The Dark Night

“We can’t go trick or treating here,” says Jason Bent,an exchange student from America in Delhi. But,he’s not one to sulk. “My friends and I will dress up in our most imaginatively scary costumes and go clubbing. Get ready for howls of horror when folks see us,” he says chuckling.

Like Brent,Andy Law from Hong Kong,remembers the wonderful days of trick-or-treating around his neighbourhood. “We used to prepare cookies and sweetmeat in grotesque shapes like eyeballs and skulls. Imagine biting into a grotesque,bloodied eyeball!” he recalls fondly,in between making elaborate plans for this year. “I am in India for a few days. I will try to frighten my friends and,of course,dance the night away at a Halloween-theme party in a nightclub,” says Law,who works for an amusement park in Hong Kong.

Trick or treat,when children’s groups make door-to-door rounds of the neighbourhood collecting sweets and other goodies from adults,is rare in Delhi; the Halloween spirit emerges in the enthusiastic carving of pumpkins and skull-and-bone motifs on costumes and home interiors. “It’s also the night dedicated to horror films,” says Xixi from Singapore who is studying at Lady Shri Ram.

If you drop into American teacher Josh Daniels’ party at his Noida home,be prepared for a night of fright. Daniels is hosting a party featuring spine-chilling movies and heavy metal music. “This year,there will be a costume party with all the traditional American Halloween games such as apple bobbing and pin-a-tail,” he says. While he has fond memories of Halloween at home,he also sounds a word of caution — “the dark always means the unknown. You never know who’s behind the door you are knocking.” He adds that there have been cases of children disappearing on dark Halloween nights in the US. Halloween,therefore,like all good things,comes with strings attached.