Halloween in Taiwan
They don’t really do Halloween in Taiwan. Of course, it’s a pretty American holiday, so it’s understandable. But, as the Official American Representative to my students, I got drafted into taking them trick-or-treating. Unfortunately I have no pictures of this super-awkward and not at all fun night of begging for candy.
In Taiwan, trick-or-treating isn’t supposed to be fun for the children. Rather, it’s a sad, transparent, attempt by English schools to show off to random, unsuspecting passers-by that their students can speak English! And participate in American holidays! And be seen with white people!
We basically just walked up and down a busy street, (with no sidewalks!) with the kids chanting, “Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat” over and over. (In English!) We stopped at about eight businesses and apartment buildings that had been previously given candy to hand out and the kids were all instructed to go up one by one and mumble “Happy Halloween,” or something like it and then we tramped on. I tried explaining to the other teachers that this is not how we do it in America and maybe the kids would have more fun doing it the authentic way, (ie not chanting like they’re in basic training). This was roundly dismissed as too much trouble, or some such nonsense. I figured this was a pretty shameless attempt at some free advertising on the part of my boss and decided to shut up and go along with it. Who would know, after all?
Then as I was waiting at a stoplight on my way home, I saw a procession of kids from another school (this one had TWO foreign teachers) and they were all chanting the same first half of that stupid song (that I never even liked because only the stupid kids said it) and looking unenthused. Apparently it’s just how they celebrate Halloween here, in the least fun way possible.
