Halloween in Milan has become a much-loved autumn occasion, with costumed children calling out “Dolcetto o scherzetto!”, pumpkins appearing in supermarkets and neighbours transforming their entrances with cobwebs and skeletons. Yet there was a time when celebrating meant organising your own trick-or-treating route—and asking a sympathetic fruit vendor to special-order a pumpkin.
That request might need an explanation: no, you were not planning to turn the whole thing into risotto.
Today, Halloween is a familiar part of autumn in Italy, particularly among families. For international residents, it can be a comforting tradition from home. For many children growing up in Milan, it is simply another much-anticipated date on the calendar, bringing opportunities to dress up, decorate and get together before winter sets in.
And although finding the festivities once took a little detective work, these days you may only need to step outside your door.
How Halloween Became Popular in Italy
Halloween’s history reaches back to European traditions associated with the end of the harvest season and the remembrance of the dead. Its familiar modern form—with costumes, door-to-door sweet collecting and carved pumpkins—developed through several influences and became widely popular in North America before spreading internationally.
In Italy, October 31 sits alongside Ognissanti, All Saints’ Day on November 1, and the commemoration of the dead on November 2. Halloween has added a playful occasion to a season already rich in traditions of remembrance.
Its appeal is easy to understand. Children get to become witches, ghosts or whatever their imagination suggests; adults have an excuse to invite friends over; and an ordinary neighbourhood becomes somewhere to explore after dark.
Trick-or-Treating in Milan: Dolcetto o Scherzetto
Trick-or-treating in Milan has grown from something families often had to arrange themselves into a much more familiar neighbourhood activity. There is still no guarantee that every door will open onto a bowl of sweets, but that unpredictability can be part of the fun.
One year, I even stopped at McDonald’s and said, “Trick or treat!” The friendly worker had no candy to offer but was happy to join in—and handed over some free ketchup and mayonnaise instead. An unconventional Halloween haul, certainly, but a memorable example of the willingness to take part.
Brera has long been a favourite destination for families, with costumed children making their way between shops and through its atmospheric streets. Haribo has supported Halloween celebrations there in past years, helping draw an enthusiastic crowd. The catch, familiar to families who have made the rounds, is that the candy can run out very early. Getting a share has sometimes meant starting the hunt while it is still daylight.
Yet there is less reason than there once was to make a special journey into the centre. As Halloween has spread, trick-or-treating has become possible across many more neighbourhoods. Start locally: look for participating shops, ask other parents and find out which nearby streets or buildings are joining in.
If you live in an apartment building, a quick conversation with neighbours can turn a few landings into an evening’s entertainment. Agree on a time and invite participating households to display a small sign. Children get the excitement of ringing doorbells, and neighbours know when to expect their visitors.
Halloween with Kids Around Milan
For younger children, quieter residential neighbourhoods around Milan can be particularly appealing. There is room to move together, friends to meet along the way and, in some streets, an impressive amount of effort behind the decorations.
Villaggio Ambrosiano and Milano 2 in Segrate, along with residential areas of Arese and Monza, are popular with families whose small children enjoy trick-or-treating in groups. Where there are houses and gardens, the decorations sometimes extend well beyond a pumpkin on the doorstep: cobweb-covered gates, skeletons and elaborate displays turn the walk itself into an attraction.
The pleasure is often in the small rituals. Children compare costumes, gather their courage at a particularly spooky entrance and rush back to show their friends what they have collected.
Participation varies, so arrange to join someone who knows the neighbourhood or ask locally about a suitable route. A short circuit of welcoming homes is often enough for little legs—and leaves time to get home and inspect the evening’s treasures.
Finding and Carving Your Halloween Pumpkin
The changing fortunes of the Halloween pumpkin tell their own story about the holiday’s arrival in Italy.
I remember when finding one suitable for carving meant searching fruit stalls or asking a vendor to order it specially. Now, seasonal carving pumpkins can be found at Esselunga and other supermarkets. It is a small convenience that would once have felt quite remarkable.
Buy yours ahead of Halloween for a better choice of shapes and sizes. Look for a firm pumpkin with a stable base and enough room for your design. A lopsided specimen can have plenty of character, too: sometimes the pumpkin suggests the face.
For children, scooping out the seeds can be half the entertainment. Let younger ones draw their designs or decorate with paint and stickers, while adults handle the cutting. A battery-operated light gives the finished lantern its glow.
If you want to use any of the flesh in cooking, check that the pumpkin is an edible variety and set it aside before decorating or displaying it.
Host Your Own Halloween Party
Look out for pumpkin-carving workshops and local Halloween activities, or host your own gathering. Cover the table, invite a few friends and ask everyone to bring a pumpkin. There is something wonderfully companionable about an afternoon spent comparing designs and discovering whose supposedly terrifying face has turned out unexpectedly cheerful.
A party need not be elaborate. Paper bats, a few homemade decorations, music and some playful snacks can create all the atmosphere you need. Younger children might enjoy a costume parade or a gentle treasure hunt; older guests may prefer a spooky film once the carving is finished.
Hosting also gives children who are less keen on frightening costumes or unfamiliar doorsteps a way to enjoy the occasion at their own pace. And if your household welcomes trick-or-treaters, let neighbours know and keep the sweets within reach.
Spooky Places in Milan: San Bernardino alle Ossa and Cimitero Monumentale
For an atmospheric October outing, Milan has places that need no Halloween decorations.
Near the Duomo, San Bernardino alle Ossa contains an ossuary chapel whose walls are decorated with human skulls and bones. The effect is extraordinary: intricate, unsettling and far removed from the bustle of the streets outside. It is a place of worship and remembrance, best approached quietly, and one to consider carefully before visiting with younger children.
The Cimitero Monumentale offers a different kind of encounter with the city’s past. Its grand tombs, expressive sculptures and elaborate memorials reward a slow walk, especially on a misty autumn day. Look closely at the details and you begin to see the cemetery as a record of Milan’s families, ambitions and artistic tastes. Its official website provides opening hours, suggested itineraries and information about guided visits.
Both places invite curiosity, but also respect for their purpose and for those visiting to remember loved ones.
Whether your Halloween involves a carved pumpkin, a walk through the city or a small ghost ringing the neighbour’s bell, Milan offers plenty of ways to make the occasion your own. Keep a few sweets by the door—you never know who might call.
Article by Easy Milano editorial staff
Featured photo by Sean Jahansooz
