Autumn 2025 is a season of vibrant events, when festivals and rituals from different cultures bring together millions of people around the world. From Diwali and Halloween to the Day of the Dead and European harvest fairs, in this article we’ve gathered the key dates, traditions, and tips for travelers. Plan your trip for Autumn 2025: festivals and rituals will help make it meaningful and inspiring.
Global Festivals
Halloween 2025
Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31 to November 1. It originates from the ancient Celtic Samhain but today is associated with costume parties, pumpkins, “trick or treat,” and parades. The biggest celebrations take place in the USA, but traditions remain strong in Ireland, the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries.
Events include costume parades, parties, Halloween fairs, and themed tours. In many European cities, there are pumpkin festivals, Halloween shows, and family-friendly markets.
Dates: October 31 – November 1, 2025
Address: USA, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and more
Website: halloween.com
Day of the Dead / Día de Muertos 2025
Día de Muertos is a Mexican holiday dedicated to honoring the memory of the departed, observed on November 1 and 2. Colorful altars (ofrendas), sugar skulls, marigolds, and costume parades make it one of the world’s most vibrant celebrations. In 2025, festivities will be held across Mexico, especially in Mexico City and Oaxaca.
In Spain, these dates coincide with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. People bring flowers to cemeteries, bake traditional “panellets,” decorate markets, and attend memorial services.
Dates: November 1–2, 2025
Address: Mexico, Spain, Latin American countries
Website: wikipedia.org
Diwali: Festival of Lights 2025
Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. In 2025, the main celebrations fall on October 20, with the festive week lasting from October 17 to 22. Homes in India are decorated with lights and flowers, oil lamps (diyas) are lit, fireworks launched, and festive meals shared.
Public celebrations also take place in Europe: London (Trafalgar Square), Birmingham (Victoria Park, Smethwick), Leicester, Berlin, and Bonn. In Paris, events are hosted at Maison de l’Inde. Festivities include fairs, concerts, street food, and traditional dances.
Dates: October 17–22, 2025 (main day October 20)
Address: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, France, Germany
Website: diwalifestival.org
Niche Events
Cinnamon Bun Day 2025
Kanelbullens dag is a sweet unofficial holiday celebrated annually in Sweden on October 4. On this day, bakeries, cafés, and shops across the country offer traditional cinnamon buns (kanelbullar). It is also a reason to gather for “fika” (the Swedish coffee break) and enjoy the cozy atmosphere.
The celebration takes place everywhere: from home kitchens to large bakeries and supermarkets. Many venues run promotions and treat guests with free buns.
Dates: October 4, 2025
Address: All across Sweden
Website: kanelbullensdag.se
Helsinki Baltic Herring Market 2025
Silakkamarkkinat is Finland’s oldest food fair, held since 1743. It takes place at Helsinki’s Market Square and is dedicated to local fish delicacies, especially Baltic herring. Visitors can taste various herring dishes, smoked fish, bread, cheese, and traditional drinks.
Admission is free. The market is accompanied by a cultural program with live music, workshops, and craft fairs.
Dates: October 2025 (exact dates TBA)
Address: Market Square (Kauppatori), Helsinki, Finland
Website: silakkamarkkinat.fi
Samhain 2025
Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival celebrated on October 31 – November 1 in Ireland and Scotland. It marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Bonfires, divination, processions, and memorial rituals take place throughout the evening.
Samhain is considered the forerunner of modern Halloween and the Day of the Dead. It remains relevant for contemporary pagan and neo-pagan communities practicing Celtic traditions.
Dates: November 6 – 9, 2025
Address: Clonakilty, Cork, Ireland
Website: samhainfestival.ie
St. Martin’s Day 2025
St. Martin’s Day (November 11) is celebrated in German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria), parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. It is a harvest and early winter festival featuring lantern processions, tastings of new wines (Martinigansl), street music, and traditional food.
In Austria and Germany, children carry lanterns in processions, while in southern Germany roasted goose is served. In Slovenia, wine blessing ceremonies and the crowning of the Wine Queen are central highlights.
Dates: November 11, 2025
Address: Western and Central Europe
Website: ncregister.com
Púca Festival 2025, Co. Meath, Ireland
Púca Festival is a music and mythology event dedicated to Samhain and Halloween, held from October 31 to November 3 in County Meath, Ireland. Folklore, live music, storytellers, and mystical processions at Trim Castle create a magical atmosphere.
The program includes concerts, a harvest fair, the Samhain Banquet, and the Púca Procession in Athboy and Trim. A traditional food market offers barmbrack, colcannon, and other dishes. Shuttle buses are available from Dublin, Drogheda, and Kildare.
Dates: October 30 – November 2, 2025
Address: Trim and Athboy, County Meath, Ireland
Website: pucafestival.com
Tbilisoba 2025 – Tbilisi Festival
Tbilisoba is a city festival held at the end of October in Georgia to celebrate the diversity and history of Tbilisi. It includes concerts, dances, folk performances, harvest fairs (Rtveli), and tastings of Georgian wines and dishes.
Participation is free: regional exhibitions, a wine fair, and a ceremony awarding honorary citizenship of the city. Tbilisi has long been associated with hospitality and unique cultural traditions.
Dates: October 2025 (around October 28)
Address: Old Town Tbilisi, Georgia
Website: georgia.to
Erntedankfest 2025 – Düsseldorf-Urdenbach, Germany
Erntedankfest is a traditional harvest thanksgiving festival in Düsseldorf-Urdenbach, held on the first weekend of October. It features a festive church service, music parades, wheelbarrow races (Schürreskarrenrennen), and a food fair with traditional cuisine.
The event covers the entire Urdenbach district: around 40,000 spectators watch the parade, traditional costumes, and fairground entertainment. The day ends with the wooden-shoe ball, Blotschenball.
Dates: First weekend of October 2025
Address: Urdenbach district, Düsseldorf, Germany
Website: urdenbach.org
Signal Festival 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic
Signal Festival is the largest light art festival in the Czech Republic, held in October. Artists from the Czech Republic and abroad create projections and light installations on buildings and streets of Prague, including the Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, and Prague 1 district.
The festival is free to attend and attracts over 2 million visitors. Some installations (Signal Dome) require tickets. The program includes evening shows, lectures, and family-friendly daytime installations.
Dates: October 16–19, 2025
Address: Prague, public spaces and historic center
Website: signalfestival.com
Galway Oyster & Seafood Festival 2025
Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival is the world’s oldest oyster festival, held in late September (usually September 23–25) in Galway, Ireland. Guests enjoy fresh seafood, live music, street food markets, and the national oyster-opening championships.
Oyster and seafood dishes, traditional drinks, and a festive atmosphere await visitors. The program also includes concerts and cooking masterclasses.
Dates: Approximately September 23–25, 2025
Address: Galway, Ireland
Website: galwayoysterfestival.com
