Halloween in Germany: Traditions, Public Holidays and Where to Go

Almost everyone in Germany knows Halloween, but it is celebrated more quietly than in the US. For some, it is a reason to put on a scary costume and go to a party; for others, it is a commercial import that gets in the way of local traditions. If you have recently moved, it is best to treat 31 October as a local, case-by-case occasion: in one neighbourhood children go door to door for sweets, while in the next one nobody even opens the door.

Is Halloween celebrated in Germany?

Yes, but not on the American scale. In Germany, you will find decorated windows, pumpkins by front doors, club parties, themed events at amusement parks, and children going door to door saying “Süßes oder Saures?”. But it is not a universal family ritual or an essential part of autumn.

The holiday is most noticeable:

• in large cities;
• in neighbourhoods with young families and international communities;
• near schools, children’s centres, and amusement parks;
• in bars, clubs, and event spaces;
• in shops selling costumes, makeup, sweets, and decorations.

In small towns and conservative areas, Halloween may pass almost unnoticed. So, if your children want to go trick-or-treating, it is best to ask neighbours, the school chat, or local parents in advance whether it is customary in your particular neighbourhood.

How German Halloween differs from American Halloween

The main difference is its scale and atmosphere. In the US, Halloween often becomes a major family and neighbourhood event. In Germany, it remains more niche and is mainly an evening form of entertainment.

Question	Germany	US
Costumes	More often scary: witches, vampires, zombies, skeletons	Anything: scary, funny, pop culture, characters
Work and school	Adults rarely wear costumes to the office	In some places, costumes at work and school are normal
Children	“Süßes oder Saures?” is not found everywhere	Trick-or-treating is widespread
Decorations	Usually selective: windows, doors, pumpkins	Whole houses and streets are often decorated
Large events	Clubs, parks, castles, themed tours	Parades, neighbourhood rounds, large family events

A note on costumes: if you are going to a German Halloween party, a scary look will be easier to understand than a cheerful carnival costume. Germany has another season for bright, funny, and satirical costumes: Carnival or Fasching.

What children say: Süßes oder Saures

The German phrase for trick-or-treating is “Süßes oder Saures?”. Literally, it is closer to “something sweet or something sour”, but in meaning it is “trick or treat”.

In practice, the rules are simple:

• children usually go out on the evening of 31 October after dark;
• younger children go with their parents or a group of neighbours;
• it is best to ring only at homes with decorations, lights, or other signs of participation;
• if the door is not opened or the lights are off, do not insist;
• sweets should be factory-sealed, especially if you are giving them to children you do not know.

The tradition is unevenly distributed. It may be the norm in a suburban residential area but rare in a city-centre apartment building. For newcomers, local parents and neighbours are the best guide.

How Halloween became popular in Germany

Halloween is not an old German tradition. Its popularity began to grow noticeably in the 1990s after carnival events were cancelled during the Gulf War in 1991. Germany’s costume and party-goods industry was looking for a new sales season, and Halloween gradually found a place in the autumn calendar.

Articles about German Halloween often mention Dieter Tschorn, who was involved in promoting the holiday through the German toy and souvenir industry. He is commonly credited with helping to “import” Halloween into modern German popular culture. However, this is more a story of the holiday’s commercial spread than an ancient custom.

Carnival in Germany remains a much more important event in regions such as Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz, and many Rhineland towns. There, costumes, parades, and street culture have far deeper roots.

Why Halloween is controversial

Some Germans see Halloween as a commercial holiday that came from the US and displaces local autumn traditions. For critics, the issue is not only the shops and plastic decorations, but also that the holiday feels foreign to German culture.

Halloween is most often compared with two traditions.

Sankt Martin is celebrated in November: children walk with lanterns, sing songs, and receive sweets. It is a family-oriented, quieter custom, especially visible in Catholic regions and kindergartens.

Carnival/Fasching is the season of costumes, parades, and satire. This is where cheerful, political, absurd, and colourful costumes belong in Germany. As a result, some people see no need to move the American style of costume party to 31 October.

Some regions also recall local autumn customs involving carved vegetables, such as Rübengeister—illuminated fodder beets or turnips. They resemble pumpkins but belong to local tradition rather than modern Halloween marketing.

Is Halloween a public holiday in Germany?

Halloween itself is not a separate public holiday. However, 31 October coincides with Reformation Day, and 1 November immediately afterwards is All Saints’ Day. This means that many German residents may indeed have a day off around Halloween, but it all depends on the federal state and the day of the week.

In 2026, 31 October falls on a Saturday, so even where Reformation Day is an official public holiday, it does not create an additional weekday off unless the employer provides otherwise. 1 November 2026 falls on a Sunday.

31 October: Reformation Day

Reformation Day is an official public holiday in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia. In these states, shops and public institutions are usually closed if the holiday falls on a working day.

1 November: All Saints’ Day

All Saints’ Day is an official public holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. If you are planning a trip, party, or family event, check the calendar for your particular state: in Germany, most public holidays are regulated by the states.

Where to go for Halloween in Germany

Major events change their programme, dates, prices, and age restrictions, so always check the official website before buying tickets. As a starting point, look for formats such as:

1. Halloween at Frankenstein Castle - one of Germany’s best-known Halloween events, usually with actors, scare routes, and an evening programme.
2. Halloween Horror Festival at Movie Park Germany - a seasonal amusement-park format with scare zones, shows, and separate options for different age groups.
3. Ball Bizarre in Dresden - a club event with a dark aesthetic and a costumed crowd.
4. ELORIA Erlebnisfabrik - an immersive venue in NRW, where Halloween programmes may vary by season.
5. Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg - a family-friendly option without the club format: pumpkins, installations, food, and a daytime programme.

Besides major events, look for local parties in bars, Kulturzentrum venues, clubs, university groups, schools, Familienzentrum centres, and city event listings. For families with children, daytime activities are often a better fit than late-night parties with age restrictions.

How to prepare

For adults:

• choose a scary costume unless the format says otherwise;
• check the dress code, age restriction, and night-time transport schedule;
• buy tickets in advance, as popular events sell out;
• bear in mind that 31 October may be a public holiday in one state and an ordinary day in another.

For families:

• find out in advance whether trick-or-treating is customary in your area;
• coordinate with neighbours or your children’s classmates’ parents;
• take torches and reflective items;
• explain to children that not every door takes part in the holiday;
• check children’s events at city venues, libraries, museums, and parks.

Conclusion

Halloween is not Germany’s biggest holiday, but it has become part of urban autumn culture. You can celebrate it at a club, amusement park, castle, family centre, or simply at home with a pumpkin and sweets. The main thing is not to expect American scale and to check in advance how the day works in your state and neighbourhood.

For a more “German” festive experience, compare Halloween with Carnival, Sankt Martin, and Christmas in Germany. This makes it easier to understand why some residents happily put on scary costumes while others see 31 October as an ordinary autumn evening.