Halloween came and went, and we didn’t have even one trick-or-treater. I heard there were “a lot” of kids going around on the street, but none came down the long drive to our house or those of our neighbours.
Plenty of New Zealanders despise attempts to import Halloween and trick-or-treating into New Zealand. They say it’s an American thing that doesn’t belong in in this country. When I first arrived in New Zealand, I thought they were being silly.
Now, well, I see things a little differently. I haven’t changed my mind about the silliness of many of the Kiwi opponents of Halloween; instead, it’s just that I kind of like the idea of it being a uniquely American thing. Also, I’m not keen on giving retailers another opportunity to badger us to buy crap.
Personally, I haven’t cared about Halloween in a long, long time, so I don’t really care whether Halloween ever takes root in New Zealand or not. But I also wouldn’t try to stop it. I suppose that’s more treat than trick.
2 comments:
It's funny as I loved Halloween growing up with it in the US, but I do see it as something being kind of forcibly shoved on to New Zealand. I wouldn't have our boy trick or treat here, as many of the people I've talked to say they don't do it (one person called it "begging for lollies" which kind of seems the mentality). I'd rather take our kid to a Halloween carnival or something.
I've heard a lot of Kiwis refer to it as "begging for lollies", too. I actually think a Halloween party of some sort is the best way to go, especially in New Zealand. It's a way that whole families can have some fun together, and that's always a good thing. Meanwhile, adults can have their own parties and such, too. And none of that requires importing trick-or-treating into New Zealand.
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