Every year when Halloween draws closer and the supermarkets start to place their chocolate displays a little nearer to the registers, the same debate seems to make the rounds in Australia: Is Halloween even relevant to our nation? Isn’t it a bit crass to celebrate ‘horror’? It’s all just a commercial gimmick, isn’t it?

Three booksellers tell us why all these doubts are moot, and you should go right ahead and celebrate this spooky, creative, un-American holiday.

Holly Harper says kids love to be scared, so let’s allow them to be.

It only takes one conversation with most kids to see how much they love spooky things. Horror books are a big hit in the kids’ section, whether it’s the teens eagerly awaiting the latest instalments of series like Charlie Higson’s zombie drama The Enemy, or the younger readers discovering terrifying tales like Jack Heath’s Scream series and Emu’s Halloween which stars the scariest Australian of all: the redback spider (to be fair, he’s a very friendly redback spider). There’s a certain sense of joy in being scared at that age – at the shortness of breath, the giddy sense that someone (or something) may be hiding around the corner, and nothing quite beats the thrill of reading your favourite scary book just before bed.

Angela Crocombe says Halloween is assuredly NOT just American.

While the Americans may have co-opted Halloween and turn it into an orgy of sugar and commercialism, the origins of Halloween begin long ago with the ancient Druids in Ireland. Samhain (October 31st) was one of four important feast times and represented the end of one year and the beginning of another, when great bonfires were lit and the spirits of the dead walked free, including those of loved ones who had passed away. To encourage unfriendly spirits to stay away a candle would be lit inside a carved out turnip or pumpkin, with a scary face. Costumes were also worn to scare off evil spirits and to appease them, offerings of fruit and nuts would be put out, which is perhaps the origin of trick or treating. So, when we celebrate Halloween we are getting in touch with our ancient ancestors and showing respect for the dead, not taking part in an American ‘Hallmark’ holiday. If you can’t have a bonfire, perhaps a few candles in the house would suffice…

Bronte Coates says Halloween is about being creative, not commercial.

As someone who loves dress-ups, sweet treats and 90s slasher films, I’m a Halloween fan as it’s a truly excellent excuse to indulge in these activities. Halloween gives kids a reason to carve a pumpkin, float eyeballs (lychees) in a punch bowl, wear a witch’s hat, indulge in spooky storytelling, learn about folklore, and more. To my mind, it’s one of the funnest and most creative holidays out there. And if your child isn’t particularly fond of scary things, Halloween is also for people who love being silly. You don’t have to dress up as a zombie or watch Saw VIII to enjoy the day; you’re just as delightfully welcome to just dress up as Elizabeth Bennett and eat pumpkin scones if that’s your preference. Of course, you can do this kind of thing anytime but Halloween is a way to get away with it.

To help you celebrate, here are some easy three-step-last-minute bookish costume ideas:

• Where’s Wally – striped hat, striped beanie, glasses
• Cat in the Hat – face paint for whiskers, black shirt, tall top hat
• Madeline – straw hat, blue dress with white pan collar, red ribbon
• Max (from Where the Wild Things Are) – white onesie, crown, animal ears and tail
• Princess Elizabeth (from The Paperbag Princess) – brown paper for making a dress, gold crown, face paint for making your face sooty
• Paddington – blue or yellow raincoat, red or blue gumboots, suitcase
• Mr Twit – beard, crumpled clothes, black pen for drawing a monobrow
• Nancy Drew – magnifying glass, headband, turtleneck with A-line skirt