A letter from Judy Chan in Hong Kong
December 2010
“Yeah So Win!”
Hong Kong Halloween decorations.
If you ever visit Hong Kong from middle to late October, you may be surprised just how much this city has embraced the Halloween spirit. Everywhere — from shopping centers to schools to apartment buildings — there are decorations with jack-o-lanterns, goblins, ghosts, witches, bats and spider webs. One of the most popular events is the Halloween Bash at theme parks that attract hundreds of thousands of young people to their haunted houses. Restaurants and bars join in for adult fun with parties, costumes and treats while elementary schools may have Halloween parties of their own.
I first noticed this trend about 10 years ago when the Toys-R-Us chain began marketing Halloween in its stores. Then the food and beverage industry joined in, followed by Ocean Park and Disneyland. Disney keeps their attractions family-friendly, while Ocean Park mixes elements of East and West such as a Taoist wedding in the afterlife or a haunted public housing estate. It just keeps getting bigger every year.
I, too, am surprised that Halloween is so popular here, given the fact that Chinese traditionally take the spirit world very seriously. There is even a holiday called Hungry Ghost Festival in the seventh month of the lunar year (around late summer), when the ghosts of the deceased are believed to visit the living. You will see people burning paper offerings during the month to appease the spirits of dead.
A few years ago some churches in Hong Kong began to be concerned about the growing Halloween influence. They wanted young people to have a proper understanding of and attitude toward this holiday. The Methodist Church organized an event called “Pastor Win” to give Christian families an alternative to secular Halloween parties. Over 2,000 people attended this year. (“Win” sounds similar to “Ween” in Chinese.)
Methodist pastor at Yeah So Win.
Building on their idea, the Women’s Ministry of Hong Kong Christian Council decided to sponsor a similar event for all churches on October 30, which they called “Yeah So Win.”; Again, it’s a play on words with “Yeah So” sounding like the name Jesus in Chinese. Yeah So Win was not billed as an anti-Halloween event. After all, there is a Christian connection to All Hallows Eve, All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day. But the event, which took place at a Salvation Army elementary school, included dance, hymn singing, a magic show, drama, an inspirational message, African drums and a children’s angel catwalk. Not a ghost or witch in sight!
Angel costumes for children.
The church and Halloween took on an added twist this year when a Catholic priest made headlines with an offhand remark after a Halloween party. The theme of his church’s party was what happens after people die and how God judges our lives. The priest joked that goblins and ghosts were not that terrible compared with the "real devils" like those rich tycoons in Hong Kong whose business practices oppress the poor. The comment got back to a tycoon who was mentioned and there was a big backlash. The Church retreated and apologized while the priest expressed dismay for being quoted out of context. In fact, the Catholic Church and others have consistently spoken out against injustices in society that have caused the widening gap between rich and the poor. Most people might not dare to go so far as calling Hong Kong’s richest man a “devil,” but surely Christians should ponder anew on every holiday what our faith means in a hurting, broken world.
Do we celebrate holidays just like everyone else or do we use such opportunities to witness to the love of God? Is this holiday season a victory for commercialism or indeed is it a “Yeah So Win”?
In peace,
Judy
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 135
