Teaching English in Colombia: Halloween
Did you know that Halloween is celebrated in Colombia? It is also a great party.
Both adults and children dress up and make up. Employees in many offices, banks, supermarkets, and retail stores also wear a simple costume, face paint, or special makeup. “Why do Colombians celebrate Halloween?” I have asked myself many times. I have been teaching English in Colombia for over a decade and still no one can really tell me how Halloween was adopted on such a large scale in Colombia.
“We never celebrated Halloween when I was a child,” says Doris López, seeing two of her grandchildren “dress up” as “Flash” and a princess. She adds: “My kids never celebrated Halloween or went” trick-or-treating. “Her kids, now in their 30s, take their kids out with the expression” tricky, tricky Halloween “to request candy, sweets, and treats. neighbours.
A “rule” of Halloween costumes
However, when Halloween is celebrated in Colombia, there is an unwritten rule. You cannot use a face mask or “alter” your appearance beyond what is recognizable. Why? I think mainly because there is a certain “element” of people who would use the holidays to disguise themselves and commit crimes. Just think, someone walks into a bank or large store dressed in a gorilla suit, then robs the place and its customers. After leaving the scene, the perpetrator only needs to ditch the suit and would be totally immune to recognition of any kind. The person could even be standing right there when the police arrived and no one would know!
Private celebrations in schools
Many elementary and middle schools sponsor their own activities for their positions on the school grounds, inviting parents and family members to participate in games, dramas, parades and costume trials, and other types of contests. During classes, a variety of activities are included, such as coloring books, specially prepared foods, treats, and baked goods. Creepy stories are read, watched or heard. Real objects such as plastic spiders, ghost figures, witches, Jack-o-lanterns (funny because pumpkins are not grown in Colombia) and a variety of “monsters” are used for decoration, name tags and in many other ways.
A highly commercialized party
Traders are always ready to take action, as is likely to be true all over the world. Not only are there “specials” on a wide range of candy, lollipop and candy packages, but shopping malls sponsor Halloween activities and have a “Trick or Treat” session from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. p.m. During that time, parents take their children to the mall to go from store to store where they are handed out treats. The biggest malls here in Cali can have over 80 stores and shops that make a big “swag” if the little ones can hold out long enough to reach most of them. Costumes and makeup run the gauntlet from queens, fairies, princesses and popular costumes through a collection of animals, cartoon characters, superheroes (Batman, Wonder Woman and Spiderman predominate) to pirates, Jedi, wizards (watch out for Harry Potter) kings. and Ninjas. Vampires and soldiers are generally frowned upon. There are also Halloween parties that are held in many homes at night with Cali´s favorite music: Salsa. Have you ever seen Spiderman salsa dancing with a Power-Puff Girl? It’s a real hoot. It’s no wonder that teaching English in Colombia continues to be so interesting.
The day after Halloween, “All Saints Day” or “Day of the Dead” is celebrated, but that, my friends, is another story.
