Preparations for Halloween Carnival in Canada have already begun! Halloween decorations are filling up the stores in shopping malls, ready to be sold. Every year on October 31st, Canada and the United States celebrate Halloween! This day is called the Day of the Dead. They believe that the dead rise from their graves and come to the world of the living! In a spooky atmosphere, children and teenagers go door-to-door in the neighborhood after dusk, knocking and saying ‘trick or treat’.
Homeowners decorate their front yards with spooky puppets, masks, lanterns, coffins, etc. to make the day enjoyable. Groups of neighborhood children come and enjoy these decorations. Their bags are filled with collected chocolates and candies! Seeing the happy faces of the children, the adults also feel joyful. Adults organize Halloween parties in city hotels. Billions of dollars are spent on this festival!
After immigrating to Canada in 2001, we used to live downtown. There was a significant white population. I really enjoyed going out with my children dressed up for Halloween. They were so happy to get candy! It was like the spooky atmosphere of Kali Puja on a dark, moonless night from my childhood.
Over the past 23 years, the demographics of Toronto have changed. With the dominance of Asian immigrants, white people have moved further away. This has had an impact on their traditional culture. Halloween night doesn’t have as many decorations anymore. A large portion of Asians are now homeowners. They consider Halloween to be haram or a devil’s festival and keep their children indoors, turning off their lights. They reject mainstream culture with contempt. Some immigrants don’t pay attention to these things and take their children out because Halloween is not a religious festival, it’s just a cultural event.
May the joy of Halloween be unlimited for everyone! Let children enjoy their childhood.
Toronto, Canada
