Ethnic Attire for Halloween Costumes--I think NOT!!!!!!!!!

I was alerted by this from a friend of mine, Jennifer Hilzinger. She recently posted this to KAAN's facebook page and is allowing me to share. Since then, I found a news article on it on CNN's website. These students did an amazing thing in my opinion. They put in pictures and words what I had been saying and thinking...it's awful to consider a traditional cultural attire as a Halloween costume or to stereotype an ethnic group as well.

A question came up on a Facebook page that I like if we are dressing our children in their Hanboks for Halloween. WHAT ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? My children's precious hanboks would be used for them to parade around our neighborhood in to trick or treat???? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!! Hanboks were something that they wore as regular clothes each and every day and now are worn mainly on special occasions. To say that they can go trick or treating in is like saying that I don't care about Korea, my friends who are Korean, and my children and their Korean ancestors. Halloween is certainly NOT a special day to wear one. I posted back that I wouldn't be doing this and why.

On another Facebook page, the business was selling dress up Hanboks like a child would dress up in a surgeon's outfit or as a knight or as a construction worker. I read the comments on there and one woman who was going to buy it had reconsidered due to the comments made on the other page.

Please consider how you are treating the other ethnic groups when you dress up in their traditional attire that they would consider to be their heritage this Halloween season and always.

Pumpkin Picking and Halloween Parade

Here's a few pictures from pumpkin picking and our Neighborhood parade!!




Pondering on how you decide on the perfect pumpkin.





"I found a pumpkin, Mommy!!!" Of course she found a better one after this.



Taking it easy while we're trying to pick out our 3 pumpkins!!!


Here's a few pictures from Halloween and our Neighborhood parade!!







Yes sir!! We're behaving for the state police officer.





Helping my Little Sister out with her candy!!



Checking on the candy in the bucket!! Yup it's still there!!!




Me having fun on the parade route still shaking the noisemaker that we got on the beginning.




Look who we found on the parade route!!! Now where is that R2D2 unit????



We dressed up to answer the door for the trick or treaters on Halloween night. Mommy dresses up every year to answer the door for the trick or treaters.

Annual Neighborhood Halloween Parade

One lady in our neighborhood each year organizes a fantastic Halloween parade for the little kids and some of the older kids in our neighborhood. Anybody who wants to dress up can.

At last year's parade, we were treated to 2 full sized R2D2 units (from Star Wars just in case you don't know) that danced to their own music. They were a huge hit with the kids.

This year's parade was no exception. We had adults dressed up as Darth Vader and 2 Stormtroopers and a teenager dressed up as Princess Leia (also from Star Wars).

We also had a real life State Police officer who was doing the parade route with his young son.

My parents came up to help out with the kids and take pictures of them trick or treating. We had the two oldest walking and Bella was in the stroller. By the half way mark, Katie was being carried, Ryan was dragging, and Bella was still in the stroller. About 2/3 of the way through the route, Katie was in the stroller, Ryan was being held and Bella was walking most of the rest of the parade route. By the 2/3rds mark, Bella knew the routine and how to do it. It took one hour from start to finish to do the parade.

When we got home they had to see their goodies. They each had a couple of pieces for snack and haven't asked for any more since.

Sorry I'm not showing any pictures just yet...I need to download them from my camera.

Now we just need to work on them saying "trick or treat" and then "thank you" (heck I'd take a Kamsahamnida as well).

~Jen