Today is Halloween, the "ang mo" (western) version of our Ghost Month, except their's just for a day.
Halloween originated as a Pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland, when the dead is believed to revisit the mortal world on this day.
To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.
On this day, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.
We, Chinese go the extra mile, we value add with "live" entertainment to distract. No wonder people say Chinese are smart.
The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.
Imagine the Chinese wearing those all white costume, with conical hats and a tongue that touch the stomach, asking for tao sa pia.
Costumes got more outrageous this year, and one of the most popular design is to have a bloody stingray barb attached to a khaki shirt.
And worse, last week the creators of the South Park cartoon series will air the Crocodile Hunter attending a party in Hell with a stingray barb protruding from his chest.
What the?
The episode had been scheduled for broadcast in the US on Wednesday and would not play in Australia.
Come on lar, just leave the late Steve and his family alone.
So who's this Jack-O'Lantern dude?
To cut the long story short, it all began with an Irish myth of this guy nicknamed "Stingy Jack", who made a fool of the devil on a few occasions. Like making Satan pay for his drink and to pluck fruits up on a tree.
Stupid devil.
Anyway, when Jack died, he couldn't go to heaven and Satan couldn't claim his soul as they had an agreement on that.
So, Satan sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way.
Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since.
The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits.
Americans soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to their country, make perfect jack o'lanterns.
After reading all these, I personally don't see any significance to celebrate Halloween, since it got started due to fear.
We don't celebrate fear right? Do you clap and dance when you see a flying cockroach? These people just want to find more reason to party, to the delight of the retailers of course.
1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in 2005, worthed some US$106 million.
Chocolate and cocoa manufacterers employed 43,322 people in 2004 and shipped US$12.5 billion worth of goods.
Ka-ching! Ka-ching!
I went shopping at Orchard Road today, the one at Chatswood of course.
The font and the colour of the road sign is so similar to Singapore's!
Chatswood is believed to be named after the pet name "Chat" of the second wife of Richard Harnett (a pioneer of the district) and the original "wooded" nature of the area.
I noticed a high percentage of Asian community here. And with 40.1% of the population here earning over AU$87,724 in 2001. (ie the highest Australian quartile of income earners), no wonder major banks like HSBC and Citibank are here too.
It will be so nice to stay here. So beautiful and everything seems so new and clean.
I wouldn't need to go to city anymore, this place is so self sufficient.
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