AMERICAN LIFE - How do Americans celebrate Halloween?

Who doesn't like Halloween? Of course, there is no denying the fact that children do relish this Halloween season. The preparation for this annual occasion has begun months before the actual day arrives. Many families will head to the store to buy Halloween merchandise and numerous bags of candies, as well as picking out wonderful costumes for their children for Halloween.

From here, we would like to share with all of you the unforgettable moments we had experienced during the Halloween season in America. It was a great opportunity indeed for us to immerse ourselves in this entirely unique culture. Truthfully, we did not know much about Halloween stuffs until we made a visit to the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival. It was truly amazing to see thousands of decorated pumpkins that were on display and we also witnessed how Americans embrace this very special day.

We also attended another event which was a Halloween Party. When we first stepped into the party, the atmosphere was completely cacophonous and lively. We were initially bewildered to notice everyone in the room dressed so differently and we could hardly recognise them from their backs! They either looked humourously fancy, silly or even SPOOKY in their costumes: ranging from cowboys, scarecrows, funny-looking clowns to bloodthirsty vampires, elegant princesses and even awesome heroes like Superman (one of my fellow friends, Kyle, in the picture below) – basically, costumes you definitely would not expect!

Halloween is also a time of creativity. During our stay with our host family, we had demonstrated our creativeness by meticulously carving out interesting and intricate designs from the pumpkins. Our host family had beautifully decorated their lawn with the pumpkins which we had all previously carved. The children take part in Halloween as well by frequently engaging in their favorite once-in-a-year Halloween activity, TRICK-OR-TREATING! The children will dress themselves in their costumes. They will flock every house in the neighbourhood, and fervently wait for every door to be opened before saying 'trick-or-treat!' in an ecstatic unison. Then, they will make their way off blissfully with their "loots". Finally, at the end of day, they will return home, feeling contented with their sacks that are filled with a plethora of sweets and chocolates.

In all, we really had a wonderful experience and a gratifying time celebrating this festive occasion. Halloween is truly a delightful occasion to celebrate, and also to share our joy and laughter with our friends and families! There is really a multitude of stuff we can do together as well!

And Happy Halloween!

Article by Gabriel Chan Duen Yue and Parinha Seyhak