Kim Macdonald: Why we should stop blaming the rise of Halloween on US cultural imperialism

Many have blamed American cultural imperialism for Halloween’s rise in popularity, but there is a hollowness to this argument.

Let’s put aside its Celtic origins for a moment to acknowledge modern Halloween was born in America.

But unless these same critics are also advocating that we get rid of the Father Christmas image, their argument doesn’t really stand up.

The modern image of Father Christmas comes from Haddon Sundblom’s American Coca Cola adverts from the 1930s.

Before he changed the appearance, the image for Father Christmas was a tall, gaunt man based on the Dutch Sinterklaas. In fact, Christmas Day, with trees and presents, is a foreign celebration. The Christmas tree tradition is attributed to 16th-century Germany, where trees were decorated with candles and ornaments.

The Germans are also responsible for the original Easter Bunny concept, which was later popularised in America. But the first chocolate egg is believed to have been made in Britain in 1873.

St Patrick’s Day, which celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, has a hearty following in Australia, despite the complete lack of relevance to most people — bar those who find God at the bottom of a pint at midnight.

Valentine’s Day comes from pagan rituals, though romanticised by Chaucer and Shakespeare, while Mardi Gras originates from a French tradition. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Chinese New Year are also foreign imports.

It is fair to say almost all of our celebrations are from abroad, and as long as globalisation is a feature of society, this trend will continue.

Halloween has wormed its way into the Australian heartland because it is non-political, non-religious community fun.

But while globalisation is inevitable and marching ahead at an unrelenting pace, it highlights exactly why we need to protect Australian traditions and culture too.

It is why we should protect Anzac traditions, two-up, the Akubra, the Drizabone, and why we should keep saying “see ya later” when leaving strangers we will likely never see again.

It is the reason the democracy sausage — and mandatory voting — is so important. It is why we should keep taking tourists to experience the culinary delights of a Bunnings sausage sizzle, and laugh when they grimace at their first taste of Vegemite.

We should protect our local quirks, like using bath towels at the beach, and hiding our keys in our shoes when we’re in the water because no thief would ever think to look in them.

Let’s continue the childhood demonisation of litterbugs, and let’s never stop marking our 18th birthdays with photos of our first legal beer, complete with a knowing smile and our naive parents by our sides.

We need not lose the essence of Australia just because we have some new traditions.