TWAS the night before Halloween and all through the haunted house, all the creatures were stirring, even the mouse.
The Grim Reaper hung over the garden with a glare, in hope that some trick-or-treaters would soon be there.
Love it or loathe it, Halloween has taken over many Hunter suburbs. For the DaCosta family it is a month-long passion project to set up the front-garden cemetery at their home in Mayfield.
"I absolutely love horror movies and I love Halloween," Alicia DaCosta said.
Ms DaCosta grew up in Sydney where Halloween was a pretty popular celebration every year. When she moved up to Newcastle and had her own children - Scarlett, 11 and Junior, 10 - she decided it was time to bring back that spooky magic from her childhood.
"They absolutely love it too," she said of her children.
"Every time I bring something else home from the shops they say 'Mum you bought more stuff". But by the time Halloween comes around and all the kids start to visit, they love it."
This is the fourth year the family has decorated their home, with only a small hiatus during COVID lockdowns.
"It is getting bigger and better every year," she said.
"We see more and more trick-or-treaters, which means more candy. I told the neighbours I have so much stuff now I might need to use their front yard next year too."
The Grim Reaper is back in action for Halloween and this year the family has added a pumpkin patch to their display. While it might seems like an Americanised holiday to some, for this family it is all about bringing the community together and having some fun.
"You see all the kids dressed up, seeing how scared some of them are or how much they love it," she said.
"There is a real thrill about it."
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