Halloween, Hong Kong Style

I have always been a big fan of Halloween because I like dressing up, and I consider candy to be a food group of its own. But, I didn't expect the holiday to be very exciting for me here in Hong Kong. Of course, the festivities and merchandise here can't compare in scale to at home, but they are present enough to make Halloween a fun time. And actually, some of my English friends said that the holiday was bigger here than in their own country.

For the past month or maybe even a little longer, the two main theme parks in town have been celebrating Halloween. Ocean Park, sort of like a combination of Sea World and Six Flags with smaller rides, has set up haunted houses and other spooky decor. During the evening holiday hours, they have people stationed around the park to scare attendees. (I personally chose to visit the park during the day because I don't like to be scared or startled). Hong Kong Disneyland also decorated and put on some special productions and parades, though I didn't go to see it.

I think it was about two weeks before Halloween that small shops and grocery stores began displaying their small selection of holiday wares. Witches' hats and capes, as well as headbands with a wide variety of animal ears, were readily available. I even found fun size candy bars and Halloween marshmallows and chocolate! A bit later on, a street in Central was filled with costume stalls with both adult and children's things.

I personally decided to be a ladybug this Halloween, and actually used wings purchased from a children's toy store. My friends and I went to a house party first and then dancing in a more Western area of town called Wan Chai. There, we blended in quite well in our costumes. But, on the MTR earlier in the evening, we stood out much more than usual and had our photos taken with several different groups of people.

However, I did see a few children in the early evening Friday, Saturday and Sunday who were walking around in costumes, escorted by their parents. But really, I would consider trick-or-treating quite difficult here where people live in apartment buildings with entry codes and doormen. It's not quite the same as walking down a leaf-strewn street from house to house on a crisp fall evening.