For many people in Australia, the scariest thing about Halloween is the fact that the US-centric holiday exists in this country at all.
Despite these objections, the spooky season is growing in popularity. Trick or treaters, amazing costumes, themed parties, and elaborate Halloween decorations are becoming more and more common.
But are our residents of humble wattle-scented Australian suburbs reaching the same level of terrifying effort with their Halloween decorations as the US? And should we even be trying?
You only need to look at the legitimately scary American Halloween house that went viral for expertly imitating a house fire — a terrible idea for our country, already in bushfire season.
ABC Everyday chatted to a shambling horde of Aussie Halloween enthusiasts about how they manage to elevate their decorations beyond a couple of fly-blown pumpkins rotting in the Australian sun.
Tenille made a giant spider to put on her roof
For Tenille Williams, 36-year-old dog trainer and business coach living near Bundaberg, Halloween is a great excuse for a party.
"We have a great friend group that loves to do costumes so it's perfect for us," she says.
"It's a lot of work to set up, but it's all in good fun. We fill our entry hallway with cobwebs, and I made old painting-style images of all our guests and put them along the hallway wall."
On top of her now-traditional party, Tenille and her family get into exterior Halloween decorations too — and the result is an arachnophobe's worst nightmare.
"I saw a few TikToks with people making giant spiders and it looked pretty easy," she says.
"[In truth] it was a little more complex than expected, but we still enjoyed it and love the end result. We named [our spider] Flanders because he has a moustache and is saying hi to the neighbours."
Chris's Halloween-themed street front in 'Stabmore'
Growing up with an American mum in Australia, Halloween was a big deal for Chris Lombardo, a 29-year-old project manager from Stanmore in Sydney's inner west.
"Mum used to buy all the candy and hand it out to our neighbours beforehand, so we'd have the trick-or-treating experience as kids, before it really blew up in Australia," he says.
"Our Halloween parties growing up are some of the most beloved memories me and my friends have from that age."
Now as an adult, he continues the tradition.
"Me and my housemates/friends are big horror movie fans, and our Halloween party this year is 'slasher-movie' themed, so we've decided to go as all out as possible!
"The idea came about because of a stupid pun based on our suburb name — 'Stabmore'."
Their decorations are a mix of store-bought and homemade, including carving pumpkins, a scarecrow in their garden and a body bag hanging from a tree.
"When we were fixing the front of the house we'd get plenty of smiles from everyone walking past — [the] Stanmore area seems to be pretty Halloween-y this year."
Lexi's spooky carport
For Lexi, a 38-year-old art director from the NSW Central Coast, Halloween is the perfect blend of her love of horror, crafting, and parties — and the centrepiece of the holiday is a thematically scary carport.
"For the past two years, I've turned my partner's carport into a spooky maze," she says.
"Inside, I had multiple animatronics, … black light to make everything glow, spider webs, colourful RGB lights and flashing lights, and a smoke machine to give it that eerie vibe before you enter the party."
The maze took about a day to set up.
"I drew up a plan, set up clothing wires to create the structure, hung plastic sheets (which I recycled), positioned the animatronics strategically, and added all the other spooky decorations to bring it together," she says.
This year, she's doing things a bit differently.
"I'm attempting to take people on a journey through our Halloween set-up," she says.
"So, we're starting with a black light clown tunnel, where the walls glow, and there's a few spooky animatronic clowns with chains and hanging fabric to walk through.
"A creepy clown meets you at the end."
Why Kate misses Halloween in Canada
For Canadian expat Kate Cuthbert, Halloween in Australia is still missing one key aspect about the holiday that she values the most.
"It's not just asking for candy; it's knocking on doors in your neighbourhood, getting a chance to chat with people you don't see very often, getting to know the people in your street," says Kate, who now lives in Melbourne.
"When I was growing up … community was key.
"After trick or treating, there was always a party at the local community centre or hall, where the kids would play games — we genuinely bobbed for apples. It's really hard! — and the adults would chat.
"I think many people think of Halloween as a Hallmark holiday, or built up around greed. But at its core it can be about creativity, self-expression, and connection. And, let's be real, a lot of sugar."
When it comes to advice for Aussies looking to elevate their decorations without breaking the bank, Kate suggests looking to crafting and DIY.
"A little bit goes a long way, and there is a huge spectrum in the Halloween aesthetic. You don't have to go all out."
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