I know it's September, but I'm already basking in the sinister glow of Halloween. It's my brother's favourite holiday, and every year, when we lived at home, he'd start putting up the decorations earlier and earlier. I thought he was right to do it.

Why wait until the week before? Why put off the joy? You've already waited a whole year for the season to come round again. Throw up the skeletons on September 1st, I say.

In order not to drive my partner slightly mad, though, I've shown great restraint and waited until this week to start decorating. I bought a pumpkin candle-holder, and a string of pumpkin lights, and I'm crocheting some ghosts to make bunting (or boo-nting?).

I had a teacher in secondary school that shared a story about the first time she'd celebrated a holiday away from home. She hadn't seen the point in buying decorations or making much of an effort; why bother when she wouldn't spend it with her friends and family?

But her housemates came together and decided it was worth it. They bought decorations and made a point to eat together. My teacher explained that holidays won't happen unless you make them happen. Traditions won't form without someone to start them off.

I was, like, 13 when she told this story, but it's stuck with me all this time. I don't know what Halloween is going to look like, away from my family, in a country that doesn't really celebrate it. But it'll pass by like any other day if I don't do something to make it special.

Maybe I can get some Dutch folks to bob for apples. Who knows?

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