Halloween in Hong Kong

Oh Halloween.  The best and the worst holiday of the year.  I didn't know what to expect for Halloween but knew Halloween is only big in the States.  However, Halloween is a bit crazy here in Hong Kong.

I'm used to kids dressing up and going trick or treating but that is not the case here.  I remember in elementary school we would come into school in our costumes and have a Halloween parade.  But, in my school, they do not acknowledge it.

Instead of celebrating Halloween, they celebrate Thanksgiving.  Now, the school system mirrors England's curriculum so I was very confused to hear that they celebrate Thanksgiving when England doesn't have the holiday.  Apparently, since my school is a Christian school, they consider Halloween a holiday to celebrate anti-Christ so to counter this they celebrate Thanksgiving because it signifies a thanks to God and other things you are thankful for.  Very interesting since I just view Halloween as a holiday to dress up as someone else and get candy.  

However, the big drinking area, Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), caters to the expat community and celebrates Halloween.  Getting in LKF was a nightmare and crazy.  There were barricades set up all over the place and people everywhere.  There weren't even that many people dressed up.  There were loads of locals coming into LKF to see all the expats in costumes and take pictures.  I shit you not there were loads of news reporters just taking pictures.  My two friends NIgel and Sam dressed up in proper costumes and people kept stopping them left and right to get pictures with them.  

What also shocked me was the amount of children that were there.  Loads of parents brought their children to see all of costumes.  While I think that's nice for the kids to see different costumes, nevertheless it was so uncomfortable.  There were people chugging beers or taking shots and these children would just walk by like it was no big deal.  My friends and I went into a bar at one point to use their bathroom and someone managed to bring their 3-year-old child in.  Straight up a toddler on the bar's dance floor.  I also have no idea who the parents were because it seemed like no one was actually taking care of him.

Halloween is always an interesting holiday but experiencing it here was another story.  It felt almost surreal.  I have no idea where the pictures of me are/where they are going but they're out there!  So el oh el with that and only 53 days until Christmas!