Halloween is one of the children's favorite holidays. Buddha's Light Hsi Lai School hosted the Halloween Car Parade on October 31st through the help of the youth group and volunteers. Using pumpkin-colored balloons, Halloween themed trees, and bales of hay to signify the fall harvest, the school was able to create a new "trick-or-treat" experience for the children, boy scouts, and orchestra students.
Buddha's Light School principal Ven. Hui Dong thanked everyone who contributed to the planning, execution, and decoration of the Halloween Car Parade before kicking off the event. The principal then leads the car parade on the decorated golf cart through the drive-through event. With the music playing, the attendees were split into two groups in order to accommodate the 100 families. Along the way, the kids and their parents were keen to show off their vehicles adorned with Halloween decorations, including Antz, Men In Black, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Addams Family, Spider Man, witches, and vampires have been spotted on cars driven by the families.
When the cars arrived at Venerables passed out goody bags filled with candy, Year of the Rat lanterns, Pikachu headwear, and toy star sword. Ven Man Zhao also passed out goody bags to the parents that included Great Compassion Water, chocolate, and necessity items for the quarantine. The children experienced a Halloween full of candy and toys without having to promise not playing any tricks in return- a Halloween full of treats without tricks.
The teachers emphasized on "Three Good Conservation of Life" theme and collectively agreed to dress up as animals to promote the conservation of nature. Teachers were spotted in costumes that included: mermaid, zebra, cheetah, Angry Birds, and more. They waved energetically at the students passing by, bringing a lot of joy to the students who were able to interact with the teachers. The three inflatable Samanera decorations were placed throughout the event course to greet everyone upon the entry and exit of the event as well, offering their good wishes for all to take home.
School Director Ven Man Zhao expressed gratitude towards the planning, coordination, and assistance of Kevin Su for the event. Allowing the children to still celebrate Halloween during Covid-19 while following the government's mandate. As of now, Hsi Lai School offers not just the lessons from Monday to Friday, but also the art and tea ceremony training online. Please look forward to our future series of parental speaking events.