Count Dracula plays a central role in the ongoing Halloween celebrations of the nation.

As well as standing out as a common choice of costume, people visit Dracula’s castle on October 31st while others extend the tradition to Noaptea Strigoilor (Night of the Spirits) on November 30th. Either way, celebrations of the centuries-old vampire who embodies the living dead can certainly be considered spooky.

Through a combination of the old tale and the famous 19th-century book by Bram Stoker, the legend is certain to remain a Halloween tradition forever.

#7. Hiding Knives

The traditions of Halloween have existed in several European countries for many centuries. Each nation seems to follow its own celebrations and superstitions. In Germany, the tradition of hiding knives continues to this day.

Germans celebrate All Souls’ Week at the time of Halloween and hide all knives from plain sight throughout this period. The tale states that spirits return to Earth for a few knives, which is why hiding knives is necessary as a way to prevent spirits from harming themselves. It also protects the living from any knife-based incidents.

Knives are a common weapon of choice in Halloween movies. Incorporating them into your website or live web chat for website interactions window can have a positive impact.

#8. The Chair Tradition

In Slovakia, the Halloween tradition revolves around chairs. In the room where the fireplace is held (due to the fire serving as a guiding light for spirits), a chair is placed for each member of the family - both living and dead.

It allows all members of the family to be seated together, which is a sweet tradition that creates a positive relationship with death in a similar way to Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Still, the image of five family members sitting in front of the fireplace surrounded by two or three empty chairs is quite melancholy.

Meanwhile, the image of an empty rocking chair swaying in the wind is another that is regularly depicted in Halloween scenes.

#9. Halloween Train Parties

While Halloween traditions boast a rich history in Europe and North America, they do not hold much cultural relevance in other continents. However, some relatively newer traditions have emerged. Japan’s Halloween party trains are perhaps the most noteworthy.

The tradition started in 1990 as an unofficial celebration primarily sparked by foreign visitors. Since the turn of the century, though, the idea of dressing up and partying on trains has become a more organised tradition enjoyed by the locals in major cities too. The visual of ghouls and monsters partying as a dimly lit train passes through the city is quite scary.

In fact, similar scenes have been depicted in several Halloween cartoons over the years. It’s a tradition most Halloween lovers would like to experience at least once.

#10. Bat-Spotting

Bats are synonymous with Halloween. However, it’s not just about their modern symbolism. Traditionally speaking, bats would have appeared throughout the Celtic Samhain pagan festivals. This has since morphed into bat-spotting, both literal and crafted, activities.

The presence of bats occurred because bonfires lit to guide spirits back to earth would also attract insects, which would then see bats flock. Given that a cauldron of bats flying through the dark is quite a startling image (and sound), it has remained in global celebrations. It also fits in with the black colour scheme.

Depictions of bats can be easily incorporated into your chat for website guests' design over the Halloween season. And nobody will be confused about why you’ve done it.

#11. Black Cats

On the topic of animals, black cats are another Halloween classic. We all know that they symbolise bad luck, but their connection to dark concepts dates back to the 14th century and links them to the devil. Through the centuries they have been connected to witches too.

Black cats are believed to be a witch’s familiar while the tale states that witches can transform into black cats too. So, you never know whether the animal is a genuine feline or a witch in disguise. The fact that they can be difficult to see in the dark adds an extra sense of spookiness, particularly when they appear out of nowhere.

Black cat depictions can be introduced to your web chat window. Or your live web chat for website advisors could use cat puns in the opening message.

#12. Pranks

Pranks are connected to Trick or Treating but also have a long history that dates back centuries to Scottish and Irish traditions at the Samhain festival. Eerily they are associated with the Devil’s Night.

Devil’s Night, also known as Mischief Night, includes pranking others. The pranks are supposed to be well-natured and migrated to North America when Irish and Scottish people moved over. Of course, this is now considered a part of the candy-swapping experience. Still, its history of pranks around the bonfire is quite spooky.

When thinking about your web chat for website interactions, you may want to play a quick prank such as offering a 5% discount before changing it to 10%.

Get Spooky With A Halloween Themed Web Chat For Website Visitors

Your business can increase its engagement this Halloween season in various ways, ranging from in-store decorations and giveaways to themed products or marketing campaigns. However, turning your chat for website customer care interactions into a Halloween design can truly bring it all together and help your brand stand out from the crowd - not least because it’s a step that many competitors will overlook.

To learn more about transforming your web chat for website visitors into a spooky experience that delivers spectacular results, get in touch with our friendly team of experts today.