Catholic group shuns Halloween for 'Holyween'

As trick-or-treaters dig out their witch costumes, cut scowling faces into pumpkins and hone their apple-bobbing skills, young Catholic parishioners throughout Italy are preparing for "Holyween".

Instead of dressing up as black cats or zombies, young faithful from some 30 Italian cities will spend October 31 hanging pictures of saints from their windows and balconies to celebrate the eve of All Saint's Day.

"We're not against Halloween as such, it's just that we celebrate All Saint's Day and want to share it with other young people," said Sara Bidinost, 23, a student from the Sentinels of the Morning group behind the initiative.

"We'll be hanging images of saints from the front of churches and gathering in the streets... last year it was great fun, people were fairly curious about what we were doing," she added.

Francesco Parise, a leader for the Veneto region of the National Papa Boys Association, a Catholic youth group that is also taking part, said: "I'm very anti Halloween with its skeletons and pumpkins.

"This is is the perfect opportunity for kids to unite against Halloween. Some of them have already begun hanging pictures of local saints," he said.

The head of Sentinels of the Morning, Father Andrea Brugnoli said he got the idea to hang up images of saints from the modern obsession with appearance.

"These days people understand the language of beauty.... In a world that glorifies horror and ugliness, the beauty of the saints fascinates today's young," Brugnoli told Zenit Catholic news agency in Rome.

The activities of the Sentinels include beach parties with inflatable churches and Happy Hours in new and trendy bars up and down the country.

From Turin to Palermo, residents and mayors are also preparing feast days with local cakes and biscuits like Ossa dei Morti (Bones of the Dead), with regional variations made with almonds, pine nuts, vanilla or chocolate.

"Halloween isn't part of our identity," the mayor of Calalzo di Cadore, near Venice, told ANSA news agency. Instead, the town will be hosting a 'food marathon' of local delicacies until late into the night.

"We have drawn on the Celtic tradition of leaving food on the table as a sign of welcome for the dead who visit our homes," he said.

Halloween is based on the Celtic festival of Samhain and the ancient Celts believed the border between this world and the otherworld became thin on that night, allowing spirits to pass through.

Traditionally, hollowed-out pumpkins carved with faces are placed in windows to ward off spirits whilst children dress up in costumes in the hope that copying evil spirits will placate them.