Well, there you have it, my friends. Halloween isn't just damaging our culture and identity. It's harming our wildlife too!
Aussies warned over a 'deadly' Halloween tradition: https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussies-warned-over-a-deadly-halloween-tradition-001904154.html
Recent studies from wildlife experts have shown that cobweb decorations for Halloween (AKA Cr@p Day as I like to call it) actually harm and even kill small birds, bees, and butterflies. Since spring falls during October here in the Southern Hemisphere, the birds and insects become active and can become entangled in fake cobwebs that are very likely at the front of someone's house in your neighbourhood. This is especially the case with curious baby birds, who have just left their nest and are exploring their surroundings. Not only that, but they could swallow the cobwebs and choke or die through other means.
Fake cobwebs are also harmful for birds because they could use it to build their nests during spring. The birds do not know that once they use it for their nests, their babies may also accidentally swallow them.
Furthermore, cobwebs for Halloween can fall into our river systems and oceans, and cause further pollution. The very fish we eat could have unknowingly swallowed the micro-plastics contained within the cobwebs, and therefore, ending up in our bodies.
Hopefully this will act as another urgent call to not only stop harming our Australian cultures, but also to start considering the lives of our beautiful avian and insect friends living among us.
In other Halloween (AKA Cr@p Day) news..
A Boost Juice store in Perth recently received controversy after it displayed horrific, graphic, decorations depicting dismembered hands and feet for Halloween, and this was in front of children. Thankfully, after parents backlashed against these vile decorations, they were taken down, and the general manager of Boost Juice even apologised, saying that they do not believe in displaying gruesome Halloween decorations and what that particular store did was wrong, which is great—I and other Australians are pleased that that's been dealt with. But still though, this is an important lesson for everyone about what could sadly happen if we let Halloween become too prominent in Australia. It doesn't matter if gruesome Halloween decorations are okay in the USA and other parts of the worlds. Being acceptable in the USA doesn't mean it should automatically be here.
Boost Juice pulls display after shoppers’ outrage: 'Too far': https://au.news.yahoo.com/boost-juice-pulls-display-after-shoppers-outrage-too-far-072611444.html
Oftentimes, it's no big deal if children see something that's only a bit spooky in general any time of the year (like bats or skeletons), especially in television or movies. Did you know that a lot of classic children's movies back in the day often had at least one slightly scary or dark scene? And some children even love to be scared. But when it comes to something gruesome like that, that's just way over the top and can traumatise them. But then again, as I've said, Halloween doesn't belong in Australia because it harms our culture and identity, so it's not good to display decorations whether they're gruesome or just a bit spooky for said festivity anyway.
Do you really want children to see blood and gore out of nowhere just because they went for a trip to the shop with their parents? Or even just a walk around their neighbourhood? Do you want children to be scarred for life because: "Oh, it's Halloween! We can display whatever we want in public!"? Do you think it's great to upset people for your own satisfaction by displaying blood and gore, especially during a time when people are dying in Palestine and Ukraine? While there's often nothing wrong with showing blood and gore, it's usually only done in movies, TV shows, video games, or comic books, and even then, such forms of entertainment will carry mature ratings so that way, people have a choice. Also, whenever blood and gore are shown in entertainment, it's usually depicted in a negative light, not celebrated unlike what's done around Halloween. It should always be the choice of a person as to whether they want to see blood or not. And it should especially never be shown to children.
It's obviously upsetting finding out that fake cobwebs can harm our wildlife and that it'll eventually become acceptable to display blood and gore around children during October, and I'm sure you would agree that that's just wrong. Please continue to spread the word about this petition. If it reaches a satisfactory amount of signatures, I'll eventually show it to businesses like Coles, Big W, Kmart, and possibly other organisations like media companies (especially TV channels since this petition was also about balancing the right amount of TV series made in Commonwealth and European countries, and from other countries)—and I'll include an extra detailed message on what they can do to help promote our Australian culture and identity. I would especially encourage shops to promote Samhain instead of Halloween. Samhain is the original British festival of the dead which Halloween is based on. Traditionally in Australia, we've adopted European festivities to become our main annual celebrations, or we make our own. But if my other petition about moving Australia Day to October becomes successful (especially if shops really just don't want to promote Samhain in Australia), then it'll be Australia Day instead.
All the best. Regards, A Proud Australian Citizen.