Sora, Paperino e Pippo, abilmente travestiti, approdano nella tenebrosa Citttà di Halloween e vengono subito circondati dagli Heartless…ma non sembra che li vogliano attaccare, come mai?
Halloween is one of the oldest holidays celebrated by people from different countries all over the world. In most western countries like US and Canada, carved pumpkins and corn stalks sprawled all over the suburbs, trick-or-treating, and costume depicting scary creatures are staple practices during the festival. However, Asians celebrate Halloween in a slightly different way.
China
Chinese have their own way of celebrating the Halloween or Teng Chieh in their local dialect. People offer water and food, and light lanterns to guide the spirits of their deceased loved ones as they traverse the land of the living on Halloween night. Moreover, pilgrims visiting Buddhist temples make paper boats that symbolize the spirits of the dead. The purpose of this custom is twofold: as a remembrance of the spirits of the dead and in order to free the spirits of the restless souls so that they may go peacefully to heaven. These restless souls or pretas are spirits and reincarnated scary creatures of those who died tragically, which are believed to cause trouble among the living. Having these scary creatures around is considered bad luck by Chinese people. This is why monks are called to chant verses and incantations to free these souls from bondage.
Hong Kong
In the same manner, people from Hong Kong also celebrate the Halloween festival to guide the spirits back to their world. In their culture, spirits are believed to roam the earth on the day before November 1. They burn pictures of fruits or money believing that these images would reach the spirit world and bring comfort to the ghosts. Yue Lan or Festival of the Hungry Ghosts is a time for people to honor the spirit of the dead.
Japan
Japanese celebrate their own version of Halloween which they call Obon Festival. During this time of the year, special dishes are prepared, bright red lanterns are hung in every house and lanterns are placed afloat on rivers and boats. Lights are lit to show the spirits where their families might be found. Japanese families clean memorial stones for they believe that their deceased ancestors will go back to their birthplaces. Unlike in other countries, the Obon Festival/Halloween is celebrated during July/August.
Korea
Koreans commemorate the Halloween or Chusok during the month of August. Families visit the tombs and mausoleums and offer food, drink and flowers to show respect to their dead ancestors.
Halloween Practices and Asian Values
In all these practices, we see that Halloween is usually spent to honor and commemorate the spirits of deceased relatives and loved ones. These spirits are not commonly depicted as scary creatures or creatures of the night out to get a piece of the living. Instead, these souls are portrayed by their tradition as spirits who long to be with their families. Hence, we can say that the Asian’s closely knit family orientation is greatly seen even on Halloween.
Culture is enriched by practices and holidays like Halloween. No matter from which vantage point you look at it, whether it’s from a European or an Asian perspective, Halloween will always be one holiday to look forward to anywhere around the world.
For more info: Scary Creatures
Jennifer Franco, 24, is an SEO creative writer, educator and freelance editor. When she’’s not doing her regular work, she spends most of her time cooking up weird manga concepts or nursing teenage grudge that she still happens to have. Jen, as her friends usually call her, is addicted to haircuts and new-notebook smell.
All kids love Halloween, but many parents don’t because of worries surrounding trick-or-treating.
You don’t want your children to be out on the street on their own; you’re not keen on the quality of the treats they bring home; and you may even be worried that someone could put something in a treat bag that would be unsafe. …but all your little munchkins want to do is get out there and have some fun! What can you do?
Well, there are a whole range of options available, and 5 of the easiest are right here for you:
1. Organise a trick or treat tour.
The TOUR element is the important bit. Choose a route with a number of pre-arranged stops, and agree with the householders at those stops what to give as treats and how much. It’s a good idea if you can do this with other parents in the area. Make sure that the kids know that there is a plan and they have to stick to it – or else forfeit their treats! Make sure that there is a chaperone available to accompany the kids on their rounds too.
2. Tell ghost stories around the fire.
If you don’t live in town or near other families with kids to help you with a tour, have some old-fashioned spooky fun at home. Have an open fire or gather a few candles on the table and take it in turns to tell gruesome ghost-stories. After each story toast a few marshmallows on skewers. The person voted spookiest story-teller wins a prize.
3. Have a competition to keep the gang busy.
Got a few kids you can pitch against each other and keep them busy? Great! Have a competition to make the best Halloween creature. A ghost-making competition is a good one, as all you need are a few old sheets (from a charity shop if you don’t have any) and the colouring and craft supplies you probably already have at home. Think of a prize to give to the winner – and to forestall arguments, make it something that is big enough to share with all the others. The great thing about this sort of competition is that it works for any number of kids from 2 upwards.
4. Host a Halloween party.
We don’t often see old fashioned Halloween parties nowadays and more’s the pity. Some traditional tricks and games will keep kids (and grown-ups!) happy all evening and won’t break the bank either. Think: apple bobbing; find the eyeballs (pickled onions in a big pan of water and tea-leaves – which feels disgusting!); and the finger in the matchbox. Ask your own parents and grandparents for more ideas – they will remember doing all of these things as children.
5. Find alternative activities in your area.
If you want a quiet life, have a look in your local area for organised activities that you can take your children along to. Organised activities can be more expensive than doing it at home, but you don’t have to worry about arranging it yourself. Schools and youth clubs may be organising parties, and visitor attractions may be doing something special for Halloween this year. Check online listing sites and local newspapers and magazines for details.
Looking for alternative activities in London? Try Halloween On The High Seas by London RIB Voyages http://www.londonribvoyages.com/ . It’s an exclusive and exciting tour of the River Thames for pirates little and large. The tour takes in all the sites of pirates, buried treasure, and maritime history of Olde London Town. Tickets are