what are you doing for Halloween

[lovingmotheract]

as it state's what are you doing for Halloween?

I'm still working out what to do out the front and what do dress us up in.

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Nothing, we are Australian. :)

[MamaKoala]

I love love love halloween. I usually send cupcakes with monster sprinkles (found at woolies, safeway or coles) on them to school and let them dress up in whatever they want. I put ghost window stickers up, spider webs and we watch scary movies (age appropriate of course, ie monster house, corpse bride, the legend of sleepy hollow cartoon). None of my neighbours participate so I figured I'd just encourage it at home until I find a group that actually wants to trick or treat.
They also have a halloween thing at Movie World at the gold coast so they went last year. It's held at night and they have the whole place dressed up and EVERYONE goes in costume. So fun!

[MamaKoala]

My father is american, my kids father is american and so are all his friends so we celebrate because it's fun, just like thanksgiving and 4th of july *giggles*
And apparently it is a growing trend because last year I had a conversation with a woman in Spotlight and she had a whole trolly full of stuff saying that the whole estate she lives in has a halloween block party. So much fun!

[lovingmotheract]

i'm not american but i love it always have done some thing for it even when i was young.

[Roxy]

:no: nothing here either - we don't "do" halloween in our house...and I don't have anything for those JIC trick or treaters either...

[HelenHasTwins]

I usually buy lollies for the kids because they look so cute, but I don't decorate or anything.

[~Candy~]

Nothing happens in the street here...but I take the older kids to Movie World every halloween. Everyone dresses up and movie world is especially open for halloween @ night for 3 hours..it's all done up scarey and we go on the rides...it's awesome :devil:

[binchen]

We are not Australian and not American but Halloween become quiet popular back home in the last few years.
Not with the sweets for children - more with partys for the adults (who does not love to dress up sometime?).
I saw some kids walking through the streets in costumes last year - but nobody made it to our house and I will not buy sweets anyway.

[Ana Gram]

I know this is in the ACT section but I LOVE Halloween and so does Ruby. She is dressing up as a cat this year. But as it is a Friday we can't go trick or treating as her Dad picks her up.

Oh and to everyone with the "We aren't American" comments, Halloween doesn't actually originate from America and is celebrated in other places as well :)

[earthfairy]

Oh and to everyone with the "We aren't American" comments, Halloween doesn't actually originate from America and is celebrated in other places as well :)

:iagree: i think its good to be open these days, Australia is known for being so "Multi-Cultural" and i think its part of us to embrace different celebrations!!!!! Its fun! There's too much negativity in the world!

I always make sure i have sweets & such for trick or treaters... i love seeing how much effort the kids go to to dress up & how excited they get with their treats!

The History Halloween

Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.

All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.

The Origin of Halloween

While there are many versions of the origins and old customs of Halloween, some remain consistent by all accounts. Different cultures view Holloween somewhat differently but traditional Halloween practices remain the same.

Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.

Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.

The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Good thing I said that I was Australian, then. :)

[Ana Gram]

Good thing I said that I was Australian, then. :)

I'm Australian too.

[WarriorMummy]

Nothing, we are Australian. :)
ditto

[NibbleCurlynBub]

I'm Australian too.
I meant that I didn't specify what I WASN'T or insinuate that Halloween was American. It is, but not solely, no. :no:

Didn't mean to insinuate that you weren't!

[WarriorMummy]

i would do the trick or treat thing with my kids if it was a common thing- with adult supervision of course, but its not and unless i could organise with other ppl around the block to participate then i wont do it- and i know no1 on the block
we dont normally get kids at our door as not many ppl know our house is a house and not a shop

[NibbleCurlynBub]

We don't usually get ANYONE at our door. The giant concrete fence and the gate kind of gives them a 'go away' kind of impression. :p

[WarriorMummy]

haha that helps lol

[Ana Gram]

I meant that I didn't specify what I WASN'T or insinuate that Halloween was American. It is, but not solely, no. :no:

Didn't mean to insinuate that you weren't!

I just don't understand the argument as I have heard it often. People ask what are you doing for Halloween and the answer is, nothing because I am Australian. I don't understand it.

[NibbleCurlynBub]

As far as I am concerned, Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in Australia.

Its fine if you want to do it. But I don't. :no: