It may surprise but the idea of Halloween is active in several locations, all of which are near water and have a relationship to the sea and sailing.
Derry, Northern Ireland: Popular belief is that the origins of Halloween come from the Gaelic pagan festival of Samhain. This event marked the end of the harvest and the onset of the darker period in the calendar year. They celebrate for 9 days. You can expect everything from costumed parades to guided ghost tours, haunted houses, and horror movie screenings. Don’t miss the Dragon Safari, where giant dragon footprints appear in St. Columb's Park.
Oaxaca, Mexico: Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) and for three days starting October 31st, the country turns into a flamboyant carnival.
Kind of makes our foraging for free candy for a couple of hours last evening unremarkable. But the little ones were exciting to watch. The young families in the neighborhood appeared to be enjoying it as much as the kids as they walked about with their cups of adult beverage chatting. Then there were the folk who really get into the experience decorating their yards for the night with all sorts of creep scary lights and ghouls.
I guess it is a way to close the book on a season of sailing and experience "the onset of the darker period in the calendar year". Not sure there is enough candy to get by until spring.