In a few days it will be Halloween. Yes the night when sprits can roam freely out in the world without fear of being exercised by a Catholic Priest, or Voodoo Priestess.
Children are dressed up and walk through out their neighbourhood trick or treating. Homes are turned into haunted houses, and the lolly stores pull out all the old, out of date candy to sell. Pumpkins are carved and parties are thrown. Celebrities, Yes I mean Heidi and Seal, have outrageous gatherings and the next week the gossip magazines show us what they did. Why to celebrate all things dead and scary, to give every child a sugar rush and pay into their Dentist's annual holiday fund.
Well enough about America. This is Australia. And the question that gets asked at this time in the month by every morning show host is, should we, Australia, take on the Halloween culture?
As a child I trick or treated twice, no I did not dress up, I just did it in my normal every day clothes. Yes I did get lollies and some money. Not much but it filled in the night. I do remember being yelled at by one man who told my fiends and I how we had shamed Australia by doing something American. We in turn egged his house. After all, all is fair in the trick or treat war. As a adult I have been to a Halloween party, every one dressed up and then sat around talking. But for the most part I have skipped it all together, unless it was a full moon, and that would be for another blog.
Now that I have children things have changed. They are inundated with TV shows about Halloween and Trick or Treating. They want to dress up and wonder the neighbourhood, knocking on doors seeing what they can score. I on the other hand, understand that most people in my hood, would fog them off and that is the disappointment I do not want. I have tried to explain why the day is not as big in Australia. and for the most part they understand.
But as not to miss out, I have raided Big W and brought them each a monster bag, it will be filled with lollies, slime and a few spiders (chocolate of cause), and before I get a whole load of comments on the horrors of junk, this would be a very big treat for my organic eating family. I have purchased two large carving pumpkins so they can carve out a funny face and then we will light it at night. And again before I get comments on why I am being "American" (just like the women at Coles who questioned why I had them in my trolley) This pumpkin carving will be done as a family, sitting around our BBQ table enjoying each others company and being creative together. (Better then them sitting on a lounge playing a DSI, Wii or Ipod) I see this day as something we can enjoy together as a family, where my children can look back and say, do you remember when we sat around carving that pumpkin, maybe it will become a tradition that will get passed on to other generations.
I have always bought a bag of chocolates in case a strange, dressed up child arrived at my front gate, yelling out Trick or Treat, A small price to pay to see a smile on a child's face. And what if no one turns up, what happens to the chocolate you ask. Well that gives me an excuse to eat it myself.
So whether you celebrate the day/night or not. Buy a bag of lollies, or chocolates or even some dried fruit or even better some BANANAS. If some little child turns up, smile ask them to sing the Australian anthem (we can make it semi Australian) and then place a treat in their bag, and you are done. No harm done. But if you don't get a knock at the door, oh well guess you will just have to eat it all yourself.
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