We don't do Halloween!!! #savethejackalanta

Or so I thought.

I have long been one of those who drones on and on about how annoying it is that Halloween is always celebrated by a handful of Australians. It is simply another commercialised thing that has no meaning to us, that some have adopted, mostly because of media and marketing. It annoys me. I also used to go on about how Americanised we are becoming in general.

So each Halloween I grumble this same grumble, though if children DO come knocking, I give them a treat. I have had ONE trick or treater each year. ONE. No one that I know celebrates it, and a poll done on a site I use recently showed that 93% of 95 respondents do not celebrate Halloween at all. Reasons? We are not America (apparently we blame you guys for this one wholly and solely) and we are too nervous about sending our kids in search of lollies (candy! LOL) from strangers (!!)

Personally, I think if you feel like that, rather than ban the whole idea, why not use it as a teaching opportunity for the kids about that stuff, its a great chance to explore the whole thing!

ANYHOO. Irrelevant. What happened was that Finn came home this week beyond excitement because Saturday was Halloween! We can go trick or treating and I can do a jacklanta (Jack-O-Lantern)! he exclaimed.

Umm... Dude, we don't DO Halloween. Well, let me say, my kid doesn't take no for an answer easily. He made his own decorations (a witch with braces!) and would not let it drop. So, I caved.

Only, it was not that easy. Let me say again for the cheap seats - Halloween is just not a thing in Australia. So where the hell was I going to find Halloweeny stuff?! I manages to scrape up a costume and a couple of decorations, but I could not find a bloody jackalanta anywhere. These things are totally endangered in this country - #savethejackalantas.

So, plan B - we will papier mache one, i decided. No balloons in the house. Of course. And we are pushing it for dry time as it is! So... we find one we got from school the other day (I am the half deflated helium KILLER again, bonus!) and mache "Joe the balloon" we did. Was good fun too!



Halloween day, J found some more decorations and went a little (A LOT) overboard, but Finn loved it. That night though, right around Trick Or Treat time, it started to rain. And NO ONE was coming by. Finn dressed up, sat in the garage, and waited with his treats, eager to hand them out generously. Telling me how many each visitor could have, and eager as they come. I started to fret.

All hail the joy of the SMS - A friend from school said her daughter was as keen as Finn and if we wanted to come around they had a jackalanta. FOR RLZ. Score!!! Thank god, because we had no treaters at our door at all all night, but once at their place, a few came by and Finn was able to dish out the treats - in his element. Katarina's Dad also went next door and gave them chocolates so that the kids could then go over and have their own trick or treat experience as well. Of course, then he saw the real deal jackalanta - oh my goodness he was so excited. Meanwhile those lovely, generous American twitterfolk were as keen for him to experience Halloween as he was, so excited was multiplied as the pics of jackalantas and dressed up kiddies came a steaming on the twitpics. Finn was in heaven!


Mission accomplished. One successful Halloween in Australia. I just hope he doesn't come home next week and ask what we are doing for Thanksgiving!!!