Western Halloween and Chinese Ghost Festival are not just different in their names. New Year, The Shanghai International Music Festival, Loyalty A common tradition is the floating of river lanterns that are thought to take or guide those ghosts back to their place. The Taoist name for the Hungry Ghost Festival is the Zhongyuan Festival (中元节), and Buddhists call it the Yulanpen Festival. Photo: Stringer (Getty Images) their way. In Hong Kong the two big theme parks, Ocean Park and Disneyland, have activities themed with Halloween. The “10,000 Saints Festival” is celebrated in big cities all across the country, as young Chinese have taken an interest in this Western holiday. Some parts of Hong Kong do celebrate Halloween, though trick or treating by children is not typically done due to geography. Halloween is a religious festival which signifies the connection between the living and the dead. How to Celebrate Halloween in China With Kids. The Chinese have traditional days of the dead that are much more popular such as the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Qing Ming Festival, the Double 9th Festival, and the Spring Festival. of China with those looking for a more authentic travel experience. She currently writes for Air France's Flying Blue China Club. Do you know how to say Halloween in Chinese. How Adults Celebrate Halloween in China . Halloween entered China mainly through two influences: foreign teachers and Western expats. These ghost days are a part of the folk religion of Chinese people called Daoism. The phenomenon started in the 1990s when groups of American expats started throwing Halloween parties on the trains (and leaving a huge cleanup operation behind!). It is believed that the spirits revisit the mortal world on this day. The seventh month is called the "Ghost Month" (鬼月 Gui Yue), and the whole month is said to be a month in which the ghosts are extant and traveling around the country, looking for entertainment. Bonfires and lanterns are lit to light the spirits path back to earth. In Shanghai there is an old building built in 1933 by the British called 1933 Shanghai that was a former slaughterhouse, and is now an chic office building, that holds a Halloween event every year with adult-rated masquerade parties. Today, the Halloween trains are much better organized and have websites where you can sign up for the fun.. It’s a rare sight to see trains … China does celebrate the “Hungry Ghost festival” on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month (currently in July) Halloween in the rest of Asia The bars and restaurants frequented by foreigners will often decorate for the occasion with pictures of black cats, ghosts, and monsters, and Halloween lanterns, and there might be masquerade parties. Halloween, as we know it in the United States, involves getting dressed up in costumes, trick-or-treating and decorating pumpkins—but is this something they do in China? Sarah Naumann is a long-term Shanghai resident and expert on travel to China. It began about 2,000 years ago, during the rule of Han Dynasty in China. Hallowe’en in Chinese – Key Vocab. The last day of the seventh lunar month: This is a less-celebrated festival day. A great way to celebrate Halloween and practice your Chinese listening/reading skills at the same time is watching a Chinese horror flick. Halloween is coming. If you live in one of these cities, you might buy some candy, but you won't find hoards of Chinese children knocking on doors for treats. Historically, families offer sacrifices of the newly harvested grain to departed ancestors on this day. Foreign teachers have introduced the British and American Halloween of October 31, but except for kids who have foreign teachers or the expat oriented bars and restaurants and schools in China, Halloween activities aren't popular in China. In many ways, this festival is reminiscent of Halloween or the Night of the Dead in the West. Halloween is coming up soon on 31st of October this year! In general though, few Chinese do much about Halloween unless they have foreign friends. Halloween is essentially In general though, few Chinese do much about Halloween unless they have foreign friends. China holds a festival similar to Halloween known as the Ghost Festival, which is celebrated on the 15 th day of the 7 th lunar month. Halloween is not traditionally celebrated as a holiday in China but it has gained popularity in the last two decades as an opportunity to dress up and have fun as China … A bit different Halloween in China… Obviously, Chinese do not understand the concept of Halloween.For them, it is another day where kids get plenty of candies and dress up as characters from their favorite comic books or Disney movies. Many burn more paper money and clothing so that the ghosts can use them in their society in hell. It is believed that the ghosts of dead people can help them or protect them. Halloween is mainly celebrated in western countries, however China has several similar festivals, including the Tomb Sweeping Festival, but the most well known is The Hungry Ghost Festival. The Chinese word for Halloween is 万圣节 (wànshèngjié), … The tea is healthful at this time of the year when the weather changes. Spooky Festivities in Hong Kong, the Halloween Capitol of Asia, Best Things to Do in Sacramento for Halloween, Best Halloween Events in the Oklahoma City Metro Area, Best Things to Do for Halloween in Tacoma, Washington, How to Stay Safe While Traveling in China, 7 Free Halloween Events in Louisville, Kentucky, 6 Halloween Activities in Dallas-Fort Worth, 13 Spooky Halloween Events in Salt Lake City, Get Spooked at These Albuquerque Halloween Events, Best Scary Ways to Celebrate Halloween in Detroit, The 10 Best Reasons to Visit Shanghai Disneyland. So some Chinese children hear about Halloween and might make decorations and get Halloween candy. It is also called tomb sweeping day. The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan Jie, Gui Jie or Yulan Festival is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival held in certain East Asian countries. During the fe... Do Chinese people celebrate Halloween? Unless you live in a compound with many expat kids or kids who go to international schools, you probably won't have any trick-or-treaters. Just keep in mind that you'll need at least three days to a week to get something tailor-made. Frank the tour guide reads posts about decoration ideas for Halloween and compares the Western Halloween with Chinese Ghost Festival.. Actually their duration, aim, ceremony, customs and decoration are very different. People dressed in Halloween-themed costumes participate in a parade event celebrating Halloween at the Happy Valley on Oct. 29, 2020, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Guide, China Top Halloween translate: 万圣节前夕（10月31日晚，人们在此时装鬼玩闹）. The Qing Ming Festival: This festival is in the spring on the 4th or 5th of April. Unlike Christmas where the non-religious traditions have been adopted, Halloween is a non-event for local Chinese people and it's unlikely you'll see signs of Halloween outside major cities. These are the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Qing Ming Festival, the last day of the seventh lunar month, and the Spring Festival. Halloween in China In China the Hallowe'en festival is known as Teng Chieh in which food and water are placed in front of photographs of relatives of people. That’s why the actual night the children having trick or treat should be called 万圣夜 wàn shèng yè, the literal meaning of which is “ten-thousand,” “holy or saints” and “eve or evening.” You can find a relatively simple outfit online, print out photos, bring them to the market, and pick out your fabric. People in China call it 万圣节(wànshèngjié), where people use 南瓜(nánguā) pumpkins to carve all kinds of funny faces and shapes to ward off evil spirits.Many colleges in China hold parties in which students wear 面具(miànjù) masks and clothes that they design for themselves to frighten others. These are often like family outings. A greater percentage of Chinese than Westerners really believe that on these days there is more of a bridge between the dead and the living, and so they must take precautions or honor the dead. History, Chinese My Halloween Experience in Dongguan, China. So some Chinese children hear about Halloween and might make decorations and get Halloween candy. It may not be a traditional holiday, but Halloween (万圣节 – wàn shèng jié) is becoming more and more popular in China with each passing year. & Referral Program. The fabric markets are a great place to take a costume idea and make it come to life with the help of a tailor. Halloween was originally a celebration of the autumn harvest and a ritual to appease spirits of the dead–the Japanese equivalent would be the Bon Festival. In general, they are dates for people to protect themselves from attacks or pranks by the ghosts and also dates to seriously honor and worship their ancestors or famous people of the past. Halloween is celebrated on the 14th night of the seventh lunar month according to the Chinese calendar. Halloween is essentially a gimmicky holiday in China and lots of bars, pubs, and restaurants will use Halloween as a theme night. However, in 2018, tens of thousands of Chinese millennials are planning on attending Halloween parties this weekend, and many more promoters are organizing Halloween-themed parties in Shanghai. It evolved into a day of fun and parties for most people. Attractions, China Many Chinese families maintain ancestral tombs. Americans love Halloween: the candy, the costumes, and the creepy decor.But as beloved as the holiday is in the states, it didn't originate here. It is thought that the ghosts may attack their enemies or be angry or malicious. The Chinese territory’s economy shrank sharply in recent months, officials said on a day when the traditional wearing of masks became especially provocative. The fireworks originally were thought to drive away evil spirits, and there are a lot of Daoist religious traditions associated with the time that most Chinese probably still believe. Halloween in China is not typically celebrated, especially in mainland China. “Some of them just feel similar, but not that pure,” according to Rhiannon, who has had a hand in one of the biggest such events at club space Arkham. The seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar is the scariest month of the year because on the first day of the seventh month, there is an ancient belief that ghosts are let out of hell. Learn more in the Cambridge English-Chinese simplified Dictionary. The Hungry Ghost Festival takes place during the 7th Month of the Lunar Calendar; The Ghost Month. The Double Nine Festival: This is another traditional day for worshiping the dead. Families go out on the day to tend and repair their ancestors' tombs. Cultures from Europe to China have traditional days of the dead or ghost days that are thousands of years old that were part of the tribal folk religions before the advent of Christianity in Europe and Buddhism in Asia.Â. On the eve of 31 October, many Western countries come alight with the glow of countless jack-o’-lanterns that signify the arrival of Halloween. Many people try to avoid doing anything dangerous during the month, such as swimming or being out alone at night since the ghosts are active. In some places, Chinese Halloween starts from the first of July (Lunar calendar) and ends on the 14th of July. Halloween at a train station in Osaka, Japan – Photo by Osaka Subway. Halloween originated from the traditional holiday of Celts in Great Britain who believed that the last day of October was “the day of the dead” or “the ghost day” when ghosts crossed over the boundary between the living and the dead. So if you love a good Halloween party, China might just be the perfect place to source your costume and accessories in advance. People celebrate and observe this day in various ways. China Halloween wholesale - Select 2021 high quality Halloween products in best price from certified Chinese Halloween Items manufacturers, Halloween Gift suppliers, wholesalers and factory on Made-in-China.com Foreign teachers in China might have a Halloween party for their students and a lesson about Halloween in their country. In China, Halloween celebrations among the younger generation are gradually becoming more and more popular. It is one of several important days to deal with ghosts and worship ancestors in China. China Area The Chinese Spring Festival: Every year, the Chinese celebrate the beginning of their new year with festivities, reunions, vacations, and fireworks. Check your city for local Halloween-themed events like Hong Kong's Halloween Fest or this Halloween Fair in Beijing. China has a similar holiday to Halloween called [guǐ jié] 鬼节, also known as "Ghost Festival" in English. Halloween in Japan is a little different to the Halloween of other countries. The Chinese days of the dead are a part of the religion of the common people. The Hungry Ghost Festival: This ghost day is on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. In China, most people do not observe Halloween. In fact, the history of Halloween … In order to encourage the ghosts to leave, Taoist monks chant. 万圣节 (Wànshèngjié), as it is called in Chinese, is almost exclusively celebrated by the expat population. Despite Halloween not being a huge part of the culture, China happens to be a great place to put together a Halloween costume. Another Hallowe'en festival is called The Feast of the Hungry Ghosts. You can check local expat magazines for parties and hit the bar scene for a spooky night out. Of course, no Halloween would be complete without plenty of scary movies (恐怖电影 – kǒng bù diàn yǐng), such as: Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and so on. We're a passionate team of one hundred avid travelers who love to share our knowledge Many people translate Halloween in Chinese as “万圣节 wànshèngjié,” but the actual Halloween is on November first. These traditional festivals are hundreds of years old. But you can see people out cutting the grass, decorating the tombs, and worshiping or presenting food. Some foreign teachers provide Chinese students with lessons about Halloween and set up parties. However, in English speaking countries such as America and Britain, many take the day seriously as a special day for religious prayers or witchcraft. If you're visiting China during Halloween, you'll probably only find these parties in larger cities that are more expat-friendly such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Halloween entered China mainly through two influences: foreign teachers and Western expats. According to the Chinese calendar, the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month.,6 In Chinese culture, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general … Western festivals such as Christmas and Halloween were first introduced into China back in the 1990s and have been enjoying increasing popularity ever since. If you happen to be in a big city with large expatriate communities such as Beijing, Shanghai, or ​Guangzhou, you might see pumpkins or squash decorating shopfronts and grocery stores selling western products. And October 31 evening is the night before. It is thought that on the last day of the month the gates of hell are closed up again. Halloween in China is Chinese Halloween is called Ghost Festival, a popular occasion celebrated throughout China on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. It is also a time for families to go for walks in the fall in the mountains and hills and drink chrysanthemum tea. © 1998-2021 China Highlights — Discovery Your Way! There are several days and a whole entire month in China that are similar to Halloween. On this day, food and water are placed in front of the photographs of deceased family members and lanterns are lit in order to light the paths of spirits as they travel the earth on Halloween. Masquerades, haunted houses, movies, and costumed people could give you a fright. The Hungry Ghost Festival. Unfortunately, only the international schools will likely be doing anything Halloween related, so if you're just visiting China with your kids during Halloween, you'll be hard-pressed to find parties or trick-or-treating, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Foreign teachers in China might have a Halloween party for their students and a lesson about Halloween in their country. 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