Foreigners in Vietnam celebrate Halloween to ease homesickness

"It reminds me of late October back home," the 28-year-old Filipina, who lives in Thao Dien, Thu Duc City, says.

When she first arrived in HCMC five years ago, she felt let down by the city's lack of atmosphere on Halloween day.

In her home country, Halloween is widely celebrated alongside the following Undas holiday on Nov. 1 and 2, during which families honor deceased loved ones. Growing up, Dal would visit her grandparents' graves with her family. She would also go camping and play trick-or-treat at her relatives' houses.

Only after she moved to Thao Dien with her Irish boyfriend did she begin to feel the festive vibrance she was used to back in her country.

In Thao Dien, a neighborhood known as the "western quarter," restaurants and cafes are decorated with pumpkins, demon figures and haunted house miniatures. Neighbors invite Dal to their Halloween parties, and she takes wines, cocktails, beers, and snacks to the gatherings.

Costumes are the main focus of most Halloween parties she attends. The events usually start at 6 p.m. and continue past midnight, with guests drinking and socializing. There is usually a prize for the best costume at the end of the party.

In the last three years she has noticed Halloween being celebrated more and more in HCMC, especially by young people. Many bars and malls in District 1 are decorated and hold events on the occasion. Last year she saw children dressed as cartoon characters and dancing in the Nguyen Hue Street plaza.

"Young people here enjoy wearing Halloween costumes and no longer feel shy about dressing up," she says.

Dal (first from R) dressed up for Halloween in October 2023. Photo courtesy of Dal

In Tay Ho District in Hanoi, Tamara Hoffman has been busy preparing for Halloween for the preschool students she teaches. The South African, who has been in Vietnam for six years, has never missed a Halloween though it is not celebrated as widely as back home.

Just before Halloween this year her brother living in the U.S. sent photos of his children dressed up for playing trick-or-treat.

"It made me feel nostalgic for home and want to share the experience with my students," she says.

She prepared candy and pumpkin bags in mid-October and let her students decorate their classrooms.

Tamara and her friends agree that celebrating Halloween in West Lake is a must, with bars offering themed drinks, live music and costume contests, drawing hundreds of people.

Last year she dressed as the comic character "Where's Waldo" and is planning a Cruella de Vil costume for this year's events scheduled for this weekend.

Tamara, in the striped tee, attends a Halloween costume party in October 2023. Photo courtesy of Tamara

Since mid-October, Conor Kelly, 26, has reserved a spot for a Halloween party in Thao Dien, Thu Duc City.

"This time of year is fascinating for western people in Vietnam," the Briton says.

For him, Halloween is about spookiness and humor. He remembers games like bobbing for apples, a highlight of Halloween laughter in his childhood. His family would also gather to watch horror films like "Dracula" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and tell ghost stories.

He feels fortunate to enjoy the festive atmosphere thanks to the costume parties organized by the expat community in Thao Dien, which helps dispel some of his loneliness.

In mid-October he began shopping for Halloween costumes as a musical character. Last year he wore a black shirt and pants, a red tie and a studded belt inspired by rock musician Billie Joe Armstrong.

His friends are set to wear outfits like "Maleficent," pharaohs and Disney princesses.

At around 7pm, they will head to bars to chat, drink beer and award prizes for the best costumes.

"The expat communities and Halloween events here help foreigners like us feel much less homesick," he says.