Welcome to Halloween in China — BOO!
Halloween has and will likely always remain a holiday primarily celebrated in the United States and Canada. Other countries might take part in some way or fashion, but it’s not common to see children trick or treating in say Japan or India, though the European countries are quickly catching on to the tradition. Regardless, today we’re going to take a look at Halloween in China!
To the Chinese, Halloween is like one huge decoration party. It’s common to see decorations galore outside bars, restaurants, and other public venues. But don’t expect to encounter too many people dressed in a costume, let alone a trick-or-treater. It’s mainly just a time to share in the Western sentiment, not actually participate in it.
However, certain bars in Beijing and Shanghai are known to go all out on Halloween. Not only do they dress up their staff, but they increase prices and encourage guests to dress up as well with outfits that they have on sale in the bar. For the most part, bars, malls, and other venues using decorations are just using them to attract more customers, and earn more money. For the most part, they don’t actually care all that much about boogie men, ghosts, and goblins.
There are however a couple special events that do kind of concur with Halloween. They’re not necessarily on the same date (or month, for that matter), but they include the festival of Teng Chieh, the The Feast of the Hungry Ghosts, and the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. They’re all geared toward celebrating the spirits of family members who’ve passed on to the ‘next world.’ You might see people dress up as ghosts for these celebrations, but again… they’re not on the day we consider to be Halloween.
So if you’re planning to be in China on Halloween, don’t expect too much. This especially holds true for kids, as any Halloween celebrating going on in China isn’t going to be meant for children. Maybe things will change in the future, but for now, Halloween is simply a time for decorations, money-making, and perhaps an e-card or two.
By V Saxena on 31-10-2010
V Saxena
