Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547380
8 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 30 OCTOBER 2026 CULTURE CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The event will feature a haunted shelter, a magic show by Lorenzo the Magician at 5:30pm, and a Halloween dance by The Turning Pointe Dance Theatre at 6:45pm. A fire-spinning performance by Fireplay is scheduled for 8pm, followed by a children's Halloween music party host- ed by DJ Pierre Cordina at 8:30pm. Activities throughout the evening will include games, inflatables, pumpkin carving, face painting, crafts and bal- loon modelling. Also on Friday, Ta' San- nat will host Spooky Night with Trick or Treat, running from 7:30pm to 10:30pm. The event will offer trick-or-treat- ing and Halloween activities aimed at families. The Zebbug Local Council is also hosting a special Hal- loween movie night at 7pm at Każin tal-Banda Santa Marija. Phone 2156 3056 to RSVP. On Saturday, 31 October, Ġnien Blankas in Xewkija will host The Haunting of Blankas, from 7pm to 11pm. The event will transform the gardens in- to a Halloween attraction fea- turing themed installations, live actors and special effects. The event is expected to draw visitors looking for a more immersive Halloween experience, with the gardens forming the setting for a se- ries of spooky scenes. Moreover, on the same night, Gozo will also host Doomsday, a psytrance festi- val advertised as a major Hal- loween gathering. Organisers have announced the date as October 31, al- though further details about the venue and programme have not been provided in the information available. The Halloween programme will continue on Monday, 2 November, with the Gozo Kids Halloween Bash, organ- ised by Buzzy Kids Entertain- ment. Two sessions are planned, from 10am to 12:30pm and from 4pm to 6:30pm, with en- tertainment and activities for children. Reporting by Laura Calleja Nadur event will feature a haunted shelter, magic show, dancers and fireplay Halloween in Nadur, 2025 Where did Halloween come from? HALLOWEEN originated more than 2,000 years ago with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man on 31 October to mark the end of the harvest and the start of the new year. The Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred on this night, and lit bonfires and wore disguises to ward off or confuse spirits. The festival later became as- sociated with Christian obser- vances, including All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on 2 November. The evening before All Saints' Day became known as All Hallows' Eve, eventu- ally shortened to Halloween. Traditions such as carving turnips into lanterns devel- oped in Ireland and Scotland, while medieval customs such as souling and guising, which involved going door- to-door for food in exchange for prayers or songs, helped shape modern trick-or-treat- ing. Irish and Scottish immi- grants brought these cus- toms to North America during the 19th century, where they evolved into the Halloween celebrations widely recog- nised today. For further information on all Halloween events, please visit https://eventsingozo. com/