Halloween was once considered a tradition mostly celebrated in the United States, however in recent years it has become a global event with people enjoying parades, costumes and trick or treating. How is Halloween perceived in Asia?

We asked our members in India, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam about where Halloween sits in their calendar of events.

When asked about basic awareness of Halloween, the Philippines leads the way with over 90% of people knowing about the annual event. Second is Vietnam at 88%. Singapore 85% of members indicated that they know about Halloween with Thailand not far behind with 74%. The out-lier here was India – with just less than 50% of members recognising Halloween. We could assume with so many various festivals already on the calendar there is little room for another imported celebration.

When asked to rank each holiday from most to least favourite, there was some discrepancy between countries.

Vietnam and Singapore are both heavily influenced by the Chinese calendar, and as such the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration dominates the most popular holidays there. In Vietnam 65% of members chose the Lunar New Year as their favourite time of the year.

45% of participants in Singapore indicated that the Chinese Lunar New Year period was their favourite holiday.

Unsurprisingly Christmas leads the way in the Philippines with 60% of people choosing December 25. New Years Day in Thailand is a standout in the minds of the people with 80% selecting it as their number one.
In India, Deepavali is leads the way with 67% as their top choice.

■Survey Details
Markets: Age 18+ in Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, India, Vietnam
Sample Size: 600 per country
Methodology: Online Survey using Rakuten Insight proprietary panels
Timing: Oct 1 – October 7, 2018