Halloween. Where do I even start?
Halloween, also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a celebration observed in several countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day.
It’s believed to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would start bonfires and don costumes to ward off ghosts.
Well, as long as it works, I guess.
But here’s the thing. Even though Halloween’s a pretty free-spirited occasion, in the sense that you can wear pretty much anything and not be condemned for it (probably), the fact remains that there are still certain lines you should never cross. Dressing your grandma in a nude costume is one;
And Halloween costumes depicting Taoist deities are apparently… another.
Taoists Claim Halloween Costumes Sold in Qoo10 Are Disrespectful & Inappropriate
According to The Straits Times, E-commerce website Qoo10 is currently looking into Halloween costumes depicting Taoist deities on its platform, after devotees voiced out their concern. Apparently, the costumes’ listings were “disrespectful” and “inappropriate”.
According to reports, the costumes are based on two Chinese deities, named Heibai Wuchang in Chinese. They are believed to be worshipped by Taoists as guards of the Underworld.
On Qoo10’s Singapore online site, there’ve been multiple listings of the costumes for adults, as well as children.
As seen in the screenshots above, they feature long-sleeved robes in black or white, and another version with a long red strip that looks like a tongue or Donald Trump’s tie (screenshot below).
Complaints
Master Lee Zhikwang, president of Singapore’s Taoist Mission, said that the Halloween costumes were a serious issue to devotees, and there have been several complaints to the organisation in the past few days.
“We should not take this as a joke but treat (the deities) with great respect. Their portrayal in shows or in any form of media should be done in a strict and careful manner,” said Master Lee.
Similarly, Singapore’s Taoist Federation expressed their sentiments to Shin Min Daily News, stating that the deities were respected by people, and so having Halloween costumes based on them might come across as “insulting”.
Qoo10 has since released a statement, saying that the company’s relevant teams “have already been notified to urgently review the items in question”. Complaints about the costumes on Qoo10 itself, however, do not seem to have been lodged.
A company spokesman has stated that listings on its site that were clearly illegal or unapproved by government agencies would be removed by its team and software system. However, cases like this particular one would require more thought.
“It is not for us as the platform to govern with a heavy hand what can and cannot be sold. If flagged internally, this is still very much a societal issue that needs to be discussed on a case by case basis by internal teams to determine if we need to disallow such products from being sold,” he added.
Nevertheless, Qoo10 expresses heavy reliance on its customers, and professes to prioritise customers’ feedback to “highlight products on its site that they were unhappy or uncomfortable with”.
“When this happens, we have less hesitation to take down products in question, at least until we have a clearer picture of the conversations and controversies surrounding it,” said the spokesman.
