Except kids can make their own costumes and decorations. The best ones tend to be home made.

For many its just a fun time to embrace the macabre.

Stop having fun! Everyone stop having fun immediately! You, child, put down that candy! You - what are you supposed to be? A sexy witch? Try a sexy kangaroo next time, trollop. No, everyone, stop! Stop laughing! Stop drinking! Stop meeting new people! Can't you see what the American capitalist imperialists are doing to you? Can't you see this is just a normal day in Australia? Be normal! Be bored! It's just another day! Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it!!!

• You

Halloween’s sincere, secular association is FUN. It’s also about community; it’s the only holiday that actually involves getting together and participating with your neighbors rather than just your family. Under capitalism, all holidays involve a deluge of cheap plastic crap, but at least Halloween sticks to its season.

It's also one of the few nights of the year where entire neighbourhoods get together, meet each other. Families get dressed, make costumes, go door to door.

We set up tables and chairs on our front porch here in Brisbane, and have tacos or pizza while we watch Halloween movies and wait for trick or treaters.

We hang out with parents, hand out bottles of water, some candy, and I prefer giving out some useful treats like themed pencils, erasers, this year we gave out stickers for potion bottles, so when kids get home they can clean out an old jar and make cool potions to decorate for next year.

It is the only time a year when we see all of our neighbours and I would say it is the one holiday we all feel most connected.