The Origin of Halloween?

In Singapore, some Chinese, mainly Taoists, celebrate the Ghost Festival, or they may call it the 7th Month Festival. Such a festival is very different from Halloween. On the first day of the 7th Month (according to the Lunar calendar), it is believed the door of Hades is opened, and stay open till the last day of the 7th Month. Throughout the 7th Month, the believers burn incense, paper money, or whatever luxurious items (made of paper) they can afford to appease the ghosts (or their deceased loved ones). They believe their loved ones' "lives" in Hades will be improved with the material items they burn them.

Some businesses will set up tents and put up entertainment programs like opera shows, and variety shows for the "ghosts". These usually attract a wide audience, who may stand around the stage, or sit on plastic chairs provided by the sponsors. Sometimes, there may be "banquets" served under these tents, followed by auctions carried out at the same time. Items "bought" from the auctions are supposed to bring one luck.

Halloween is about ghosts too, but so very different! It has become almost a cute event, when little kids dress up in cute little outfits and go "trick-or-treating". Getting as much candy as possible seems to be the goal of Halloween - for the kids at least. For the parents - getting cutesy pictures of their little ones in pumpkin patches? I don't know the origin of Halloween, but I'm sure it's very different from the Ghost Festival celebrated by the Chinese in Singapore.