Walking through a department store the other day I noticed display after display of Halloween merchandise. Don't get me wrong, I love Halloween, who doesn't love an excuse to eat lollies! But I'm more concerned with the reason why Australians are choosing to celebrate Halloween.
I've celebrated Halloween since I was a baby but that's because my sisters birthday is always around Halloween so any of her party's were always dress up but we never went trick or treating!
Some Australians believe that we should accept that we are changing our culture and accept that it is being influenced by American traditions, others however believe that we shouldn't begin to celebrate a tradition that isn't a part of our culture!
I understand the point of not following Americas traditions but if people are to say that we shouldn't celebrate a tradition that isn't a part of our culture, then unfortunately people should take a closer look at where most traditions in society have come from.
Nobody can say that a tradition has and always will be solely celebrated by one culture and one culture only. The world is becoming a multicultural place and so it is inevitable that we begin to become meshed cultures and celebrate new traditions.
I read the letter to the editor the other day where a man had written that Halloween is a pagan festival and that we shouldn't celebrate it, well if thats true then there is a few more that we shouldn't celebrate! Easter and Christmas were both pagan festivals before they were adopted by different cultures, so maybe we should drop them too!
I am all for celebrating Halloween but I'm not really for trick or treating (i just don't think it's very safe)! Why can't we adopt a new tradition into our culture, it's been happening for centuries...
Till next blog...
M
4 comments:
that is very true. it is kind of concerning about how kids don't even realise it is an american thing
thank god someone else agrees with me.. whats with letting ur kids roam the streets in ridiculous costumes for lollies (yeh thats great for their baby teeth...halloween is an American thing, do we really ahve to copy everything those yankies do?? sheesh dont get me wrong i love the Americans (JT prime example lol) but lets come up with something original, something aussie...
maybe just maybe.... for Australia day everyone should dress in flannies, footy shorts, trucky hats, a beer and cook some bangers and mash and roam around the streets sharings our countries most well known food, that way kids dont get rotten teeth from stupid yummy lollies and everyone can celebrate good ol' AUSTRALIA DAY! its a win win situation!
I hear ya out load. When i used to live in Saudi, we lived near all the American complexes and compounds and stuff, THEY DO THE WEIRDEST SHIT wen it comes to Halloween ie play all these 'traditional' games like bob for apples, learn bout the history of Halloween, get read a book by older people, and yes, obviously trick or treating. Anyway, its funny how the only thing that is trying to cum to Australia is the 'trick or treating' part, talk about consumerism...
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