Trick, treat, or opt out?

Grumpy says:

05:25am | 24/10/09

Nonsense. Not our festival at all. American balderdash.

Find something else to do.

Pancake, anyone?

Primmy says:

07:37am | 24/10/09

It is very hard to be even slightly animated by a concept that has no history or concept in this country.  I understand from reading above that it has something to do with the death of the growing season and winter.  We are in the southern hemisphere.  Its the time when we head into summer when everything is alive and full of light.  We have a vital Christmas, New Year and Australia Day celebratory ethic.  Something added on to celebrate winter at this time and in this country where bitter cold and snow is not really an issue anyway just does not make sense.

Peter of Adelaide says:

08:22am | 24/10/09

I think I’ll opt out personally.  Primmy, said it all really, wrong seasons to do Halloween properly - at least in a traditional sense.

That said my niece and co, love Halloween and do a party each year, My sister and grandmother ‘crashed’ her party last year, and all had a great time.  So in Australia, its a personal choice more then a national holiday.

Daphon says:

12:14pm | 24/10/09

What a couple of Scrooge’s the first two commenters are.

RT says:

01:15pm | 24/10/09

If you are going to recommend widespread Australian adoption of a foreign festival, why stop at Halloween? You could adopt Diwali from Hindu culture or Songran from SE Asia to name but two, both of which are at least as much fun and less commercialised than Halloween.

Cuppa says:

02:00pm | 24/10/09

So its an American Holiday?Who cares?Kids enjoy it & it doesnt hurt anyone. It takes a pretty sad & pathetic individual to make an issue of this. Surely they have more important things to winge about in their sad existance.

Nicole says:

03:13pm | 24/10/09

I was so oblivious to Halloween that I’ve planned a party on this night involving a completely different tradition. While not Australian, wit at least has something in common with our way of life. Oktoberfest—a great excuse to drink beer from a ridiculously oversized mug! I’m sure this will please the Preventative Health Commission greatly.

marley says:

04:12pm | 24/10/09

Being a Canadian, I kind of miss Halloween, but understand why it doesn’t resonate here.  Still, I will always remember going into Bell to buy a telephone, and being served by a guy with a green face and bolts coming out of his neck. 

By the way, I thought Halloween was related to All Saints’ Day.  I don’t really think it has much to do with the death of the growing season - that’s what Thanksgiving is about.

Glen says:

10:04pm | 24/10/09

This is an american day, nothing to do with us.  We have our own days.  We do not need it nor want it.  It is yet another commercial attempt to get into our lives and our wallets.

stephen says:

10:32pm | 24/10/09

It appears from the above that Aussies need an excuse to have a party.

Kym Durance says:

11:07pm | 24/10/09

I agree with Grumpy - H’ween is US nonsense - the insidious infiltration of this idiotic begging ritual is symptomatic of a metastesisng culture - unlike other cancers it is best not ignored - but excised -

orange says:

11:09pm | 24/10/09

OPT OUT love to see children having fun, There is plenty out there for them, enough americanism. i"ve noticed kids actually pronouncing words in the yankey doodle way.

Rex Morrow says:

11:36am | 25/10/09

This is plain American rubbish. Are Australians are the sheep of world society?

Elizabeth says:

04:28pm | 25/10/09

I find it humorous people here seem to be on a bashfest against American traditions, it’s not like Americans is asking us to do what they do, it’s just that many people here are influence by the American culture, no matter what it is. Look at our television, tv shows, movies, lifestyle, fast food places and etc tell me how is that ‘Australian culture’ if most of these come from the U.S? If you don’t like it, stop watching/eating anything that has ‘American’ on it. I find it nice that’s here for a while, Australia IS multicultural… embrace it.

Peter Renshaw says:

06:07pm | 25/10/09

“... but will Australians ever really embrace the day? ...”

Not till we get crackers and “Bonfire night” back.

Bim says:

06:48pm | 25/10/09

It’s not an American celebration.  it is a Scottish (and Irish?) tradition known as All Hallows night or All Souls night.  The Americans have simply blinged it up somewhat as they do….  Great night…. heaps of fun as a kid and my kids love it now.  Apple bobbing, dressing up with the community in the local street parade, connecting with the neighbours while trick or treating and struggling through the classic Robbie Burns poem Tam O’Shanter.

Dave says:

08:03am | 26/10/09

I’ll start celebrating Halloween when the US starts celebrating the Melbourne Cup, or Anzac Day. What next, Thanksgiving Day? This is not America bashing, just stating the obvious that one country’s festivals and celebrations don’t have to be followed in another country. I can’t imagine any parent so stupid that they would send their child to a complete stranger’s house asking for lollies. I don’t even have anything to give a kid if they knock at my door. Would you like some tea bags or a slice of cheese, little boy/girl?

Kevin says:

08:52am | 26/10/09

Each to their own. Americans can keep Halloween and we’ll keep our festivals and celebrations. Wouldn’t the world be a boring place if we were all the same?

Stephen Pickells says:

10:11am | 26/10/09

As with many other festivals, Halloween had pagan origins, was comandeered by the Church and finally taken over by big business. The seasonal component would be lost on most Australians, by I don’t see this as any reason not to go out and party.
Most of us celebrate Christmas in some form or another. Some people like to spray fake snow around the place to make things more “Christmassy”. I don’t give much thought to the pagan origins or the religious takeover, and I do probably spend more money than I should. But this is driven by my desie to give nice things to the people that I love, and put like that, I think it’s a good thing.
RT says we could also adopt the Diwali festival. I have no objection to that, but as I’m not Hindu, it has no cultural significance for me. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t join in anyway.

Wally says:

12:56pm | 26/10/09

I’m too scared to open the door to some of the ‘sweet’ children in my area. Last year, I foolishly opted in to the festivities as the little darlings who knocked at my door with hands out and cries of “where are the lollies?”. When I smiled and presented a bowl of part mix lollies and nuts et al, the hands grabbing for them nearly knocked the bowl out of my hands. There were no thank yous from the angels and the little darlings threw the stuff they didn’t want on the front lawn. Nice.

This year I’ll have my paper bag of steaming cat droppings at the ready.

Sloth says:

04:00pm | 26/10/09

I’m with Peter Renshaw; the yanks can keep Halloween, I just want cracker night back!

Surely encouraging kids to spend the weeks leading up to the event dragging bits of wood to their local park for a bonfire is a great way to encourage exercise and combat childhood obseity? To say nothing of the workout they’ll get running away from letterboxes they’ve just filled with firecrackers…

thatmosis says:

10:09pm | 26/10/09

More American claptrap we dont need but the businesses will continue to push it as it means money in their pockets. Bring back cracker night with tuppenny bungers and double happies, skyrockets and tom thumbs.

Humbug says:

06:57am | 27/10/09

Not American? Give us a break. It’s just an American holiday fer chrissakes.

Have fun with your kids, any day. Not with this tosh, but.

Holly says:

10:40am | 31/10/09

You know it is comments like these that are spewing out of Australian mouths that makes someone like me-born in the States and choosing to live here (and Australian citizen)- really sad about living here. I can’t believe the American bashing that is going on. If you dont like things that America brings then stop going to about 80% of the movies out there, stop eating at your favourite fast food places.
I would never expect the whole Australian culture to embrace Thanksgiving. That is just plain silly - for those who have suggested that. That is very specifically American, where Halloween isn’t-and those that say that it is do some research will you!
Growing up, the only thing that I liked and still do like about Halloween is the dressing up and the lollies.

@Wally - sorry you got treated so disrespectfully. If I had ever behaved like that my dad would have popped the back of my head and later would have taken the lollies from me. That sort of behavior comes to how the child has been raised, not the holiday itself.
My daughter has picked up on the fun holiday-since she has out grown the fairy parties this gives her another way of dressing up and still considered cool.

Embrace the Child With In! Get over yourselves and have some fun.

Heléna says:

08:14pm | 01/11/09

my thoughts were with humbug, but having attended an improptu halloween’s party on Saturday and walking house to house with my little boy has totally turned me around!- it was so much fun! - I can’t wait to do it next year!!

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05:47pm | 31/10/12

They’re knocking on my door and won’t stop!! Make them go away!

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