Finnish municipalities set different dates for Halloween visits
Tuesday 27th October 2026 on 18:45 in
Finland
Some Finnish municipalities have issued different recommendations on when children should go trick-or-treating, as Halloween falls on the same day as All Saints’ Day this year, Yle reports.
Huittinen and Lappeenranta recommend that children make their rounds on Friday, the eve of All Saints’ Day. Joensuu and Kontiolahti recommend Saturday, while Muurame advised residents to celebrate a week earlier.
Huittinen city manager Viveka Lanne said residents had asked the city to clarify the date after trick-or-treaters visited homes on four different days the previous year. The city wants All Saints’ Day to be set aside for time with family and relatives.
In Kontiolahti, the recommendation followed Joensuu’s decision to designate Saturday. Municipal manager Jari Tuononen said residents had told the municipality the guidance had made things clearer. In previous years, he said, trick-or-treating had sometimes gone too far and caused disruption, particularly in densely populated areas.
Jonna Jalonen, a mother of two who lives in Rusko, said she would have welcomed guidance from her municipality. Last year, 80 children came to her door. She would prefer children not to visit on All Saints’ Day, which she observes as a day to remember the dead.
Rusko municipal manager Kari Lehtinen said the municipality had not considered it necessary to intervene in how people celebrate. He questioned whether officials would then need to issue guidance for other similar occasions, such as St Knut’s Day or Palm Sunday.
Folklorist Tuomas Hovi, a researcher at the University of Turku, said Halloween should have an official place in the Finnish calendar. He believes that could increase recognition of the celebration and resolve uncertainty about when people should go trick-or-treating. Hovi said he understood that some people might find the practice disrespectful on All Saints’ Day, but did not recommend a specific date.
Municipalities that have issued guidance say children should only ask for sweets at homes displaying a pumpkin lantern or another decoration. They recommend ending visits by 7.30pm.