7 Strange Halloween Traditions from Around the World

Jordana Weiss | October 31, 2018

7. Party with Dracula – Romania

Although there’s nothing inherently spooky about Romania (they do have excellent healthcare and in 2017 had the highest economic growth rate of any EU country), they do have a spooky and mysterious reputation, likely because of the area called Transylvania that takes up a large chunk of the country. Transylvania was where Bram Stoker set his iconic novel Dracula, and has been associated with vampires ever since.

Every year, there’s a massive party at Bran Castle, which is just one of the Romanian castles that have been linked to this legend. Guests are invited to the castle grounds after hours, where a screening of a horror movie is followed up by a massive dance party that goes until 4 AM. Organized by a Transylvanian tourism organization, this party is perfect for people who live and breathe Halloween. After the party, you can spend a few days seeing other Dracula-related sites like Corvin Castle, where Vlad the Impaler was a prisoner. It’s rumored this castle is haunted.

Jeremy Woodhouse / Getty Images

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