Halloween, Aussie-style

Aussies suck at Halloween. There, I said it. They do other things really well (coffee, meat pies, beaches). But Halloween, not so much. It's understandable though. The problem is that it's a relatively new holiday here, having only recently been introduced. And while the kids love it, and embrace it wholeheartedly with great costumes and attempts at trick-or-treating, there are many Australian people my age that have strong negative feelings about it, because it's an "American holiday". Wha?!? Not only is Halloween not a uniquely American holiday, but it has Celtic roots, not American roots. Adding to those difficulties, is the fact that Halloween falls in the Spring, with flowers in full bloom and the sun not setting till almost 8pm. Not the spookiest of settings.

Despite the above challenges, there were a number of houses all decked out and some people really getting into the spirit. We started the night out with a Canadian/American event in The Rocks (a touristy part of Sydney), where we met up with some American friends (Hi Ana!), then off to one of Vic's coworkers who was putting together a Halloween party to give him a few tips on Halloween decorating, got in some trick or treating, then to some Aussie friends' house to end the night with a bbq, of course!

Gus in his bat-boy costume at the Canadian event....at a bar! a very aussie-spin on Halloween!

Pumpkins here are crazy expensive, like $30+. So not surprisingly, we saw some creative alternatives to the pumpkin.

Gus, trick-or-treating. What's that she's fishing out of that bowl with a spoon, you ask?

Hmmm, let's take a closer look...


It's an eyeball! Edible? I'm not sure...and we won't be testing it out, either!

And Gus' haul, which includes a packet of crackers, Easter eggs, a mini cupcake and a handful of cheesies! The last one from a group of young people, sitting around having a drink in their front yard, who offered him a handful of the freshest cheesies evah! How could he resist?