Party poopers

I don’t want to spoil Halloween for the kiddies, so here’s how we could all be having more fun:

If we learnt about the origins of Halloween, it could be a great way of connecting with nature and culture.

Halloween is a contraction of “All Hallows’ Eve”, a holiday observed on October 31, the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day, a day commemorating all the saints of the church with a feast.

Halloween had its origins among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland, in a festival called Samhain. On the day corresponding to November 1 on contemporary calendars, the new year was believed to begin. That date was considered the beginning of the winter period, the date on which the herds were returned from pasture and land tenures were renewed. During the Samhain festival the souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the year were believed to journey to the otherworld. People set bonfires on hilltops for relighting their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present. It was in those ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated with the day… In the 20th century Halloween became one of the principal U.S. holidays, particularly among children.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Halloween

Halloween is becoming a thing here in Brisbane. It’s great for the country where it has meaning, or so I thought…

Yesterday at a Halloween fundraiser for the Australian American Association, I asked, “What it’s about?”

“It’s about candy,” said the American guy who grew up with it.

“No, I mean where’s it come from? What does it mean?”

“It’s about the lollies. Most people don’t know what it’s about.”

Halloween is an American tradition I welcome, but adopting it implies we’re lacking our own culture. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There are plenty of Australian calendar events that we ignore. We even get a day off work for them! Why? Are we party poopers? No…

We celebrate Easter and Christmas. They’re local, grassroots traditions that see some people doing an annual visit to church. Still, they have become secular and focussed [sic] on consumption. There’s nothing quite like sugar and games to make the merry-go-round.

One great thing about Halloween is it’s supposed to get us interacting with our neighbours. Trouble is, the interaction is so fleeting that, sadly, it comes with risks. The real estate agent sponsors in my suburb are restricting it for safety reasons:

It’s good to see families coming together and our hard-pressed parents getting some help. I’m sure it’s not too much to ask that the children be taught the meaning or history of Halloween.

There are better ways of getting neighbours to interact that are safe and healthy for children. Neighbour Day is sponsored by Relationships Australia every March.

The King’s Birthday was earlier this month. Everyone seems to head off to the beach and forget it. We might not all agree about it, but it’s something we all understand. To my mind, it’s an opportunity to celebrate democracy.

Happy King’s Birthday

Federation Day (January 1st) goes virtually unnoticed. It’s our Independence Day. I like a good party as much as the next bloke, so I make the most of it when the excuse comes around. I put on a barby and invite my eklektik [sic] mix of friends. Throw in some games, music and quizzes and everyone has a good time. I even do it on – heaven forbid – Australia Day. I am careful to put out an inclusive invitation.

All it takes is a little courage. Sure, there’s some contention about these occasions, but they’re all great reasons to come together for a good old democratic yarn about something that actually matters to us down under. And what better example to set for children than adults respecting differences of opinion?

That some of our holidays are a bit political or religious is almost inevitable. Surely they are an opportunity to celebrate democracy?

Are you sure the path of least resistance is the best way to go? Is it fulfilling to avoid differences of opinion? Are you certain that losing our own traditions and community events is a worthwhile trade off for apathy?

---

29 October 2023 By Simon Cole