Halloween

lol. I live in an area inaccessible. Even Google street can’t find us. Despite my neighbours this afternoon on my way home putting out a spooky house front show? I make a point of getting home before sundown. Because the kids round here have a habit of jumping out infront of my vehicle dressed as Batman. Whilst the accompanying adults are carrying the battery powered Jack lanterns dressed as hi vizz flashing cat eared/devil horned “sex workers?”
 
I deliberately got some in that I could use as pocket hypo treatments if any were left over. But the hordes descended… and in the end we had to break into the tub of Heroes I’d picked up for Christmas!

Though I guess we do live on the same street as a primary school, so there’s a lot of nippers about!
 
I hate the whole idea of trick or treat, you don’t harass your neighbours any other day begging for food so why is it OK on Halloween? Grrr…. I’ve got no problem with kids dressing up and having fun if they want to, but annoying people in their own homes is taking it a bit far. Yes, bah humbug…
I did get an emergency tub of chocolates just in case, but we are up a long driveway and don’t face the road so don’t get so many unwanted callers here, and last night we didn’t get any at all, so shall save the chocolates for Christmas. Round here though I think they tend to target only houses which are decorated, because people who have gone to the trouble to put decorations up are probably more likely to enjoy taking part, so those that don’t want to take part get left alone. Which is a lot more acceptable I think.
@everydayupsanddowns you are very brave living in the same road as a school, it must be utter chaos at dropping off and picking up times!
 
Sally71 said:
I hate the whole idea of trick or treat, you don’t harass your neighbours any other day begging for food so why is it OK on Halloween? Grrr…. I’ve got no problem with kids dressing up and having fun if they want to, but annoying people in their own homes is taking it a bit far. Yes, bah humbug…
I did get an emergency tub of chocolates just in case, but we are up a long driveway and don’t face the road so don’t get so many unwanted callers here, and last night we didn’t get any at all, so shall save the chocolates for Christmas. Round here though I think they tend to target only houses which are decorated, because people who have gone to the trouble to put decorations up are probably more likely to enjoy taking part, so those that don’t want to take part get left alone. Which is a lot more acceptable I think.
@everydayupsanddowns you are very brave living in the same road as a school, it must be utter chaos at dropping off and picking up times!
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I don't like Halloween for several reasons (some no doubt more legitimate than others!):

1) It comes from the US (at least in its current form) and I don't like the UK being turned into a cultural and linguistic colony of the US;
2) It encourages kids to eat too many sweets;
3) I've heard 'spooky' radio show items this year that seem to be turning violence against women into entertainment - a bit like the 'Jack the Ripper' walks;
4) Some people feel scared by 'trick or treaters'.
 
Sally71 said:
My daughter showed me that on TikTok!
Or if it really is your friend’s door, maybe that’s where they got the idea from
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He has moved to the IoW so I have never been to his house (starting to doubt I ever will). All I know he WhatsApp'd it to me about 4:00 yesterday while I was waiting for transport back from physio in the morning! :(
 
Sally71 said:
I hate the whole idea of trick or treat, you don’t harass your neighbours any other day begging for food so why is it OK on Halloween? Grrr…. I’ve got no problem with kids dressing up and having fun if they want to, but annoying people in their own homes is taking it a bit far. Yes, bah humbug…
I did get an emergency tub of chocolates just in case, but we are up a long driveway and don’t face the road so don’t get so many unwanted callers here, and last night we didn’t get any at all, so shall save the chocolates for Christmas. Round here though I think they tend to target only houses which are decorated, because people who have gone to the trouble to put decorations up are probably more likely to enjoy taking part, so those that don’t want to take part get left alone. Which is a lot more acceptable I think.
@everydayupsanddowns you are very brave living in the same road as a school, it must be utter chaos at dropping off and picking up times!
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Back in the day. We had “penny for the Guy.” Which was usually some teen’s sibling sat in a wheelbarrow wearing a cardboard Guy Fawkes mask? & one year just before Christmas there was a knock at the door & there was four lads in hats & scarves carrying a lanterns. “We’re carol singers.” One said as my dad enquired. Sing us a song then? They just glanced vacantly at each other, it was clear they didn’t know any. We laughed & they shuffled off down the path. I can only guess they were after “beer money.” 😛
 
Our trick or treat was manic, so I have no "temptations" left. 80 mini chocolate bars vanished in less than an hour, and kids were still coming round 2 hours later. My neighbours said they'd never been so busy either, and we put it down to the first dry halloween for 4 years.
 
Sally71 said:
I hate the whole idea of trick or treat, you don’t harass your neighbours any other day begging for food so why is it OK on Halloween? Grrr…. I’ve got no problem with kids dressing up and having fun if they want to, but annoying people in their own homes is taking it a bit far. Yes, bah humbug…
I did get an emergency tub of chocolates just in case, but we are up a long driveway and don’t face the road so don’t get so many unwanted callers here, and last night we didn’t get any at all, so shall save the chocolates for Christmas. Round here though I think they tend to target only houses which are decorated, because people who have gone to the trouble to put decorations up are probably more likely to enjoy taking part, so those that don’t want to take part get left alone. Which is a lot more acceptable I think.
@everydayupsanddowns you are very brave living in the same road as a school, it must be utter chaos at dropping off and picking up times!
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I completely agree.
I found it strange when there were households in my street who never passed the time of day until 31st October when they felt it was a good idea to send their kids to my (undecorated) door and demand sweets.
Thankfully, it was only ever Treats and no Tricks although I felt uncomfortable telling the little ones I had no sweets and was a little nervous when the teenagers came around.

Two (female) friends and I started a tradition of going out for dinner on Hallowe'en so there was no one at home to upset the kids (or ignore the knock on the door). We still refer to ourselves as "The Coven" although we no longer have the annual tradition.
There again, our street is currently childless and slightly out of the way so we no longer have the "Candy Beggars".
 
CliffH said:
I don't like Halloween for several reasons (some no doubt more legitimate than others!):

1) It comes from the US (at least in its current form) and I don't like the UK being turned into a cultural and linguistic colony of the US;
2) It encourages kids to eat too many sweets;
3) I've heard 'spooky' radio show items this year that seem to be turning violence against women into entertainment - a bit like the 'Jack the Ripper' walks;
4) Some people feel scared by 'trick or treaters'.
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It almost seems to be a rip off of Diwali?
 
Back in the 60's we used to make laterns out of Turnips(Swede), but we did not knock on people's doors.
 
grovesy said:
Back in the 60's we used to make laterns out of Turnips(Swede), but we did not knock on people's doors.
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I never knocked on doors (my parents would not have dreamed of it) but I remember a few days after Hallowe'en when some kids would come around or accost you at the local shops requesting "A penny for the Guy" which was usually dragged behind them in a home-made go-kart.
 
We used to put a few decorations out and my hubby answered the door wearing a frankenstein mask. Gave out plenty of sweets to the kids. Lived on a small estate so lots of youngsters. Now living off the beaten track so don't get Trick or treaters now.
 
CliffH said:
When I lived in the Black Country Diwali was a big deal. It seems neither as commercialised nor as selfish as the way in which Halloween is celebrated nowadays.
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I don't think Halloween was much of a thing until relatively recently (when we imported the customs from the US). Our celebration was much more about November 5 when we celebrate burning a Catholic with a bonfire, fireworks, etc.
 
Sally71 said:
@everydayupsanddowns you are very brave living in the same road as a school, it must be utter chaos at dropping off and picking up times
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LOL! yes that can be ‘entertaining’. It’s a Home Zone street, so no road/pavement just wide open with pavers, so you just have to trundle at small-person walking pace if you happen to arrive at that time.

I don’t care much for the ‘demanding sweets with menaces’ thing, but others in the house like it.

There’s that good ‘rule’ around here of no-pumpkin, no knock, which helps prevent anyone anxious or elderly being confronted by 6 teenagers in skull masks later on, but it had all stopped by about 6.30ish here.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
I don't think Halloween was much of a thing until relatively recently (when we imported the customs from the US). Our celebration was much more about November 5 when we celebrate burning a Catholic with a bonfire, fireworks, etc.
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I wanted to acknowledge the harsh truth of that statement - although it's nowhere near enough to convey the objections I feel towards despots in government anywhere at all ever.
 
trophywench said:
I wanted to acknowledge the harsh truth of that statement - although it's nowhere near enough to convey the objections I feel towards despots in government anywhere at all ever.
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I agree: as someone who isn't a Christian, I abhor what Protestants did to Catholics - and what Catholics did to Protestants.
 
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