Each year, the idea of Australian’s getting dressed up, wandering the streets like the walking dead, door knocking for some sugary treats, takes a beating from those who dislike the fact that we are adopting American ways but are we to blame them?
When we were growing up, our families never took a second thought about Halloween. There were no gangs of small monsters banging on doors asking for freebies but now that it is arguably popular amongst children and adults alike, Australian businesses are taking notice with their marketing and creating the perfect atmosphere for all those witches and goblins out there to mingle.‘Howl at the Moon’ does an exceptional job of this in Broadbeach.Halloween was originally a Celtic festival and was wide spread as the British went out to take over the world.
Yes, the current Halloween, as some would say is very ‘Americanised’ and something out of a blockbuster movie while gaining popularity and this is where many Aussies turn their backs on it. It seems that some of the US has been listening to our dislike of Halloween and according to an article from the Washington Post, all this poo poo on Halloween should be blamed on Victorianism: So are we now to blame it on Queen Liz’s II’s great grandmother for slowing its arrival here in Australia or is it that we are very independent or our location geographically to the rest of the world?
Whether or not you agree with the current state of Halloween here in Aus – most of which is kids coming down from an bucket load of sugar while adults dressing up in a naughty nurse outfits and getting inebriated at a local Gold Coast club, is it just about a little bit of fun and less about its heritage? Aussies in general like to create their own experiences from our overseas neighbour’s events and holidays, so are we just making zombie mountains out of what is – hills of blood drenched bodies laying in the streets, not from any violent act, but passed out from too much alcohol?
