THE tradition of Halloween, seen as an American tradition, has become more popular the last couple of years. Should we make it an Aussie tradition too?

FOR

Sarrah Le Marquand

FOR a country that happily embraces images of a White Christmas amid sweltering humidity, and duly accepts the springtime symbolism of Easter even as we unpack the winter woolies, protesting against Halloween is as nonsensical as it is mean-spirited.

And yet every year the naysayers resume their paranoid bleating about the inherent dangers of children dressing up and eating lollies in the presence of carved-out pumpkins.

It’s the end of Australia as we know it! We’re becoming slaves to Americanisation! So wail the critics who blithely assume Halloween celebrations are the exclusive domain of sugar-laden citizens of US suburbia.

But it is of course a tradition with Celtic origins, and yet you don’t hear Americans whining about how their culture has been hijacked by medieval Europeans.

That’s because they are secure enough in their own national identity to acknowledge a foreign festival and proudly make it their own.

Rather than succumb to yet another insecure bout of parochialism, we’d do well to do the same.

Rampant anti-Americanism notwithstanding, what’s to fear about festivities that involve nothing more sinister than children donning costumes and spreading a little pre-Christmas cheer around the neighbourhood?

As for those who grumble about the perils of collecting a bag full of sweets, you don’t need to be an expert in childhood nutrition to know one day’s indulgence does not an obesity epidemic make.

If we’re really serious about rejecting any celebration that fails to boast local origins then it’s time to fire Santa Claus and euthanise the Easter Bunny.

Or we could just calm down, set aside the killjoy jingoism, and put our own stamp on what is nothing more than an excuse to play dress-ups, eat chocolate and have a little fun.

AGAINST

Tory Maguire

I should probably start saving for the future therapy bills now, but my son will go to kindy this morning in his usual pair of tracksuit pants and a plain t-shirt. The small twinge of guilt I may feel when we walk into a room full of tiny witches, pirates, Spidermen and Batmen won’t last long.

I dressed him up in yellow on Daffodil Day and blue last week in honour of education day. On come-dressed-to-reflect-your-culture day we made an attempt to dress him like a country boy, even though we live in the city, so we’re pretty diligent about making an effort. But Halloween is where I draw the line.

Halloween is about as relevant to my son’s life as the annual La Tomatina festival in Valencia, Spain, but you don’t see us making him stand in the park every August while we chuck ripe tomatoes at his head.

At least that tradition is a celebration of simple pleasures, such as tomatoes and food fights.

According to Wikipedia: “All Hallows' Eve was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain.”

I prefer to think of it as a chance for small children in highly flammable attire to be given the all clear to threaten their neighbours for lollies. We spend 364 days a year trying to teach them not to do that so it seems counter-intuitive to turn it into a celebration.

Come back to me in June when it’s time to re-enact the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling festival. Now that’s a tradition worth adopting.

Originally published as Halloween - are you for it or against it?