Mixed reactions to Halloween Day
‘MAKERESEMESE LETUKA
MASERU – The emerging trend of the headline grabbing Halloween Day displays in the country lately have sparked substantial debate, leaving revellers and the general public with mixed reactions.Touted the first ever Halloween festivity in the country, a maiden display was held last year.The very recent Halloween Day show held at a local club in Maseru, has left tongues wagging.One youngsters who attended the event last Saturday, ‘Malekhotla Mahooe, said it was amazing yet scary at the same time.“It was really amazing but scary because everything looked so real,” said Mahooe in interview with Public Eye.“The make-up, decorations and some of the plays that were made were entirely about fun, no evil or Satanism portrayed as many people would want to allude.”
But Mathibela Nkhone, who had never attended any Halloween event before, has a different opinion.“It is purely evil and the work of Satanists,” said Nkhone. “There is no way a Christian can participate in that sort of thing.”Nkhone said such displays had nothing to do with the local culture as they were adopted from the Western beliefs, with no relations with black African communities.’Maleutsoa Sekepe, who also never attended a Halloween event before, thought it’s just a form of entertainment.“I do not associate Halloween with Satanism,” said Sekepe. “To me, Halloween is a form of entertainment just like horror movies.”
Sekepe said if the Halloween event was to be held annually, she would definitely be a regular supporter.The organiser of Halloween Day Lesotho, Connie Liphoto, said she organised the event in order to change Basotho’s narrative about it. “I am organising the Halloween Day to change Basotho’s narrative about it being associated with Satanism and witchcraft, and also to showcase my artwork, Cograbig,” said Liphoto in an interview with Public Eye.
Liphoto, through her brainchild Cograbig, is showcasing her brand’s Halloween outfits, make-ups and a short horror play during the event.“This year’s edition was focused more on acting and decoration where at one wall a big spider was modelled with a web, and a demonstration of a casket with fake corpse and blood, scary and suspense music,” she said.Liphoto said last year’s event was all about Halloween fashion where makeup artists were competing for the scariest look.
She said last year’s winner walked away with a cash prize and make-up kit.Liphoto, who is the only local artist trained in 3D effects make-up, further said she organised the Halloween Day in order to promote her art.“I am organising the Halloween Day in order to promote my art as the only artist (in Lesotho) who trained in 3D effects make-up, and not promoting or practising Satanism like a lot of people think.”
Liphoto further said: “The whole event was just to play around with art and show people what are my capabilities. I also put a red colorant in the toilets so that when people flash there could be that reddish colour liquid like blood. I just want to give people a taste of Halloween and scary scenes like in horror movies.”Liphoto is a qualified make-up artist who specialises in Halloween make-up, amongst others. Her other areas of interest include natural make-up, cultural make-up, television make-up, fantasy make-up, costume make-up and bridal make-up.
Cograbig was recently approached by the Re Plug Magazine based in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to engage it in content creation.Worldwide, Halloween is a holiday normally celebrated on the eve of All Saints’ Day (October 31).It is often celebrated by children dressing up in frightening masks and costumes.Halloween is thought to be associated with the Celtic festival Samhain, when ghosts and spirits were believed to be abroad.
