By Kevin Hillier
Halloween polarises people and I can’t work out why. Is it because we didn’t invent it and it’s American?
Both arguments are flawed, as the Irish were the first to celebrate it as part of the ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain, so it is not American. And we are not backward in celebrating events we didn’t invent – Christmas, Easter and Queen’s Birthday immediately come to mind.
The Americans have taken Halloween to a new level of crass commercialism, but it was not their idea. Besides, we are only too happy to embrace their language – trash, sidewalks, fries, candy. And don’t start me on sport – off-ence, de-fence, the paint, batters. It is an endless cacophony of crimes against our native tongue. At least Halloween has lollies.
We went costume-and-decoration shopping the other day. People were laughing and enjoying themselves – a far cry from normal shopping experiences.
Some people don’t like the idea of kids roaming the streets knocking on doors, which I can understand to a degree. Just put a “No Halloween” sign up. We have balloons on our front fence to let the kids know we are Halloween-friendly.
Our family has a ball looking at the costumes and chatting to the kids. It is harmless fun and at my place it is all about lollies, lollies and more lollies. No carrots or celery sticks, apple pieces or organic tofu bars at my place – it’s Violet Crumbles, Cherry Ripes, Freddo Frogs and Redskins. And that’s just for starters.
We live in a state that has a public holiday the day before the football grand final and for a three-minute horse race, both of which we embrace with gusto.
Halloween isn’t a holiday and never should be, though don’t tell the campaigning politicians that. If they thought it might get them a few votes, they’d probably add it to their lists of promises.
It is nice to see kids in the streets, laughing and enjoying themselves.
We see so little of it nowadays. It is refreshing and it is for just a few hours. It is a treat, not a trick. Deal with it.
