Zhang Zhaohong: Ghosts are also crazy about Halloween

Zhang Zhaohong: Ghosts are also crazy about Halloween Phoenix City Zhang Zhaohong Halloween in the West is to please ghosts, otherwise why not call it &#822...

Phoenix City Zhang Zhaohong

Halloween in the West is to please ghosts, otherwise why not call it "Halloween" instead of "Halloween"? Americans have no one to scare them, and they want to try to be frightened, so they have no choice but to frighten themselves. And Halloween is a special time for them to feel this feeling of being scared. The difference between Chinese July 14th Ghost Festival and Western Halloween is that we often call ourselves "Chinese" and call each other "Dutch ghosts, British ghosts, and American ghosts"; Chinese people are often afraid of ghosts, but Westerners like to dress up as ghosts; Chinese people draw charms to drive away ghosts, but Americans use candy to welcome ghosts; the cultural difference between the East and the West is that "people and ghosts have different paths." We went to Los Angeles in early October this year and went to Universal Studios Hollywood with relatives. Tickets to the movie theater on weekdays are NT$79, but on Fridays and Saturdays, they charge NT$129. They also state that children under the age of 12 are not allowed to enter. It is said that Halloween is approaching and there will be monsters coming out of the city at night. We entered in broad daylight and saw a scene of "dead bodies everywhere and dripping with blood." We could feel the terrifying atmosphere of howling ghosts and being blocked in front and behind when the moon is dark and the wind is high on a weekend night. The movie theater will also become a city full of ghosts and ghosts crying. The same is true in Phoenix. Various Halloween activities have already begun. In addition to people dressing up as ghosts and horses in many shops and public places, homes and residences are filled with pumpkins with ghost faces. At night, various ghosts float in the wind, lights flicker on and off, and a perfectly good house is covered with spider webs and a fake grave is piled in front of the door. It is really scary and laughable. There’s more to local Halloween. On the evenings of October 25th and 26th, the "Hot Air Balloon Festival" was held at Salt River Field in Scottsdale, Arizona. This festival has been held twice, and this year is the first time for me to participate. Different from the small candle lanterns used during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, hot air balloons are huge and powerful like a rainbow. The event starts from 5pm to 10pm. In the evening, the entrance to the venue was seriously blocked. Thousands of people flocked here. Many families came out with their whole families, and there were also a large number of makeup artists, which added to the lively atmosphere. That night, more than 20 hot air balloons shot up to a height of ten stories. The balloons were large and transparent in the shapes of various animals and butterflies. The flamethrowers roared from time to time, and the golden flames were bright. The formation was huge and impressive, attracting countless spectators to watch and take photos. Children were running around and cheering. There are also many children's playgrounds, shops, snack bars, etc. in the venue. Of course, there is also the Halloween "Ghost Parade" area, where scary ghost tricks are performed. The organizer is very attentive and distributes glowing sticks to young children and cowards who enter the "ghost parade", so that the "evil ghosts" will let them go during the walk. We entered carefully because it was dark and the road was winding, and there were often various ghosts following or blocking the way, screaming and shaking hands, which was creepy. Interestingly, I have been to many places in the world and the United States, and Chinese people can be seen everywhere, but here tonight, I can't see any compatriots. Next year, I hope more Chinese people will come with their children to participate. The address of Salt River Field is: 7555 N. Pima Rd Scottsdale. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 3-12 years old.

Celebrate the Hot Air Balloon Festival. As Halloween approaches, many home communities will also hold various parties on the weekends. Usually lunches are held in nearby parks, candies are distributed, and inflatable amusement parks are held. Although the United States is not a children's paradise, it is indeed a children's paradise. On October 26th, we went to Anthen, a small town north of Phoenix, to play in the Anthem Community Council Central Park and have a refreshing early Halloween. A Halloween party is also held here for children. There are many children's play facilities in the park, as well as small bridges and flowing water, where ducks play in the lake. Not only is the wind and sunshine beautiful, the scenery is also magnificent. If you are tired, you can even ride a small train, making it a good place for family travel. The small town of Anthen is about 40 minutes north of Phoenix on Highway 17.

Anthem Community Council Park Photography by Zhang Zhaohong As for the real Halloween (October 31st), we will fly to Houston, Texas, and then we will also go to see the "ghosts" of this city. In early November, we will also take a cruise to the world-famous Mayan temple city, Chiché Itzá in Mexico, to look for the oldest civilization among humans. Their gods and ghosts are even more powerful and are said to come from outer space. Some people say that if you want to live a long life, you should not leave the country after seventy, not leave the city after eighty, not go out after ninety, and not get out of bed after one hundred. Let’s change it: go abroad less often after 70, go out less often after 80, go out less often after 90, less get out of bed after 100. Calculating this, if we really want to do it, we still have to wait for several decades. By then, we will already have chicken skin and gray hair, and our appearance will not be human, and it will be more like half human and half ghost. If you and I were still alive at that time, we would say to each other when we meet: "What's going on today? Damn it in broad daylight!" What a joyful thing it would be in life!