60% of Chinese Millennials Love Halloween but Know Nothing about its Origins

60% of Chinese Millennials Love Halloween but Know Nothing about its Origins
Nov 01, 2015 By eChinacities.com

Editor's note: Chinese millenials are very different from their parents. "Their purpose in life is different than the former generation, they really want to make this moment interesting and happy rather than living for the future and for others – I think that's a critical values shift," said Ellen Hou, McCann Worldgroup Shanghai's group managing director and chief strategy officer in AdAge. They want to have fun, and not many Western holidays are more fun than Halloween. This article reports on China's youths' thoughts on the spooky holiday

Halloween, traditionally a Western holiday, has become popular amongst Chinese youth in recent years. The Paper surveyed Chinese youth in the weeks leading up to the October 31 holiday. 1,018 young men and 1,036 young women were surveyed. It turns out that Halloween has become the third favorite Western holiday (behind Christmas and Valentine’s Day) for Chinese youth born after 1990.

To Party, or Not to Party?
64.2 percent of Chinese millennials said that they enjoyed Halloween in some aspect. 15.6 percent said that they had no interest at all in Halloween, and that the holiday is a waste of time. 51.5 percent said that they would seek out Halloween-related activities in their city, while 26.1 percent said that they would not make the effort themselves but would tag along with friends or classmates to a Halloween party. 22.4 percent said they would not go to any Halloween activities.

More Foreign Students, More Halloween Fun
University sophomore Chen Jing said, “Schools with cross-cultural communities will have Halloween parties and activities. At our university, the School of Foreign Languages organizes Halloween activities. A few days ago, I went with them to buy Halloween decorations like masks, fake skeletons, pumpkins, witches hats, black cloaks and more. Some students made a haunted house in a dormitory building.

Most Chinese millennials know nothing about the origins of Halloween, and just see it as a fun holiday.

Cultural or Tacky?
83.7 percent of those surveyed said they did not know the specific origins of the holiday, but celebrated because they liked the scary theme and fun activities. 16.3 percent said that they understood the origins of the holiday.

An official from social media site RenRen’s university student research center said that Chinese millennials are as a group, are very free-spirited. Chinese youth are quick to accept Western holidays, but it is important for them to understand the origin and culture behind the holiday. This would make the holiday more meaningful and unique for them. Without any meaning behind it, Halloween as a holiday can get a little tacky.

Source: The Paper

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Keywords: Millenials Halloween origins Millenials Halloween China

6 Comments

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Samsara

With thoughts as deep as yours, you will acclimatize to China easily.

Nov 02, 2015 21:46 Report Abuse

rasklnik

Frankly, I'm not sure how much 'culture' there is behind a mish-mash of Catholic Hold Days, Celtic Paganism, Walpurgis Nacht and Casper the Friendly Ghost with Slasher Movie and eating candy...I mean it isn't like we are talking about Easter or Bastille Day...If there was ever a holiday that is, insipid, it's Halloween. Is it fun? Yes. Especially well girls wear underwear and call it a costume, but still...I don't think this is one time to get upset...

Nov 02, 2015 13:15 Report Abuse

Samsara

"It is important for them to understand the origin and culture behind the holiday." --- So, because Chinese people know the "culture" behind the Chinese New Year, that makes sitting in front of a TV watching a rubbish celebrity guest show for 3 days meaningful, not tacky. --- Dressing up and having fun = Submitting to tacky Western culture. Watching sensationalised imitations of Western TV shows = Meaningful Traditional Chinese Culture. Got it.

Nov 01, 2015 14:47 Report Abuse

Mateusz

Tacky... or if you want to go full Social Justice Warrior, "Cultural appropriations and racist colonialism." (or some other such word salad, maybe something about violence, or systems oppression.).

Nov 01, 2015 07:56 Report Abuse

Benjamin321

That is such a microaggression. I need a safe space...

Nov 05, 2015 13:57 Report Abuse

Mateusz

What if you're triggered by safe spaces?

Nov 07, 2015 09:00 Report Abuse