Published on The Brunei Times (http://www.bt.com.bn/en)
Commercialisation takes over Halloween
Halloween merchandises: Halloween has become a lucrative season in the western world that even malls in Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are jumping on the bandwagon. Picture: BT/Liz Price
Sunday, October 26, 2008
ALL over the world, there are people from all walks of life, religions and cultures who fear frightening but imagined supernatural events
Halloween is celebrated in many countries on October 31st. And that's five days from today. It has its origins from an ancient Celtic festival celebrated in Ireland to mark the end of the harvest season. In those days the Celts prepared for winter, and at the end of October. During the festivals the Celts would light bonfires, and wear costumes and masks.
The name Halloween is a shortened form of "All Hallows Even", meaning the evening before "All Hallows Day". Nowadays in America it is traditional to place a candle in a hollowed out pumpkin. These lanterns originated in Europe and were mostly carved from turnips. Holes were cut to represent a face, as the people believed the head is the most important part of the body as it contains the spirit.
These carved heads are called jack-o'-lanterns. They were commonly left on the doorstep to keep the house free from unwanted ghostly visitors.
Today people have forgotten, or even don't know about the traditions of Halloween. In the USA and other countries, the night of October 31 is an exciting one for children. They dress up in fancy costumes and go out trick-or-treating.
The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats goes back to the Middle Ages. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of "souling" when poor people would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). Today the costumes are quite elaborate, resembling supernatural and scary beings such as witches, skeletons, vampires, ghosts and devils.
Some children dress up to look cuter, and may wear a fairy outfit, or a princess or angel costume. Others may choose a pumpkin outfit, or even a cat or clown and also there are more modern designs from Star Wars characters, and Spider Man and Power Ranger.
Trick-or-treating is when children go from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as confectionery with the question, "trick or treat?" If the householder doesn't give a treat, then the children threaten to play a trick on the homeowner or his property.
Trick-or-treating is one of the main traditions of Halloween. It has become socially expected that if one lives in a neighbourhood with children one should purchase treats in preparation for trick-or-treaters.
This activity has become quite commercial and has spread from the US to the UK and other parts of Europe, and has even reached Asia.
Last year I saw Malaysian children going around trick-or-treating. This is partly due to the increase in American cultural influence from exposure to television, but also shops have jumped on the bandwagon in Asia, and are prominently displaying Halloween items. This commercialism is having negative effects.
Children get greedy and now expect to be treated. The trick part can be something simple such as children telling a joke or poem, or playing the mouth organ. Some throw eggs at windows.
But now there is a growing worry that the trick part could get out of hand, as kids have even spray painted cars.
In the United Kingdom residents are advised by the police to hang out a "no trick-or-treat" sign if they don't want to be disturbed.
In these modern days where safety is always a concern, some parents drop their children off by car, which is also decorated for the occasion. The parents can keep an eye on their offspring, and the kids can then put all their treats in the car if they collect too many to carry.
Also there is an increasing trend for children to do their trick-or-treating in shopping malls.
Other aspects of Halloween include bonfires, and costume parties. Traditional games played during the parties include bobbing for apples, in which apples float in a large basin of water, and the participants must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin.
Apples are associated with Halloween as they have been harvested around that time. Toffee apples are another favourite food item for these holidays. People may carve a jack-o'-lantern from a pumpkin. Some families will read scary ghost stories to each other, or watch a horror film. In some places ghost tours are arranged, where people can visit haunted attractions, or visit a theme park.
So watch out for those wandering ghosts ... or trick-or-treating children on October 31st!
The Brunei Times
Halloween is celebrated in many countries on October 31st. And that's five days from today. It has its origins from an ancient Celtic festival celebrated in Ireland to mark the end of the harvest season. In those days the Celts prepared for winter, and at the end of October. During the festivals the Celts would light bonfires, and wear costumes and masks.
The name Halloween is a shortened form of "All Hallows Even", meaning the evening before "All Hallows Day". Nowadays in America it is traditional to place a candle in a hollowed out pumpkin. These lanterns originated in Europe and were mostly carved from turnips. Holes were cut to represent a face, as the people believed the head is the most important part of the body as it contains the spirit.
These carved heads are called jack-o'-lanterns. They were commonly left on the doorstep to keep the house free from unwanted ghostly visitors.
Today people have forgotten, or even don't know about the traditions of Halloween. In the USA and other countries, the night of October 31 is an exciting one for children. They dress up in fancy costumes and go out trick-or-treating.
The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats goes back to the Middle Ages. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of "souling" when poor people would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). Today the costumes are quite elaborate, resembling supernatural and scary beings such as witches, skeletons, vampires, ghosts and devils.
Some children dress up to look cuter, and may wear a fairy outfit, or a princess or angel costume. Others may choose a pumpkin outfit, or even a cat or clown and also there are more modern designs from Star Wars characters, and Spider Man and Power Ranger.
Trick-or-treating is when children go from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as confectionery with the question, "trick or treat?" If the householder doesn't give a treat, then the children threaten to play a trick on the homeowner or his property.
Trick-or-treating is one of the main traditions of Halloween. It has become socially expected that if one lives in a neighbourhood with children one should purchase treats in preparation for trick-or-treaters.
This activity has become quite commercial and has spread from the US to the UK and other parts of Europe, and has even reached Asia.
Last year I saw Malaysian children going around trick-or-treating. This is partly due to the increase in American cultural influence from exposure to television, but also shops have jumped on the bandwagon in Asia, and are prominently displaying Halloween items. This commercialism is having negative effects.
Children get greedy and now expect to be treated. The trick part can be something simple such as children telling a joke or poem, or playing the mouth organ. Some throw eggs at windows.
But now there is a growing worry that the trick part could get out of hand, as kids have even spray painted cars.
In the United Kingdom residents are advised by the police to hang out a "no trick-or-treat" sign if they don't want to be disturbed.
In these modern days where safety is always a concern, some parents drop their children off by car, which is also decorated for the occasion. The parents can keep an eye on their offspring, and the kids can then put all their treats in the car if they collect too many to carry.
Also there is an increasing trend for children to do their trick-or-treating in shopping malls.
Other aspects of Halloween include bonfires, and costume parties. Traditional games played during the parties include bobbing for apples, in which apples float in a large basin of water, and the participants must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin.
Apples are associated with Halloween as they have been harvested around that time. Toffee apples are another favourite food item for these holidays. People may carve a jack-o'-lantern from a pumpkin. Some families will read scary ghost stories to each other, or watch a horror film. In some places ghost tours are arranged, where people can visit haunted attractions, or visit a theme park.
So watch out for those wandering ghosts ... or trick-or-treating children on October 31st!
The Brunei Times
Interesting story. It's so much fun having people like that instead of stealing and robing.
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