Halloween and “La Noche de Brujas” — Spooky Words in Spanish

Learn how to talk about ghosts, pumpkins, witches, and scary things… in Spanish!

Halloween
Halloween

Halloween, or La Noche de Brujas in Spanish, is not originally from Latin America, but it’s now celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries. Children dress up (se disfrazan), go from door to door asking for candy, and people decorate their homes with pumpkins and skeletons.

In this post, you’ll find a big list of Halloween-related words in Spanish and English. Some are funny, others dark or poetic — like tinieblas (darkness) or ultratumba (afterlife). Learning them will not only help your vocabulary but also show you how Spanish can sound beautiful and scary at the same time.


🕸️ Halloween Vocabulary in English and Spanish

English Spanish Notes / Explanation
Halloween Noche de Brujas Literally “Night of Witches”
Pumpkin Calabaza Used for decorations and pan de calabaza
Jack-o’-lantern Calabaza tallada Carved pumpkin with a candle
Ghost Fantasma Common word in both genders (el / la fantasma)
Skeleton Esqueleto Halloween classic
Witch Bruja Sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying
Spell Hechizo A magical spell or charm
Magic Magia General word for magic
Wizard Mago Male version of bruja (sort of)
Monster Monstruo Very common in stories
Vampire Vampiro Like Drácula
Dracula Drácula Same in Spanish
Frankenstein Frankenstein Same spelling, masculine noun
Werewolf Hombre lobo Literally “wolf man”
Zombie Zombi Also spelled zombie
Mummy Momia Classic Halloween costume
Bat Murciélago A bit hard to pronounce!
Cat (black cat) Gato negro Associated with witches
Owl Búho A night bird in spooky stories
Spider Araña Small but scary
Web Telaraña Spiderweb
Darkness Tinieblas Poetic word for “darkness”
Fear Miedo The basic word for “fear”
Scary Espantoso / de miedo Can mean “frightening” or “terrifying”
Creepy Escalofriante Gives you chills
Graveyard Cementerio / panteón Both mean “cemetery”
Tomb Tumba Same root as ultratumba
Afterlife Ultratumba Literally “beyond the grave”
Trick or treat Truco o trato Literal translation used in Spain
Candy Dulce General term for sweets
Candies / Sweets Caramelos Very common word in Latin America
Costume Disfraz What you wear on Halloween
Parade Desfile Like Halloween parades in big cities
Mask Máscara For costumes or disguises
Blood Sangre Used in vampire stories
Skull Calavera Common in Día de Muertos
Bones Huesos Skeleton parts
Coffin Ataúd Where Dracula sleeps
Candle Vela Used to create spooky light
Evil Malvado / mal Used for villains
Nightmare Pesadilla Scary dream
Haunted house Casa embrujada Literally “bewitched house”
Spirit Espíritu Similar to “ghost”
Death Muerte A central idea in many traditions
Dead Muerto / difunto Used for Día de Muertos too
Grave Sepultura A formal word for “grave”
Moon Luna Full moon — luna llena
Midnight Medianoche The witching hour
Shadows Sombras Where scary things hide
Screams Gritos What people do when afraid
To scare Asustar Verb: “to scare” someone
To get scared Asustarse Reflexive form: “to get scared”
Horror Horror Same in both languages
Evil spirit Espíritu maligno Bad spirit
Magic potion Poción mágica Classic in witch stories
Lantern Linterna Small light or flashlight
Broom Escoba The witch’s vehicle
Devil Diablo Common in scary folklore
Angel Ángel Sometimes opposite of evil
Soul Alma Used in Día de Muertos and religion
Festival Fiesta / celebración Refers to Halloween events

👻 A Few Cultural Notes

In Mexico, Halloween is celebrated on October 31, but it’s immediately followed by Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), November 1 and 2 — a beautiful tradition that mixes pre-Hispanic and Catholic beliefs. While Halloween is more about fear, Día de Muertos celebrates love, memory, and family.

Many Spanish words for Halloween overlap with Día de Muertos vocabulary — like calavera, vela, tumba, alma, and espíritu — but the tone is different: less horror, more affection. That’s another post.

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