We should reject Halloween because it's a US import and because I'm afraid of scary things

Today, however, no matter which shop you go to, you see entire rows of products devoted to this so-called holiday, and consumers brainlessly oblige.

We should reject Halloween because it is an American import, one that is based on consumerism and hype and has nothing to do with local culture, and also because I'm afraid of scary things.

Let us consider the pumpkin, the ubiquitous symbol of Halloween. This bulbous vegetable is not even native to Europe. They are gaudy, ugly, and mostly hollow, just like the holiday itself. Also, they make me very afraid, especially when people carve into them spooky faces with demonic smiles. If you're driving around at night and see one of these illuminated faces looking at you from a window, you might get so scared that you crash into a tree. I did, once.

And should we dress up for Halloween when we have our own tradition of putting on costumes? For centuries in this part of Europe, carnival has been the time when children and adults dress up in zany, locally inspired outfits such as clowns, cows, and the occasional turnip. These are fun and logical. Halloween costumes are not. Zombies, ghosts, and vampires are nonsensical.

"The living dead" is an oxymoron. If ghosts are purely incorporeal beings, then why can we hear and see them? Also, creatures like vampires couldn't survive on a diet consisting only of blood. They would need fiber and vitamins. At least, these are the things I tell myself when I’m struck by fear upon seeing a child dressed like a monster.

Another problem I have with the American-imported Halloween is its emphasis on cheap, mass-produced candies that are full of sugar and low-quality cocoa. One Halloween, my workmate offered me a chocolate. After delivering my anti-Halloween speech, I accepted her offer. I put the candy in my mouth and immediately got a bellyache and a cavity in my tooth, so I spit it out. Only then did I see that the candy was shaped like a skull. I had nightmares for weeks.

And let's not ignore the most conspicuous aspect of Halloween: the decorations, most of which are plastic and made in factories in Asia. A certain neighbor of mine, one who prefers foreign nonsense to our own traditions, used to always decorate her garden with skeletons, giant bats, and enormous spiders. It was so tasteless. And terrifying. I still avoid that part of the street.

Perhaps worst of all are the parties for adults which are nothing but an excuse to get drunk and listen to spooky music with English lyrics. Also, you don’t know who is wearing a cheap witch costume they bought at Hema two hours earlier, and who really is a 500-year-old sorceress who can turn you into a black cat. I don't want to be a cat.

So let's reject this so-called holiday which has been forced upon us and which haunts our dreams and prevents us from having a good night’s sleep.

Peter Martin is a teacher from Wasserbillig

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