Halloween in Asian Cultures
Submitted by Grace Zhang
We have Halloween. What’s it like elsewhere around the world?
Halloween is just around the corner, bringing the festive fanfare in all its glory. While here in America we are used to marking the occasion with pumpkin decor and candy extravaganza, the Halloween celebrations may look a little different across the ocean. Check out how these different Asian countries celebrate their versions of this spooky holiday!
China and Hong Kong: Zhong Yuan Jie or Yu Lan Jie (The Night of the Hungry Ghosts)
During this celebration, people leave offerings of water and food for the dead to nourish their soul. They also light lanterns to help guide the spirits across the land of the living. Pilgrims who visit the Buddhist temples create paper boats to symbolise and recognize the dead, and to free any restless souls who have not gone gently into that good night. In Hong Kong, the spirits of those without any loved ones are thought to be most active on this night. Pictures of fruit or money are burned to quell the restless souls.
Japan: Obon
The Japanese festival of Obon sees the night painted a deep red. Lanterns splashed with the bright hue are hung in houses and placed in rivers and boats, carving a bright path for roaming spirits to find their way home. Japanese families also clean memorials in hopes that their ancestors will go back to their birthplaces during the festival. Unlike the October timeline of our American holiday, Obon takes place in high summer, during July or August.
India: Pitru Paksha
The Hindu custom of pitru paksha sees families offering food and prayers to the ancestors over the course of 16 days in late September and early October. Some Indian homes and businesses do host small Halloween parties for those who have become accustomed to the Western Holiday!
Korea: Chuseok
Set in the month of September, Chuseok is an annual event where family members are able to congregate and offer rice and flowers to their dead ancestors as a sign of respect. They will travel from large cities to their hometowns to pay respects and make sure to clean the area around the tomb. It is also a time to celebrate with loved ones in a harvest festival that has been dubbed “Korean Thanksgiving” in American English.
Cambodia: P’chum ben
P’chum Ben is celebrated in the tenth month of the lunar calendar. Cambodians dress in traditional garb and bring special delicacies – such as sweet sticky rice and beans wrapped in banana – along with gifts to their local temple. They spread rice and sesame seeds in the areas where the ghosts and spirits are thought to live, coming together to offer prayers and blessings to those who have passed.
Thailand: Sart Thai day
A Buddhist festival set around harvest time, Sart Thai day (also known as memorial day) is a time where people can celebrate those who have passed on. The local Thai offer up the first harvest to the spirits. Krayasart, the food for Sart day, is made of rice, beans, sesame and sugar and taken to the local temple. After the offering, the people perform a ceremony where they pour rose and jasmine-scented water around the temple to pass on respect and blessings to the dead.
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