Halloween isn’t something many of us grew up with. In fact, in Australia, people can very firmly hate it. Door slamming in your face kind of hate.
People can get very patriotic.
“We’re not American.”
Very educated.
“People don’t understand the meaning.”
Very … responsible.
Okay, fair enough. Halloween really can look like the ultimate kidnapping scenario!
But, all that aside, in our house we choose to love it.
As a fun little fact, it’s not American at all. Its history is Celtic and Halloween began in Scotland and Ireland. America has certainly embraced it though.
I have no idea what Boxing Day actually is or means, or Labour Day for that matter, but I won’t say no to it. I’ve never met the Queen, but who doesn’t love her birthday? There is plenty of things we do without understanding the history, but if you do want to know about the Hallows, it’s an interesting read about the eve in which spirits are believed to come close to earth and where offerings are made to them.
Safety wise, I’m with my kids through the whole Halloween experience. And an experience is exactly what it is.
We decorate the house, together. We get dressed up, together. We Trick or Treat, together.
And, my favourite part — not the morbid history, or people heckling our support — is that we are amongst all the other families in our community, having fun, together.
So, no, it’s not traditionally Australian. We didn’t always embrace it or have it in our childhood calendars — we had fire-cracker night and carols by actual candlelight — but it is in this generation’s childhood.
So, as the queen of dressing up once said, let them eat cake.
Or a pumpkin-bucket load of Chupa Chups.
By Deborah O’Ferry
