November 2, 2015
Halloween fell on a Saturday and the Blackbutt State School P&C staged a special party at the Blackbutt Showgrounds for children and their parents to mark the occasion.
The party took the form of a disco, and kicked off at 4:30pm so very young children could get to experience the dance without running any risk of being trampled by older folk and still get to bed early.
Slightly older children were allowed onto the dance floor between 5:30pm and 6:30pm; and then teenagers and adults had free reign for the rest of the night.
Many party-goers dressed up for the occasion, and some of their parents got in on the act, too.
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Further along the highway at Nanango, The Shed in Little Drayton Street also put on some Halloween fun for children.
The Shed’s owner Jane Erkens and a team of helpers turned the building’s front yard into an eerie graveyard, complete with spooky spiderwebs and lurid fluorescent lighting, dancing skeletons and a custom-made coffin.
Strange characters wandered about to keep the children from getting too close, and a soundtrack of shrieks, moans and clanging chains provided just the right atmosphere for a frighteningly good time.
Fortunately – thanks to sponsorships from Nanango Real Estate, Aussie Soft Serve, Mayor Wayne Kratzmann and Cr Barry Green – children spooked by the graveyard could quickly turn their mind to other, more positive things.
There were free ice-creams to be had, along with free bags of sweets for eager “trick-or-treaters” who happened to drop by with their parents after sunset.
Jane said the idea for the Halloween graveyard was a spur-of-the-moment thing that had come to her last year.
But when 40 children and their parents dropped by to see it, she decided it was good enough to try out again.
And this year attendance numbers almost doubled.
“This is something we’re doing for the community,” Jane said.
“I first got interested in Halloween after going out trick or treating with my grandchildren in Canada.
“They live in a small rural town and the streets were full of kids all chatting and laughing, parents keeping a close watch but meeting and greeting friends and neighbours.”
Jane said she saw the effort the town’s residents went to decorate their houses and how they loved the children’s visits, especially older residents who loved chatting to the kids and parents.
“It was a very good way to get people to meet and mix, and also a lot of fun for children too.
“Kids are kids for such a short time, so why not let them get into fancy dress?
“And if their parents are still young at heart, get dressed as well, get out with your kids and meet your neighbours.
“Halloween is fun!”
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Where Does Halloween Come From?
In the northern hemisphere, All Hallows’ Eve – now more commonly known as Halloween – has been celebrated on October 31 to mark the approach of winter for more than 1400 years.
It’s thought to be a time when the boundary between this world and the next thins out, and the only day of the year when ghosts and spirits can freely walk the earth.
In the Christian calendar, All Hallows’ Eve is followed by All Hallows Day (sometimes called All Saints Day) on November 1, and then All Souls Day on November 2. The three days together are known as Allhallowtide.
The tradition of celebrating All Hallows’ Eve was strongly followed by the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish, and even made its way to England for several hundred years until Guy Fawkes Day took over many of its symbols.
But it was popularised in America after waves of Scottish and Irish immigrants brought their traditional Halloween observances with them in the 19th century.
This spread into mainstream American society by the early 20th century – so much so that many people now think of Halloween as a purely American celebration.
However Halloween’s Christian roots in Europe can be traced back to the seventh century, and its pagan roots even further back to Celtic and Roman times.
You can read more about the history of Halloween on on Wikipedia.
