In the United States, Halloween is a national holiday widely celebrated, with major events and celebrations on and around the holiday itself. Certainly, children all over look foward to dressing up in costume and going out to Trick-or-Treat - with the emphasis on the treats.

But it's easy to forget that this is largely an American holiday. Though the original Halloween traditions made their way over to the US with Irish immigrants who brought over the original Celtic/Catholic traditions, few countries (even Ireland) celebrate it with quite the fervor that Americans have come to have for the holiday.

That is not to say that Australia does not have its own traditions around the holiday. But previously this time of year was marked more by Guy Fawkes Day (or Bonfire Night as it was also called) than by "All Hallow's Eve." Guy Fawkes Day ommemorates the foiling of the attempt led by Guy Fawkes in 1605 to blow up the king and members of Parliament in retaliation for increasing repression of Roman Catholics in England - the so-called Gunpowder Plot. In many British Colonies, it was often commemorated with a large bonfire and a burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes; in more modern times, it is often celebrated with fireworks and bonfires.

In Australia, it was a day to celebrate the deliverance of the King of England... but some might argue also a day, in the Aussie tradition of things, to raise a toast to those who defied authority. However, it has not been largely celebrated throughout all of Australia since the 1970s, when fireworks and bonfires were largely banned throughout the country. Still, in some regions, Halloween is now celebrated on November 5th instead of October 31st.

An important thing to note about why Halloween doesn't work quite as well in Australia is that the original Pagan holiday was a celebration of the end of the harvest, of the longest night of the year, of the journey into winter and a season of death. But in Australia, Halloween falls at the end of spring, when the nights are short, and the country is entering into the season of abundance and growth.

Regardless, though, as American culture - and particularly our television shows and movies - continue to make their way to Australia, they are beginning to influence Australian celebrations of the holiday. In some cities and areas, Halloween is now marked with parties and special events and children dress up in costumes to go trick-or-treating. Even the Australia Zoo now hosts special Halloween celebrations.