Suzanne Harrington: Halloween — the world can't get enough of our cultural invention

"Halloween is perfect — short, fun, non-prescriptive, and catering to that one aspect strangled by the performative perfectionism of Christmas and weddings — campy weirdness and anti-beauty."

‘Ghost turnip’, by Eileen Barnes - a nod to Ireland's Halloween traditions. Pic: National Museum of Ireland

I would personally like to thank Ireland for inventing Halloween. 

Thank you, Ireland, for creating the most fun day and night of the year; unlike St Patrick’s Day, it requires no green velour hats or getting drunk in faux Irish pubs in Perth or Toronto or Basildon while pretending to like Guinness.