Friday, October 28, 2005

Halloween - The Pooky Night

Each year, on the last night of October, millions of children across the U.S dress-up in costume and take to the streets for a spooky dose of 'trick or treat' fun. In the late 20th century, most other Western countries adopted Halloween as a part of the American popular culture.
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Halloween dates back to Ireland some 2000 years ago. Halloween is supposedly the Day of the Dead. And this festival is called the Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland. Japan does not celebrate a western-style Halloween. Instead the japanese celebrates the 'Obon Festival' which is similar to Halloween festivities in that likewise, it is dedicated to the spirits of ancestors. Meanwhile the chinese celebrates Festivals of the Hungry Ghost - the spirits (of the ancestors) supposedly rose from the dead during the 7th month of the lunar new year and, in order to attract them, food was left on the doors.

Wherever you may be happy Halloween and have fun ! And so much of a celebration, it was reported recently that a body of a suicide woman hanging from tree was mistaken for some halloween decoration. Scary ~

12 comments:

Melissa said...

Are you serious? Thats terrifying! Where was that? Japan? I live in inaka Gifu, and they are definately starting to celebrate Halloween here! There are many Halloween decorations at the stores, and some people even decorate their house! The Icecream man at Baskin and Robin's 31 wears a costume everyday! I never really like Halloween...It always freaked me out!The origins are in Samhein...its really scary stuff. Check it out.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, that was scary!

I like your photo. I remember my former maid did a good job with pumpkin carving when I was a child, she hanged them in one of the bedrooms (lights off, with candle inside the pumpkin) and trees in the dark outside, and boy, did the pumpkin gave my siblings and me a fright!

pinkylicious said...

Happy Halloween to you too. So did you attend any Halloween party? What would you most likely be in Halloween??

Sidney said...

Happy Halloween !
Your Obon pictures are amazing!

Acrix said...

Happy Halloween :) I alwayz tot Halloween originated from the US and thx to ur post, now i knoe it;s Ireland :) Have u watched the Tim Burton's corpse bride?

Patrick Leong said...

melissa : that was in delaware i think. great that there are so much halloween celebrations in gifu. not much over here in kyoto. i only see decorations in the malls. not so much of a trick or treat fun (i have never actually seen one) or perhaps i didn't go out often (always hiding in the lab or in my capsule room !). and these days i am sure kids are not so much into doing the tricks perhaps they just want to get the treats.

amber : hehehe. i had fun with the jack-o' lantern too last year. one of my housemates bought a really really huge pumpkin. it was fun to carve the pumpkin with funny face :P

emotionalistic : no parties. well. i have never dressed up in costumes during halloween. and yourself ? i am sure there are some halloween parties in town but probably will just rent some scary movies and watch alone (or with friends).

sidney : happy halloween to you too. anything happening in the philippines ? halloween pranks ?

acrix : thanks. tim burton's corpse bride ? not yet. is good ? i have watched tim burton's nightmare before christmas and big fish. so so only. however, i do look forward to see charlie and the chocolate factory. happy halloween.

Anonymous said...

Happy Halloween. That's a really cool scarecrow with the glowing pumpkin head.

Primrose said...

Hehe! I like the title of your blog. Very, err, different. :D

Acrix said...

For my frenz, they said it's not that nice. BUt i find it rather entertaining and the graphic is so cool!

Anonymous said...

hehe primrose, you meant??

1) to travel is to live

or

2) Halloween-The Pooky Night


charlene.

zbjernak said...

i guessed in malaysia it is not very big...
but i think jap..they kind of adopt it too...no?

Patrick Leong said...

ed : there were actually a few of them - like a family of scarecrows with pumpkin heads :P

sweepy : corpses for sale during halloween eh ?

primrose : hehehe ... i know that i am bad in my writing :@ but good and accurate pronounciation is very important here.

charlene : she meant the title of the post : halloween - the (s)pooky night.

elisa : thanks. nothing much. no celebration here. not even sweets. as usual, work in the lab.

zbjernak : maybe there are alot of happenings in pubs and clubs. not in my apartment. nothing in the school. no corpses hanging on trees. no pranks.