Saigon/HCMC, Vietnam: Halloween (October 31, 2013)

I didn’t realize Halloween was such an international holiday until experiencing Oct. 31st in Saigon. Celebrations began Halloween eve, the streets were crowded with people drinking and eating in tiny kid chairs that lined the streets. Watching the huge crowds form from our hotel room, we figured it was a good idea to get down on the street and claim our tiny chairs early. We found a perfect spot located right next to the best food cart we had seen thus far.

We enjoyed delicious freshly grilled chicken wings, octopus and beef skewers along with a few Tiger beers. The parade of costumes started to intensify so we decided to walk a bit before settling for the big show. We found an area that seemed to have too many tourists for our liking, but the seats it was prime location… luckily we ended up meeting 3 local guys and a family with the most adorable little girl. Our new friends definitely made our night.

The street was packed with costumes, kids throwing paint and motorbikes. It was interesting seeing the various costumes that were not overly traditional. Most people were just wearing masks or face paint. My favorite was a group of teenage boys dressed in homemade Avengers costumes!

It was a crazy holiday in the best way possible. I love celebrating festivals and holidays at home and in other countries. If you don’t have Halloween plans next year, I highly recommend checking out Saigon.