HOW did Halloween get so big in Singapore?

That was what I wondered last Saturday, as the family and I waited almost two hours to get into the Night Safari, for its Halloween Horrors special.

There must have been at least 10,000 people there, which is remarkable considering that we were in the middle of a tropical thunderstorm.

But it didn't deter the crowd, many of whom even dressed up for the occassion.

Twenty years ago, I bet half of this crowd wouldn't have even been aware of what Halloween was, much less celebrate it in such an elaborate manner.

But now, Halloween seems to be one of the highlights of the year, with kids and adults wearing all sorts of costumes and facepaint to look as scary as possible.

Why was I there? Well, let's just say that it wasn't my decision, eh honey?

Someone, and we won't mention names here, felt the kids would enjoy this 'unique' experience of celebrating Halloween at the Night Safari.

But won't the kids get scared dear, I asked lovingly. My answer came in the form of a steely stare, so off we went.

Due to the deluge, I dropped the wife and kids off at the entrance, and went to park the car.

By the time I found them, the 5-year-old was already in tears, and being carried by his mother.

A short person dressed as a ghoul, it seems, had run through the crowd, resulting in the 9-year-old daughter emitting an earth-shattering scream. And that, of course, set off the tears for her brother.

For the next two hours, as we waited in line to enter the Night Safari to ride the Train of Terror, I had to reassure the little ones that all the scary creatures around us were just people in disguise.

Eventually, we reached the front of the queue for the Train of Terror and off we went.

The first part of the ride was quite interesting, as we got to see, and smell, a lot of the animals in the park at close quarters.

The second part of the ride, our guide promised us, would be a trip through Neverland, that is, the 'terror' bit.

This involved us travelling through a winding series of 'horror displays', complete with 'live' ghosts and fearsome creatures.

I must say that the Night Safari and its staff put on quite a show, and the ride did elicit quite a few screams from our tram.

Did the kids enjoy it? Well, it's difficult to say because neither the son nor the daughter had their eyes open throughout the terror ride, hiding their heads in our laps as we passed by the ghoulish creatures.

They did open their eyes when the tram finally stopped, and were quick to remind me that it was time to go home.

Yup, it was a great Halloween, folks. Can't wait for next year.

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