I.C.E. Club – Madagascar

Yesterday was October 31st. Almost any urban teenager that I met, was a kind of excited. « Come on ! It’s Halloween ! » they all said. What makes this Halloween so special for them, though it’s not even a day off ? Halloween is not a national day, it’s not even a religious day, why do they feel the need to feast it ? Of course, I know that Halloween is a very important day in the U.S., it’s the day (well … let’s say the night) where kids ask for candies and wear fancy clothes. I also know that during Halloween, most of U.S. TV channels broadcast thriller movies, and most of teenagers organize disguised parties. After some research through internet, I discovered that actually Halloween is the All Saints’eve. The first European settlers in North America believed that during this specific moment (the night), all the evil spirits and forces are trying to disturb human beings’ life. It is then the counter-balance of All Saints day. So, … where and what is the connection with Madagascar and its people ? As far as I know, we do not have such custom. Why do Young Malagasy people feel obliged to celebrate it as it is their own culture ? I believe that most of them do not know the real meaning of Halloween. I noticed a very long queue of young guys and girls, all disguised at the night club « LE BUS », I decided to ask one of them about the importance and the meaning of Halloween celebration in Madagascar. He just responded to me like this : « Come on ! We’re young ! We wanna be cool ! Halloween is cool ! That’s why we party during October 31st ! You see, it’s like in movies ! Yo ! » It was obvious for me that these youngsters just wanted to look and to live like their U.S. counterparts. Actually, Halloween has been tremendously popularized throughout the world by U.S. movies. Madagascar also has been hit by this « cultural tsunami » represented by Halloween which was originally, initially an exclusive North American custom. The celebration of Halloween in Madagascar also shows a very important fact : Malagasy teens dream to become American, and all the opportunities to do things like an American (the cliché of American that they see through movies …) are welcomed. Halloween is now a kind of marketing product for USA. They use it to promote their image throughout the world. With their movies, their music, their flashy events, USA is becoming the first cultural power of the world. If it keeps on that way, we, Malagasy people, may end up with a whole generation who will dress like 50 cents, speak like Snoop Doggy Dog, eat exclusively « junk foods », prefer to celebrate the July 04th, rather than June 26th …, and last but not least, who will know nothing about Alahamady but instead, who will never forget to feast Halloween.