Meath, Ireland

The legends of the ancient Celtic Samhain feast, which marked the end of the harvest season with fire and singing, are buried deep in Ireland's history. Many people believe that Samhain is where the modern Halloween celebration got its start. The Celtic holiday is said to have started there between the sunset on October 31 and the sunrise on November 1, more than 3000 years ago, on the foggy moors of easterly County Meath. Therefore, Meath, Ireland is the next Halloween destination in Europe that you should definitely check out.

The Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival, which takes over the county for a month in October and November, is igniting a wave of new Halloween celebrations appropriate for people of all ages in Meath. The festivities make full use of the relationship the landscape has with the mystical and the macabre, and you can discover everything from the campy to the eerie, including historical re-enactments, spooky walking tours, and everything in between.

Here in Meath, you can also go to the Púca Festival, a festival that aims to introduce people to Irish folklore. Between October 28 and October 31, the activities take place on the mesmerizing Trim Castle grounds and at an old ceremonial hill in Athboy. It's difficult not to sense the ethereal energy of ancient pagan rites with interactive light and laser shows, spectacular aerialist acts, and the lighting of traditional Samhain fires.