Halloween v Beltane: my social dilemma...

I need to get something out... Today is the 31st of October, and Halloween in the  Northern Hemisphere. All day, and perhaps for most of the month, I have been hearing all this stuff about Halloween. Are you dressing up? Are you trick or treating? Buy this pumpkin and that fake spider and this ghost thing that witches hat (and this is another gripe of mine, but beyond the scope of what I am can currently dealing with)!! It is all very commercial, but this is not where my issue lies.

My real issue is that we are celebrating it at the wrong time of year! It is currently Beltane in the Southern Hemisphere! We should be celebrating this with a massive bonfire (perhaps controlled as we are currently in a high fire danger period) and a dance around the May Pole and sharing the love (not necessarily sexual either) and partying late into the night cause it's day light savings!!!! We should be honouring the return to power of the sun, not trick or treating and giving our lollies... 

Don't get me wrong, I celebrate Halloween myself, and would love to see trick or treaters at my house! I'd give em all a full packet of Redskins... At the right time of year...

Why do we have to do it the same way as America and the Northern Hemisphere? I single out America only because it is the infusion of American culture into Australia that has caused this sudden rise in popularity of the holiday, nothing more... There is absolutely nothing stopping us adapting this holidays an doing it 'our way' based on our seasons... Nothing at all!! 

Again, this goes against the initial reason for this post, and that was to work out why I am having so much trouble with the idea, so I'll rein it in a bit... It might be as simple as knowing the general public do not understand the reason for the holiday and we appear to be 'bandwagoners', which is something I loathe deeply. It may be that something that is held sacred by many is yet another casualty to captialism and consumerism which I also loathe... The Christians have had to deal with this for decades now, so perhaps I should ask them how they deal with it... 

Advice from fellow pagans and other such wise people is to just let it go and enjoy it for what it is... 'Give me the courage to accept that which I cannot change' and all that...  Perhaps I should take this advice and hope that next year I will find a way to cope better. Maybe getting out and actively involving myself in local Beltane rituals will also help... 

I'll do both and see how it goes. I can't help but wonder how other people cope... Is this a problem for you too? I can't be the only one going through it now or ever... So, if you have ever felt this way, please let me know how you got through it? I'd love to hear your advice!!  

Beltane Blessings!! xx