Back to Artwork Contemplation Back to Sections Kimberly Shrestha - Contemplation By Kimberly Shrestha June 8, 2021 Mixed Media Volume 1 Issue 8

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections I See Ghosts In My Bedroom Mirror By Eva Grace Martinez Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Original photography by Eva Grace Martinez I see ghosts in my bedroom mirror, let me clarify I only really see one. I see the way her room was painted purple, black sharpie forming vignettes of a person who lived here before I. I hear the subtle beat of music in a language I won’t understand until after she goes. I hear giggles of a teenage dramedy, the kind of nostalgia-inducing, jealousy-inspiring laughter that forms the basis of poems with comparisons to stars. If I listen hard I can hear the heater ticking, the same way it must’ve when it lit your mattress on fire. There is no metaphor there, when you left I remember finding the scorched side of your mattress. Sometimes, I feel like an archeologist, this bedroom the dig site. Unearthing old necklaces and Sinatra records you couldn’t fit in your suitcase. It’s been at least a decade I think? Do you miss these old records and painted over walls? I’d like to think so. I want so desperately to reach out and ask you, but I’m scared that if I do, I will have to confront the concept of you leaving me too. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Hyper Pop By Eva Martinez Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by Dork When you ask someone how they would define grunge, they may reference bands like Nirvana, or recall fond memories of teen years spent in basements and garages with guitars stolen from their parents. There was joy in simply making music; it was rough, sloppy, and new. As a generation of digital natives comes of age in an era where recording software is free, inexpensive, and easy to access, a new generation’s grunge was born, Hyper pop . Hyper pop Two words that make sense when combined are the genre tag for one of the most undefinable movements in music in the past two decades. Due to its ineffable nature, the best way to explain the genre is through examples. I point you to “money machine” by 100gecs. 100gecs is quintessentially Hyper pop, and while others such as Charlie XCX have been in the game longer, bands like Waterparks, which may dabble with production styles reminiscent of the genre 100gecs, are Hyper pop superstars. So, what makes a song Hyperpop? Let us look at some of the elements in “money machine” and find out. First, the vocals. Recorded on what sounds like a broken toy megaphone, the messy and sped-up vocals are the primary identifier of a Hyper pop song. The second genre-defining elements are the obnoxious number of vocal effects and augmentation packed into this one-minute fifty-four-second song. Reminiscent of the inadequate quality yet laugh-out-loud funny “chipmunk” versions of popular songs spawned by the Alvin and the Chipmunk movies, the heavily edited vocals create a rushed energy that channels even a turtle’s fastest effort. Next up? The beat. Undeniably simple enough for anyone with a decent understanding of Audacity or a similar mixing software to create within an hour, simplicity lends itself to Hyper pop’s “grungy” nature. It is a fast-paced ride across snare and cymbal that ups the intensity towards the end. It is a lightning-fast crash ride, and 100gecs is dragging you along whether you like it or not. Okay, so we have covered vocals and drums; what else is there? Well, besides an ever-increasing number of random production elements, loud and distorted guitars, and general chaos, “money machine” and, by extension, Hyper pop has one larger thread holding it together. The “hyper” in Hyper pop does not necessarily come for the genre’s need for speed. It refers to the pure oversaturation of sound that one experiences whenever a Hyper pop song plays. This incessant need to overload the mixing and production of a song has an interesting connection to the people creating it. Just as grunge was a rebellion against what came before it, Hyper pop is too. The maturation of so many young people when the internet handed them the world and told them everything was in reach has led to a shift in genre. Pushing back against simpler production styles and bland radio hits, Hyper pop is neon graffiti on the black and white walls of the music industry. It is fast, loud, and undeniably too much. If you are still doubtful of Hyper pop’s connection to the online world, look at the song titles across the genre. Titles are all written in a grammatical style that intend to strike fear into the hearts of most English teachers yet are easily readable to this online generation. The lyrical style of Hyper pop additionally lends to this online feeling. Upbeat and messy backgrounds crash through your ears as various artists depict deep feelings of hopelessness. Still, surely monster energy and some neon paint will make those issues irrelevant, right? At least, that is what Hyper pop attempts to convince you of. When the world is at your fingertips, it can be beautiful. One can learn about diverse cultures and gain a deeper understanding of humanity. Conversely, it can cause feelings of depression and isolation. To me, this duality is represented best by Hyper pop. It can be overwhelming; it can give you a migraine and force you to wonder why anyone would ever make such music. Yet, it can also be the background to a high-octane workout, and its overwhelming nature corresponds to an overwhelming world, but here being overwhelmed means something. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Chapter One By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by Navrosedip Kundlas, Canva May 1st, 1990 He’s going to the military after the wedding. He’s leaving. After the wedding. These words spin in my head over and over again. One month and then he’s gone. I shake my head, this isn’t the time to think about this. I hop back onto my skateboard and steer myself towards Ditch Plains Beach. In the distance, three figures are waiting for me. Bridget, Orion, and Bridget’s boyfriend Dylan. Immediately, guilt hits me, poor Orion had to be the third wheel while I ran late. You’re such a bad friend, so selfish. Closing my eyes, I take a big breath. You got this, Jules. Keep calm. Placing a foot down, I get off my board and reach for the strap under. Slipping the strap onto my shoulder, I take out my earbuds and put up a smile. Act normal. Nothing’s wrong, just a normal day at the beach surfing with your dudes. I repeat over and over again. “What’s up, guys?” I ask, hoping they don’t notice the hint of red in my eyes. “Nothing much, ready to catch some waves?” Bridget replies holding out her hand. After doing our handshake and fist bumping the boys, we head out for the waves. I slip off my shuffle bag and slip off my shoes. Peeling off my flannel and slipping my overalls off, I run over to Orion. Fixing my one-piece, I jump onto Orion’s back. “Woah! Hold on dude,” Orion laughs. “Dude, give me a piggy-back ride. Now,” I say laughing. I shake off the butterflies forming in my stomach. You’ve got to be kidding yourself, Jules. Crushing on your childhood best friend. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen. Orion grabs my legs and I swing my arms over his neck. “Hold on tight, don’t want you falling off and scratching your fragile body” Orion teases. “Shut up.” I demand. After that one incident where Mom told me to be careful, due to my sensitive skin, Orion hasn’t been able to shut up. Closing my eyes shut, Orion takes off towards the ocean. I feel my legs and arms detaching and then cool water seeping into my body. Opening my eyes I swim towards the rock. Our rock. I climb the smooth surface and sit on top looking out to the horizon, the sun bursting out with shades of pink, red, yellow, and hints of blue. Beautiful. “Jules?” Dylan shakes me out of my little world. “What’s up?” I ask. “Bridget got the boards, ready to capture some of those waves?” He asks. What if he never comes back? Dies in service. He’ll never catch those waves again. Never take you to swim, orbuy your surf gear. You’ll be left all alone. Alone forever. “Jules? Hello? Anyone there?” Dylan says, snapping me back into focus. “Yeah, let’s get to it!” I say, hoping that no one noticed my zoning out. Orion does, though. He looks concerned and reads right through my facade. Knowing I’ll be bombarded with questions later, I shoot him a look with my eyes. I’ll tell you later promise. He nods but still has some concern in his eyes. You sure you’ll be fine? We can always surf later, you know. I nod, not wanting to ruin the moment. Bridget paddles into the water, ready to get going. I dive back into the water, and swim for shore. Grabbing my board I join Bridget on the waves. After an hour, I paddle back more tired than usual. Everything’s going to be okay. Don’t stress. Drying myself with the towel, I slip my overalls back on, and tie my flannel onto my waist. Orion’s heading over. Breathe in and out, you can tell him. “Hey, what’s going on? You're pretty off today. Not your usual peppy self” he prompts, waiting for an answer. “It’s just that Caleb’s heading off to the military after he gets married! And I don’t want him to go. I thought since he was going to get married, he would stay. But no! He’s just going to leave me here, and I just can’t deal with it, Orion I just can’t…” I trail off, too upset to continue. Tears start sliding down my face and drop to my shoulder. Sinking down to my knees, I hug myself. Orion bends down and gives me a hug. “Dude, listen to me, you're not going to be alone, you have me, Bridget, Dylan, Juliette and Julian your siblingsand the rest of your family. We’re here to support you. I know it’s hard but life’s hard. It might take time, but you’ll get used to it. We’re like what, 14-years old? We can handle it. I know what you’re thinking but it’s not going to happen.Caleb’s not going to die. Okay?” He reassures me. Feeling a little better, I give a nod and get up. “Wait. Why did you call Julie by her full name?” I ask, curious, since it was the first time. “It was a serious topic, so I thought full names would be appropriate” he said with a smirk. Rolling my eyes, I pack my gear. I drop my board off at our usual stash place and hop onto my skateboard. Waving bye, and promising to talk later, I plug my earbuds back in and skate on home. While Orion lives in my neighborhood, Bridge and Dylan live on the next one over, so the beach is where we regroup. Orion’s got a date, which makes my stomach sink. Did you really think he would like you? Come on Jules, you're being stupid. Shrugging off my disappointment, I skate faster hoping to outrun my negative thoughts. Coming to a stop, I swing my skateboard onto my shoulder and push through the gate. Hopping up the stairs, I slide the key into the lock and quietly open the door. Everyone’s asleep. No one surfs this early in the morning in my house. I close the door shut and tiptoe quietly to my room. I slide off my shoes and take off my clothes. Slipping on my pajamas, I pat Coco, our Australian Shepherd, andsoftly get into bed to crash. … “GET UP!!!” screams Julie. I remained on my bed and pulled the covers over my head. “IF YOU DON’T GET UP AND WASH YOUR HAIR, I WILL SCREAM!” screams my 16-year-old sister. I said (very politely), “If that’s your regular voice I don’t think my ears could handle your real screaming.” “BE QUIET,” she snapped, marching out the room. Reluctantly I got out of bed, heading straight for the shower. After washing my hair, I decide to go eat something. That’s when I realized all hell had broken loose. Shoes were scattered everywhere. Clothes were flung in all places you could imagine. Where was my family in all of this mess? To be honest, I didn’t even know. There wasn’t even any food in the kitchen. Like, now what was I supposed to do? Go grocery shopping last minute? Very funny Jules, focus and find out what’s going on. It didn’t look like a hurricane hit the house before. They’re probably at Aunt Jackie’s house. So, I walked over, hopped the fence, and went over to eat some chow. Hopping from step to step, I finally reached the top. Knocking on the door, I waited patiently. As expected, no one opened the door. So I bent down and plucked the spare key from the third flower pot to the right. Or was it left? Oh well, at least it’s hidden well. Anyways, I opened the door and walked straight into a scene. There was Aunt Jackie and Caleb screaming their heads off at each other. “Who told you to go on and sign up for the military? Have you lost your mind, boy?! I grew you up in this very house with manners, and this is what you do. We’re not poor you know. We got plenty of money! We’re rich, Caleb! People want the kind of money we have. But no, you still want to join the military. You could have just taken over the family business! What was the point of doing this?!” Aunt Jackie yelled. “Mama, you know since I was little I wanted to be in the Air Force. I’ve told you a million times that this what I want to do. Serve our country. You know this! I don’t care about money, I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this as my dream! And you can’t change my mind, Mama. Sorry, but this is what I want to do, and I’m doing it!” Caleb yelled back. “Young man, you keep your voice down, and listen to me. I’m not approving of this kind of behavior. And what about Amanda? You're just gonna marry her and leave her? What kind of husband does that? You tell me, son. Second, who knows what’s going to happen when you leave? You might die, Caleb! Amanda might leave you, who knows? I just can’t believe you would do something like this, without even thinking it through! Do you have answers for me or no, Caleb?” Aunt Jackie demanded, glaring right at her son. “No, I don’t have all the answers, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought this through. Amanda has given me all of her support, and she won’t leave me. If you have a problem, then fine, so be it. I’m going to get married and then I’m deployed, with or without your approval. You have one month to make your decision. Either you support me through this, or you don’t. Your choice,” Caleb says. With that he leaves the living room in a fury and climbs the staircase to his room where he slams the door shut. Aunt Jackie sighs and sits onto the couch holding her head in her hands. Dad sits next to her and wraps his arms around her shoulder. “It’s ok Jacqueline, we’ll get through it. If this is what he wants, then that’s that. We can’t stop him,” Dad softly says. “I just want him to realize that this isn’t a joke. This isn’t one of his games. It’s real, Jacques. He could get hurt, or god forbid worse,” Aunt Jackie whispers. Mom gets up from an armchair and heads towards me. Knowing she was probably going to lead me away from the scene, I slip off my flip-flops. “Hey honey, I didn’t realize you arrived. Took you a while to wake up after your surf. Why don’t you come to the kitchen, and I’ll ask Sally to cook something up for you?” Mom says looking at me. Nodding, I follow her out of the living room to the kitchen where Sally was cooking up some waffles. Sliding on to one of the stools of the countertop, I notice Julie and Julian were there as well. “Look who finally decided to show up,” Julie teases, bumping my shoulder with hers. “Hmmm, looks like Miss Cranky finally got her coffee,” I say teasing right back. Bursting into laughter, I settle in with the twins. It wasn’t unusual for us to have breakfast at Aunt Jackie’s. With Aunt Jackie’s overdramatic personality and her fights with Uncle Oliver, Dad and Mom usually had to come to keep peace. Which usually also annoyed Mom, which caused her and Dad to have small arguments which were usually contained. Nothing compared to Aunt Jackie and Uncle Oliver’s fights. Sally served some delicious waffles, which I quickly scarfed up. I had to check on Caleb. He was my favorite cousin, and I was closer to him than to anyone else in the whole world. Pushing back my stool, I excused myself and ran up the stairs to Caleb’s room. But on the way, I heard something that caught my breath. “Look Jaqueline, you know the lines. What’s yours, what’s mine, what’s the others, you cannot cross that boundary. Our family fortune was divided up fairly and squarely. Don’t mess with it. You know the fights that broke out when Dad died. I do not want more chaos in our family. You know our family rivalry with each other. So please stay in line,” Dad said sternly. “But Jacques, the necklace is missing! What if one of our sisters arranged for someone to steal it from the Paris mansion. You know how valuable it is. We need to find it, before word spreads. Items are starting to disappear from there, but this necklace is the most valuable. If this leaks out, things worse than a couple of verbal fights will happen. If we don’t find out what’s going on in that mansion, then everything our dad and grandpa created will shatter. You know that. Someone’s betraying us, Jacques. There’s a thief among us. And we need to find them. Especially before the wedding. That necklace needs to be passed down to Amanda. If it’s not, then everyone will know, and that’s it, it’s over.” “I know, let’s keep this between you, me, Oliver, and Victoria. We’ll figure it out,” Dad promises Aunt Jackie. What in the world is going on here? I never heard of the Paris mansion before. What is Mom, Dad, Aunt, and Uncle hiding? Since when are there family rivalries in the Paris siblings? What necklace are they talking about? With no answers, I headed up the staircase to Caleb, hoping he might have some answers. Juliana Valentina Paris. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Former President Donald Trump's Conviction Sahar Ali Volume 5 Issue 1 September 20, 2024 Image Provided by White House Historical Association On May 30th, 2024, former president Donald Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former president in United States history to be convicted of criminal charges. Falsifying business records is considered a felony in the State of New York, which makes the former president a convicted felon as a result of his actions. But what did Trump do that led him to this position? Former President Trump is notorious for the many actions that he took during and after his presidency, most notably the January 6th riot at the Capitol, in which thousands of Trump supporters protested the results of the 2020 election. The 2020 election was between Democrat Joe Biden and former president and republican Donald Trump, the outcome being a victory for the Democrats. Following the election, Trump made many public statements regarding the outcome of the election and proceeded to claim that voter fraud was involved, causing Trump supporters to gather at the Capitol and protest for their president whom they perceived to be the rightful president of the country. Trump openly spread false statements and made multiple attempts to revise the results of the 2020 election. Not only did Trump influence the storming of the Capitol, but he had also been impeached twice, making history as the only president in the United States to be impeached more than once. Trump was victorious in the 2016 election, as he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton. However, according to CBS News, Trump’s conviction originated from a “hush money” payment that was made to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star to keep quiet about her claims that she engaged in intimate activities with the former president years before the 2016 election. “But the actual charges that Trump faced were far less salacious and dealt with the comparatively mundane paperwork that was generated when he reimbursed Cohen for the payment” (CBS News). True to form, the former president would deny the claims by stating that the statements made by Daniels are false. However, according to BBC, giving a person hush money is not considered illegal; the reason he was convicted was because Trump claimed the $130,000 payment was for legal fees. Along with that, Trump made claims regarding the outcome of the 2020 election that were concluded to be false as he attempted to overturn the decision of the election. According to CBS News, New York election laws make it unlawful for “any two or more persons to conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means,” which is what Trump did as he attempted to quiet Daniels but also claimed that the money was for legal fees, which as we know, was not true. But with the power and position Trump holds, it is unlikely that he would have to face jail time. Legal experts believe that a fine would be the most Trump has to face. Even with such a big felony on his name, it is very likely that the public will see Trump run in the 2024 election later this year as he meets all the criteria to be president which, according to CNN include, being a natural-born citizen, above 35 years of age, and living in the US for at least 14 years. SOURCES: What was Trump convicted of? Details on the 34 counts and his guilty verdict - CBS News   Two weeks since Trump’s New York guilty verdict: What have we learned? | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera   A guide to Donald Trump's four criminal cases ( bbc.com )   Can Trump still run for president? Can he still vote? | CNN Politics BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Creating a Kinder World Through Art By Alena Moreira Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Original artwork by Alena Moreira This is the goal of the Memory Project, a nonprofit organization with the simple purpose of promoting intercultural insight and kindness between children of different social backgrounds around the world through art. Their main program, sharing the same name as the organization, involves the creation of photographic or realistic portraits of children involved in the program. These children are often in orphanages, refugee camps, or similar situations, so the Memory Projects seeks to gift the children a little keepsake – a little memory – to give them something beautiful and personal to hold onto despite the difficulties they face in their lives. One could argue that the money and effort put into making these portraits would be better spent on living necessities, such as food and water, rather than marks on paper, and they might be right. However, we cannot underestimate the power of a simple act of kindness, even something as small as a drawing made with the happiness of only one person in mind. The process of making a memory project portrait is simple and straightforward. Teachers who reach out to The Memory Project organization are shown the children and countries that are involved and can choose a group based on if its timeframe works well with the teacher’s and their students’ schedules. Once a country is chosen, The Memory Project emails (postal mail, before covid) individual photos of the children, which include their name, age, and favorite color. Students then choose one (or more) of the children to make a portrait of. These portraits are all 2D media, including pencil, pastel, and even painting, and must be on 9”x12” paper or unstretched canvas. When finished, the art students write the child’s ID code and name, attach a photo of themselves and write their name with little message to the back of their drawing, along with an outline of their hand to symbolically touch the hand of the child who receives the portrait. These portraits are then sent off with a requested $15 per portrait; however, classes who cannot afford this contribution are still accommodated so they can participate, as the organization’s goal is to include as many artists as possible despite the financial struggles they may face. Started in 2004, The Memory Project portraits are a high level or advanced project, meaning the students who participate must be talented enough to make highly realistic portraits. While art is accepting to people of all styles and abilities, the reality of the program is that the children involved wouldn’t like to receive a beginner-level drawing of themselves or an abstract interpretation of what they look like while their friend receives a photorealistic and expertly drawn portrait. However, The Memory Project offers another program for artists K-12 and of all artistic levels. Called the Art Exchange, this peacebuilding program involves a one-to-one exchange between American students and kids from culturally different countries, including Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Nigeria. Check out our North Star Gallery (the Artwork tab at the top of the page) to see past and current submissions to the Memory Project. North’s Art Honor Society has sent portraits to Malaysia and Venezuela, and is currently sending portraits to kids in Cameroon, a country in Central and West Africa. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Fun Day! By Samantha Altieri Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by Augustine Magapan On Thursday, October fourteenth, the Valley Stream North Class of 2027 participated in a Fun Day. Seventh graders played a variety of outdoor games from periods one to three. The activities allowed the students to bond with each other and create memorable team-building experiences, while also providing them a chance to destress. Members of SPO helped facilitate the event, with some members participating in the games as well. With games from Jenga to kickball, the seventh graders had a great time! On Fun Day, the seventh graders were split into groups of eight to 15 students. Two to four SPO members were assigned to each group and guided the seventh graders through the activities, like a camp counselor would to their campers. There were a variety of activities the seventh graders participated in, including: Kickball – two groups faced each other off in this sport, with SPO members watching and pitching. Lawn Games – several groups participated in games such as Kam Jam, Spike ball, Connect 4, and a modified version of Badminton. Potato Sack Race – three groups versed each other in this fast-paced hopping race. Cup Pyramid – two groups faced off in this fast-paced building competition. Racing against the clock, the group that built the tallest cup structure won. The wind and other environmental factors added a nice twist, raising the stakes of the activity. Steal-the-Bacon – six to eight groups faced each other in this intense version of Steal-the-Bacon. Students on each team were assigned numbers, and those who had the same number (one on each side), when called out, had to race to retrieve the pin and bring it back to their team to earn the point. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Portfolio Back to Sections Beauty Hidden in Men's Hair By Elizabeth Andre June 13, 2022 Collage Volume 2 Issue 7 I wanted to show the beauty and struggles of being a black man and having hair. I displayed different hairstyles one can be open to. At the end of the day, no matter what hair texture, color, or style you have, you and your hair are beautiful.

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Valley Stream District Bowling By Ismaela Andre Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Image provided by Ismaela Andre Back row (L to R) Kayla Chinchilla (Central), Sam Diaz (Central), Riley Granda (Memorial), James Bello (North), Adam Norton (Central), Michael Goetz (North), Coach Pandolfi Middle Row (L to R) Melody Chen (North), Augustine Magapan (North), Daniel Casey (South), Tony Wong (Central), Dylan Cittadino (North), Kaylin Hom (Central) Front Row (L to R) Emily Jia (Central), Momina Ali (South), Nadia Inesta (Memorial), Ismaela Andre (North), Ariella Montalban (South) Have you ever gone bowling? Did you find it fun? Well, did you know that our school district has a bowling team? Our team coach is Mr. Pandolfi. For you to get onto the team, you must try out. However, that experience is just as fun. It’s a good way to make friends and connections. I joined this team in 2021, and each year I love it! My favorite part is that it's students not only from North but Memorial, Central, and South too. This allows me to see my friends from the other high schools. There are two teams, the girls and the boys. We played against multiple schools, such as Hewlett High School, Long Beach High School, Lynbrook High School, and Lawrence High School. Girl teams must play against the girls, and boys must play against the boys. There’s a series of matches after school. To be on this team, you must put forth the effort, for it is still a varsity sport. In each match, you must try your best. The main goal is to knock down as many pins as you can. The more pins that we knock down, the more matches we win! Last year, the girls' team made it to the finals. Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but the experience and joy were amazing. Hopefully, you can join our school Varsity Bowling Teams! Screen Shot 2023-02-19 at 8.31.15 PM .png Download PNG • 1.31MB (L to R) Jesleys Vasquez (North), Emily Jia (Central), Ismaela Andre (North), Kaylin Hom (Central), Melody Chen (North), Nadia Inesta (Memorial), Ariella Montalban (South), Momina Ali (South), Aleeza Akhtar (South) BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Halloween Traditions Around the World Leah Ally Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by History | A+E Networks Halloween, celebrated on October 31st each year, is a holiday that is primarily associated with the United States and Canada. However, Halloween traditions can be found in various forms across the globe. From Mexico to Ireland, different countries have their unique customs and rituals that add a touch of cultural diversity to this international holiday. A country that notably has its own distinct Halloween tradition is Mexico. In Mexico, the holiday is known as Día de los Muertos , or Day of the Dead. Rather than being a day of fear and fright, it is a joyful celebration of deceased loved ones. Families create altars in their homes, adorned with photographs, candles, and marigolds, to honor and remember their ancestors. They also visit cemeteries to clean and decorate the graves, leaving offerings of food, drinks, and personal belongings for the spirits to enjoy. The Day of the Dead is a colorful and vibrant celebration that showcases the Mexican culture's unique perspective on death and the afterlife. In Ireland, the birthplace of Halloween, the holiday is known as Samhain . It is believed to have originated from ancient Celtic traditions. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Irish people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off evil spirits. They also believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, allowing spirits to roam freely. To appease these spirits, people would leave food and drinks outside their homes. Today, Ireland continues to celebrate Halloween with bonfires, costume parties, and traditional Irish music. Moving to Asia, we find the country of Japan, which has its own unique Halloween traditions. Halloween has gained popularity in recent years, particularly among young people. However, the Japanese celebration has a more commercial and playful nature. Halloween parties and parades are common, with people dressing up in costumes inspired by both Western and Japanese pop culture. Many shopping centers and amusement parks decorate their premises with Halloween-themed decorations, and children go trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods. While Halloween in Japan may not have deep historical roots, it has become a fun and exciting event for people of all ages. In Germany, Halloween is celebrated with a mix of traditional customs and modern influences. One of the most notable traditions is the carving of turnips or beets into lanterns, similar to the jack-o'-lanterns made from pumpkins in the United States. These lanterns, known as "Rübengeister," are placed outside homes to ward off evil spirits. German children also go trick-or-treating, but instead of saying "trick or treat," they say " Süßes oder Saures ," which translates to "sweets or sour." This playful twist adds a unique touch to the Halloween experience in Germany. In addition to these countries, Halloween is celebrated in various other parts of the world, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Each country puts its own spin on the holiday, incorporating local customs and traditions. However, the common thread that runs through all these celebrations is the spirit of fun, creativity, and community. So, Halloween is not just an American holiday; it has become a global phenomenon with diverse traditions and customs. From the joyful remembrance of ancestors in Mexico to the playful trick-or-treating in Germany, Halloween traditions around the world showcase the rich cultural tapestry of our global community. Whether it's carving pumpkins, wearing costumes, or participating in festive events, Halloween brings people together in a spirit of fun and celebration, transcending borders and uniting us in the joy of this spooky holiday. Sources: Halloween in Mexico: How Do They Celebrate? - JoinMyTrip Blog Samhain (Samain) - The Celtic roots of Halloween ( newgrange.com ) Halloween 2023 in Japan: Traditions and Where to Go | JRail Pass Halloween in Germany: Traditions, customs & events ( iamexpat.de ) BACK TO TOP