Halloween more of a students’ thrill

The youth in the federal capital is surely entertainment-starved; perhaps that is why they resort to activities such as vehicular acrobatics such as drag races and wheelies, watching violent or porn movies; and last but surely not least is taking drugs.
Beside this, the rampant unemployment and illiteracy sometimes also force the youth to indulge in these life hazards.
Another cultural import is Halloween celebrations, though it is yet so popular among the youth like other indulgences mentioned above.
This entertainment-packed thrill night is celebrated on 31 October all over the world.
While some of the liberty-seeking youth with somewhat traditional upbringing dislike the event for its dark themed musical parties, masked attires, excessive usage of liquor and mingling with the opposite sex there.
Still the youth belonging to the elite families of the capital city celebrate the Halloween night in private gatherings at home or restaurants. Most of the Halloween events this year as well are being held by foreigners living in the capital. A few international private schools and colleges also organise Halloween parties to promote a ‘secular culture’ since a lot of students from different regions study there.
“No one is too young to enjoy Halloween”, says Mariah, a ninth grade student of the American International School, Islamabad.
Nashmia, a Pakistani student of the same school, says that her school organises a Halloween carnival where the participants wear gothic costumes and the party is filled with various games and candy stalls.
Zoya Khan, who a 10th grader, says she is looking forward to seeing her friends in punks and bumble bees costumes. This year Zoya plans to sport the attire of an angela in contrast to the persona of devils and witches.
“Halloween is so much popular among the students that the teachers could tease them by sating saying, ‘Behave yourselves, or the Halloween party will be cancelled!’. Some teachers do not mind to cut in for a dance. It creates an overall fusion of entertainment. We are anticipating the tonight’s thrill, and we hope that it would be a cool rocking night,” said a male student.
Culture mirrors our ways of life. It varies from country to country, society to society, and class to class. Every nation cherishes and preserves its culture, values, morals, and ethics. “Though I am aware of this event but I just could not join my classmates in their midnight Halloween celebrations,” said Ahad Ahmed, a Pakistani student, adding that “We have our own ways to celebrate the coming Eidul Azha and I am looking for that anxiously”.
In this western festival popularised by the Americans, children dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating. Many people carve jack-o-lanterns out of pumpkins. Halloween parties feature fortune telling, story-telling about ghosts and witches and apple bobbing.
Halloween’s roots go back to ancient new year celebrations and festivals of the dead. Around 800 AD, the Christian church established All Saints’ Day on November 1 so that people could continue a festival they had been celebrating before becoming Christians. The mass said on All Saints’ Day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before All Saints’ Day became to be known as All Hallows’ Eve or All Hallow e’en.
The trick-or-treating is the main feature for young children in the US. The young ones dress in costumes and masks and go from door to door saying ‘trick or treat’. The neighbours, to avoid having tricks played on them, give the children treats such as candies, fruit or some money.
In England, Halloween was sometimes called Nutcrack Night or Snap Apple Night. Families sat by the fire and told stories while they ate apples and nuts. On All Souls’ Day, poor people went a- souling (begging). They received pastries, called soul cakes, in exchange for promising to say prayers for the dead.
Halloween in the US also dates back to early times. Many early American settlers came from England and other Celtic regions, and they brought some of their customs with them. But because of the strict religious beliefs of other settlers, Halloween celebrations did not become popular until the 1800s. During that time, large numbers of immigrants arrived from Ireland and Scotland and introduced their Halloween customs.