The holiday season is a little different in China. The weather is crisper, there is a small sense of seasons shifting, but trees and grass are still green and lush. Pumpkins are hard to find. I haven’t seen scarecrows, hay, or even that much candy. I’m fairly certain Norway Spruce and Douglas Fir trees aren’t going to be propped up outside the local market this December. So, while Halloween is technically a “thing” in Shanghai, it is primarily a polite nod to the British and Americans in the city, not something widely celebrated.
Similarly, we have been warned not to expect holiday spirit for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or “Western” New Years. We expected that, but understanding and experiencing are two different things. When you ask local expats what they are doing those weekends, the answer is always a long weekend away to travel.
Of course, the Chinese have their own ghost days, very similar to Halloween, but these are celebrated at a different time of year. On the 7th Lunar month (around August/September) many Chinese celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival. This day is dedicated to fending off pestering ghosts which have been roaming around. That entire month, according to ancient beliefs, ghosts are let out of hell to wander the earth looking for entertainment. Luckily for us, the gates close and the ghosts are shuttered back into their realm at the end of the month.
We went to Shanghai Disney recently to try to find some Halloween spirit for the kids. It was full of Disney spirit, but the Halloween spirit was spotty, just an occasional pumpkin Mickey around the park and some guests in costume.
To help with our local festivities, Jeff got the rickshaw running and we decorated it for the trick-or-treating we hoped would happen in our neighborhood. After all, there is an English Language Elementary School across the street. We were right, the haunted rickshaw was a hit!
The older kids stayed home, not daring to expose their interest in the day. But the little kids came out in droves searching for candy. Their faces were bright as they carefully pronounced “trick-or-treat” in English while lifting their bags up for candy. Somethings transcend culture. It was a fun time for all!
