I'm very excited to present today's guest because she's all the way over in Australia. I'm always interested to find out what Halloween is like outside the US.
Thank you so much for participating. Please introduce yourself.
HI! My name is Emma. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my blog is called Little Gothic Horrors. I adore the ambience of old-school Gothic horror and all the "dark and stormy night" tropes of the genre like haunted houses and spooky graveyards. I enjoy a good scare as much as the next person, but I'm particularly smitten with the lighter side of the dark side, which to me, is what Halloween is all about.
What was Halloween like for you growing up?
Unfortunately, when I was growing up, Halloween was non-existent in Australia. We all knew what it was because Australians grow up drenched in American popular culture, but it was pretty much viewed as a foreign custom. Plus, Halloween falls in our spring, not autumn, so I suppose it wasn't seen as being seasonally relevant. However... Oh, how I personally coveted Halloween! When I was around ten, I managed to rope the neighbourhood kids into trick-or-treating. We cobbled together some "spooky" (I was a vampire) costumes and hit up all the families in our street. It was such a novelty (and we were all so darned adorable, of course) that we made out like bandits in the treat acquisition department. Someone's mother took photos of us, but sadly, I didn't ever get hold of any.
To my delight, Halloween is gradually taking hold in Australia, and although trick-or-treating is only in it's infancy compared with the US, retailers have finally figured out that there is a buck to be made from Halloween merchandise. The last couple of years we've actually had little trick-or-treaters come to the door, which was fantastic! Unlike me, my 17 year old son has grown up in a home where Halloween is celebrated each year.
How do you celebrate Halloween today?
Every year I buy a pumpkin and carve it. When my son was small, I was determined he would have a Jack-o'-Lantern, but back then I could only get an Australian variety of pumpkin called a "Queensland Blue". It has an extremely tough, blue-grey skin and carving it was a nightmare that took hours. Now the lovely, orange, American pumpkins are imported for Halloween and are available in the supermarkets. They are ridiculously expensive, but they are worth it.
Yard haunts are still unheard of in Australia, so my Jack-o'-Lantern stays indoors with my other All Hallows' Eve decorations. Last year for Halloween, we celebrated by making a silly micro-movie using the tiny, faux graveyard scene I set up each year in a corner of my living room. Everyone got involved: my husband was "The Thing"; our beloved kitty was "Phoebe the Graveyard Cat"; I directed the action; and my son (a budding filmmaker) filmed and edited the piece. Here's the video if you're interested in seeing our shenanigans.
Our yearly Halloween ritual is to have a little family dinner with spooky-themed foods and then watch 'Hocus Pocus'. Without fail, we also watch 'The Frighteners' and Tim Burton's 'Sleepy Hollow' in the days leading up to Halloween.
Thank you, Dex, for inviting me to share a bit about my Aussie version of Halloween.
What was Halloween like for you growing up?
Unfortunately, when I was growing up, Halloween was non-existent in Australia. We all knew what it was because Australians grow up drenched in American popular culture, but it was pretty much viewed as a foreign custom. Plus, Halloween falls in our spring, not autumn, so I suppose it wasn't seen as being seasonally relevant. However... Oh, how I personally coveted Halloween! When I was around ten, I managed to rope the neighbourhood kids into trick-or-treating. We cobbled together some "spooky" (I was a vampire) costumes and hit up all the families in our street. It was such a novelty (and we were all so darned adorable, of course) that we made out like bandits in the treat acquisition department. Someone's mother took photos of us, but sadly, I didn't ever get hold of any.
To my delight, Halloween is gradually taking hold in Australia, and although trick-or-treating is only in it's infancy compared with the US, retailers have finally figured out that there is a buck to be made from Halloween merchandise. The last couple of years we've actually had little trick-or-treaters come to the door, which was fantastic! Unlike me, my 17 year old son has grown up in a home where Halloween is celebrated each year.
How do you celebrate Halloween today?
Every year I buy a pumpkin and carve it. When my son was small, I was determined he would have a Jack-o'-Lantern, but back then I could only get an Australian variety of pumpkin called a "Queensland Blue". It has an extremely tough, blue-grey skin and carving it was a nightmare that took hours. Now the lovely, orange, American pumpkins are imported for Halloween and are available in the supermarkets. They are ridiculously expensive, but they are worth it.
Yard haunts are still unheard of in Australia, so my Jack-o'-Lantern stays indoors with my other All Hallows' Eve decorations. Last year for Halloween, we celebrated by making a silly micro-movie using the tiny, faux graveyard scene I set up each year in a corner of my living room. Everyone got involved: my husband was "The Thing"; our beloved kitty was "Phoebe the Graveyard Cat"; I directed the action; and my son (a budding filmmaker) filmed and edited the piece. Here's the video if you're interested in seeing our shenanigans.
Do you have any yearly rituals?
Our yearly Halloween ritual is to have a little family dinner with spooky-themed foods and then watch 'Hocus Pocus'. Without fail, we also watch 'The Frighteners' and Tim Burton's 'Sleepy Hollow' in the days leading up to Halloween.
It was great hearing how Halloween is getting traction so far away. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Dex, for inviting me to share a bit about my Aussie version of Halloween.
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| Phoebe, the Graveyard Cat |
Before you head off to your next house, swing by Halloween Mixes.
They're posting a themed mix album every day of the month!
Thank you, dear Lady Emma for sharing .....
ReplyDeleteThanks for inviting me to share my Aussie version of Halloween, Dex! And thank you too, Dr. Theda! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, glad to have you aboard.
DeleteWell how knew? Maybe grow one , first on your block! As if you don't have enough to do! Thank you for the interview Dex, now I know what to send my OZZY peeps!
ReplyDeleteKeep the hauntin ALIVE! xo
Now there's an idea! Maybe we Yanks need to send some pumpkin seeds down there!
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