Halloween originated from the Celtic culture of ancient Europe where people believe ghosts come on the last day of October. The Celtic people calculated a year to be 10 months. They believed that the doors of the underground world open on Oct. 31, the last day of the year, will bring back the souls of those who passed away. They also thought that demons, ghosts, and demons that harm or play tricks on people also escape. Celtic people dressed as fearsome as they did to prevent evil spirits. They even left food on the doorstep to allow evil spirits to enter their houses and leave without causing any other damage, which has developed into a “Trick or Treat” culture in which they gave candies, chocolate, and snacks to evil spirits and chased them through the Middle Ages.
In North America, Halloween is a major festival of fun and community. It also decorates the surroundings of houses with Jack-O’-Lanterns, which are considered to be soul-lighting lanterns for Halloween. A jack-O’-Lantern is a lantern with candles inside after digging out the filling and carving the face of an old pumpkin. Children dress up and go door to door to receive candy, chocolate, and more.
In Asia, Halloween is still influenced by the West as a fresh and growing trend. Although many Asian countries do not hold traditional Halloween festivals, the younger generation is embracing Halloween in major cities. In Korea, by the 2000s, Halloween parties were held at some English academies by native-speaking instructors or instructors from the U.S. and international students. In Japan, where people like to play costume, Halloween spread in the late 2000s as it coincided with their tastes. China prohibits celebrating Halloween in the name of expelling Western culture, but Halloween events such as cosplay are held mainly by the younger generation. Today’s Halloween is more like enjoying costume play parties and events. It is a popular day among the MZ generation these days.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
