Monday, October 31, 2005

Trick Or Treat

It's Halloween but it's not something that we celebrate here in Malaysia. You see, it's a western culture and it bears no significance whatsoever here. For a country that loves it's public holidays and festivities, it's surprising no one tried to adopt this idea and put it in our calenders. It's celebrated on the night of October 31st every year, usually by children dressed in costumes and going door-to-door collecting candy. Halloween's theme is spooky or scary things particularly involving death, magic, or mythical monsters. The jack-o'-lantern, a carved vegetable lit by a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols, pumpkins being the preferred choice. In recent times, Hollywood has been releasing scary movies to coincide with this holiday. This year, looks like The Exorcism of Emily Rose is the chosen one and from the looks of it, it's a really good movie! I think it would be nice to see kids going around collecting candy dressed in their creative costumes. Like all festivities, it's a time for all to get together regardless where you are. Happy Halloween!




6 comments:

  1. yay...come lets celebrate the devil. muahahahahaa! kas na' radath!! kusay ta' ris!!! alti nanum sath!!! MUahahAHAHAahahahAHA

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  2. dude...what are you trying to say here? you into satanism or something? :P

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  3. sounds like it, no?

    i always felt something was wrong with dave...now we know what it is...eeks... *shudders*....

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  4. Hallo Kshern, "Halloween" is I suppose a western festival. The festival, an ancient Celtic festival, the festival of Samhain is the celebration of the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year. It was celebrated after the harvests were in. I suppose it has it's equivalent in the Hindu festival of Diwali, I'm not sure which of the Chinese festivals this would parallel.

    Though I am sure that the roots of Halloween, or Oiche Samhana - 31st Oct (beginning of the month and festival of Samhain, and would have been calculated on the Lunar calendar), as we call it in Ireland are universal, and that there is a corresponding festival in most cultures. Sadly however, Halloween is now a very commercial event.

    Apple bobbing, and lighting candles in all the windows of the house, eating the Barn Brack, (a cake that contined a small coin, a ring and a crown) were some of the things I recall from my childhood.

    And so I want to gently but firmly disagree with your view of this as a "western" festival. It is a universal festival. It has just been commercialised in the west and called Halloween which is a version of All Hallows Eve. But the traditions and rituals go way back to our origins in a culture ruled by the seasons and nature, and these festivals are celebrated all over the world.

    I wish you a happy Oiche Samhna, a good end to the year and a coming year full of light.

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  5. Just been looking at your Flikr Photos, I am now hungry sooooo hungry. Is this Malaysian, Nonya, or Chinese food? Not that it really matters, my tast buds are calling out and it's just 5.30 pm here and dinner has got to happen soon.

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  6. ainelivia, thanks for the heads-up. the chinese equivalent would be chinese new year which will fall on january 29th next year. i guess all festivals are commercialised anyway nowadays.

    ermm...the food? it's been long since i've updated my flickr but i think you are referring to the food served at amandari which is malay cuisine.

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