Is Halloween Such A BIG Deal "Cross The Pond" ?

[dave_rhino]

Not at all. Kids will go trick or treating, and there will be a little section in super markets dedicated to halloween related things, but no where near the scale of America.

I remember when I lived there, I thought halloween was the greatest thing ever. Then when I came back here I realised it was just shit... Shame, if it was big over here it could be really fun for the kids.

I once thought it would be funny to go clubbing with a zombie mask on. I ended up getting in a fight with a few guys because they hated halloween so much

 

[Friday on my mind]

And here in the Northeast although I think it is in other places under different names was the night before Halloween which was known as "mischief night".Where we would soap up peoples cars,or maybe egg them if we really didn't like you.Later I think stores would refuse to sell kids eggs close to that day.

 

[Christmas_Ape]

What about Guy Fox day? That seems kinda Halloweenish, no?

 

[poggy]

What about Guy Fox day? That seems kinda Halloweenish, no?

You mean Guy Fawkes. That is another nothing Bonfire Night. Just another waste of money!

Just a lot of bangs and a few fires to celebrate a failure

No holiday though, just another normal day.

I've always said the Queens Birthday should be a national holiday myself.

 

[Ax3C]

Call me odd and slightly mad if you will, but I've always enjoyed Halloween. Even though a lot of people in the "faith" (and I'll leave it at that) don't celebrate Halloween because it's glorifying Satanism, et. al., I find it to be a time of the year full of anticipation for the coming holidays.

Halloween is a day for children ... and who among us doesn't have a big, goofy kid stuck somewhere inside? It's a time for merriment, laughter, tricks, and good times.

I can remember going trick or treating growing up; back then it was relatively safe and everybody on our block knew each other. We'd all have street parties on hot summer nights, get-togethers at each others' houses, etc.

The day has sadly lost a lot of that innocence, though. It's pathetic and sad when you see adults OUR age (without any children) going door-to-door, asking for candy. It makes one wonder what they're truly up to and why there are no kids around.

It's a season of change; autumn is in full swing and Thanksgiving (for us Americans) is right around the corner. It's a precursor to family holidays and get-togethers; a time for laughter and fun and good times. Gone are the days of summer; ahead are cold, rainy winter days with clouds that look like fluffy imperial white cotton and often, dark, foreboding skies.

I can remember seeing a Hunter's Moon on one Halloween night; scared the shit out of me. I was out at my uncle's ranch and we kids were all getting ready to go on a hay-ride and then on to trick or treating. The night air was crisp and cool; the stars danced vividly in the sky. There was nary a cloud in the sky and the moon was low on the horizon; blood-red and glowing like a malevolent eye. Wolves and coyotes were howling in the distance and the horses were neighing; the cows were lowing and bellowing. Creeped me out most thoroughly; kept thinking about "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

I was all of about maybe ten years, eleven years old at the time ...

Yeah, I like Halloween.

 

[Christmas_Ape]

You mean Guy Fawkes. That is another nothing Bonfire Night. Just another waste of money!

Just a lot of bangs and a few fires to celebrate a failure

No holiday though, just another normal day.

I've always said the Queens Birthday should be a national holiday myself.

Ah, yes, Guy Fawkes. Sounds like just another day for the haberdashers to line their pockets.

And I've always said that Super Bowl Sunday should be an official National Holiday, here in the States..

 

[hedonis]

I'm very much in love with Halloween. Problem is, lawyers, political correctness, and other entities have made it not so much fun anymore as a safe, sterile, fun-free holiday where as long as kids get candy, and no one's feelings get hurt or there's nothing too scary :wtf: everything's good.

I have long been a fan of horror flicks, and I can remember several times going out on Halloween in costume, and just... roaming. Usually it was the character from the movie "Halloween". I wouldn't say anything, wouldn't jump out and scare anyone, but I'd just walk around. Sometimes I'd stop and look at a particular house for a minute or two. Fun. Gave some people the willies. Nowadays- I'd get charged with terrorism. :dunno:

They even (In my area) switched "Beggars night" (Don't get me started on that) to the 30th, for some reason, where it has stayed now since I was a teen. I fucking hate that. And I hate the notion of "Beggars night"- It's halloween! If we have to say "Beggars' Night", then I want December 25 to be called "Whiny, undeserving snot-nosed brat day"

And then there's the costume for adults. Apparently, somewhere along the way, Halloween stopped being about scary costumes and all that. Now it's time for the "Sexy nurse", "Sexy devil", "Sexy Cheerleader", and you get the point. Women are ALL supposed to go as whores for halloween- yay. And for guys? Funny or just downright stupid? The "pimp", all the Austin Powers crap from a few years ago, etc. Just plain idiotic.

The worst was when I was looking through little kids costumes and found "The Pimp" in a costume for 4-6 year olds!!!! :eek: I quit looking before I found the 4-6 year old "Sexy Cheerleader" costume.


H

 

[poggy]

And I've always said that Super Bowl Sunday should be an official National Holiday, here in the States..

That would be like having the FA Cup final a holiday. With it been on a Saturday it doesn't need to be. Plus at the end of the day it's just a sporting event and not that special. Even though I love my Football (soccer).

So with the Superbowl been on a Sunday it would be the same.

Plus if you did this for one final you'd have to do them for them all. This would then get silly especially for such as Baseball. You'd have to have 7 national holidays for the world series.


We in the UK now go from the end of August till the 3 days (Xmas day, Boxing Day and New Years day) you get at Christmas without a national holiday. Then after that it's about another three months till another one.

With the 3 at Christmas and 2 at Easter that only leaves another 3 national holidays. Spring Bank, May Day and August Bank holiday.

 

[ChefChiTown]

halloween is my day.

Halloween is my day. My birthday, to be exact. :tongue:

 

[Christmas_Ape]

Plus if you did this for one final you'd have to do them for them all.

Na, they wouldn't have to. The Super Bowl already is an unofficial holiday here. But really, my suggestion that they make it an Official Holiday was all in jest.

 

[thegunner]

Halloween is my day. My birthday, to be exact. :tongue:

Me too!

I have always enjoyed Halloween and tried to make a big deal out of it. I used to organise a fancy dress party every year, for halloween and my birthday combined, or someone else would have one. There are still a good amount of places with special parties or things on. I'm in the UK btw.

 

[DreamSparrow]

Pretty big, but maybe not on the same scale as in America. I'm not sure. What exactly do you do over in the States that's so massive? 'Scary' parties, kids running about the streets in fancy dress, fireworks and a bunch of horror movies opening on a particular weekend. We have all that except the trick or treating, probably because the British are paranoid about paedophiles.

Because Halloween and Bonfire Night are so close together, this whole time of year is basically fireworks season -- even if there's no particular celebration on that night. In London, there's yet more reason for people to be out celebrating, because you have the Hindu and Sikh festival of Diwali and the Muslim Eid currently occurring at this time of year too, and London has a pretty high percentage of Brits belonging to these faiths.

 

[Friday on my mind]

Pretty big, but maybe not on the same scale as in America. I'm not sure. What exactly do you do over in the States that's so massive? 'Scary' parties, kids running about the streets in fancy dress, fireworks and a bunch of horror movies opening on a particular weekend. We have all that except the trick or treating, probably because the British are paranoid about paedophiles.

Because Halloween and Bonfire Night are so close together, this whole time of year is basically fireworks season -- even if there's no particular celebration on that night. In London, there's yet more reason for people to be out celebrating, because you have the Hindu and Sikh festival of Diwali and the Muslim Eid currently occurring at this time of year too, and London has a pretty high percentage of Brits belonging to these faiths.

At least in my area of the country I think for kids Halloween is not nearly what it was once.As kids we all went out every year un-escorted by adults well into the night.Then after some tampering scares and I guess fears of molesters and such it seems to have gotten much less common for kids to be out without their parents,so we get a lot less trick or treaters.Halloween now it seems is about selling stuff related on TV,horror movies,decorating your house for it etc.

 

[maildude]

HERE is the history of Halloween. Funny how it came here from Europe.:dunno:

 

[poggy]

HERE is the history of Halloween. Funny how it came here from Europe.:dunno:

Not trying to be funny.

But most the things the US do or celebrate come from Europe in one way or another. Hell even if you go back into your family tree you might find your family came from Europe. As half the US do.

 

[britlover]

Personally, I enjoy Halloween as a life-long Horror fan and film collector. When I get my own place again and some new friends, even though I'm a bit of a loner, I wanna start getting back dressed up some more (love classic Slasher film series characters--especially The Shape, aka: Michael Myers, and Jason Voorhees) and going out to some city parties with friends and visiting shopping Malls to see what's going on, hold Horror film festivals, ect. I have a Plasma sceen and a great sound system and a well over 400 primarily Horror film centric collection now. I would love to hold a Horror film festival at my next apartment for friends, order some Pizza, ect.

Very interesting to see the wide moods and opinions here (forgive me if I seem to be the only one who views most here as negative or even overly negative, for some reasons). I grew up in different parts of Tennessee, and I loved the cool, moody Halloween nights. I think many get *WAY* too tore up worrying about crime and such, thinking it's for only kids or some think only now for child-ish and/or creepy and fucked up grown ups, ect. I think personally it's for ALL ages, and sometimes it's just not for some. Okay, fair enough.

I still enjoy Thanksgiving for the classic meals my mother's family (inparticularly our immdiate family) makes, and Christmas too cause I am a person of some Faith and I've been blessed to load up on that holy day (), but Halloween will always hold a certain place in my heart. I have a strange love/hate relationship to how everything is over-produced and packaged here in North America. Hallowen, when you read it's history on Wikipedia.org, started to really be that way in the '60s and such as it shaped up to what we know of it today. But for those who compalin, it was always a bit overly fun in that respect, but the "Hallmark" days, I mean the bullshit (total bulshit) made-up ones like Father's Day, Mother's Day, Secretary Day, ect are much worse I would say. I see Halloween as a bit different than that (but don't ask me to explain).


Sadly, I think many complaining sour puses who complain that it's over showed for the month (but who cares? For Christ sakes it's only a month of pimping it out), the bullshit Urban Myths (look into them: Very few children have ever been poisoned, those who were by they're own families, and no more are kidnapped or harmed than on other days all over North America--research it) about razor bladed apples and poisoned Candy/sweets really harmed in through out the late '80s and earily '90s when I was younger.

It's even more commercial now, but I seem to remember it being bigger as a young lad in the earily '90s (and late '80s) before people got really overly scared of it somehow. Personally I've always enjoyed it. Can't wait untill next year so I can head to the drug store (Walgreen's) and maybe Target or Wal-Mart and decorate my next house I'll be in some, and make some plans. I'd safely safe for us playfull, eccentric Horror genre nuts, it's our true Christmas. You just love it or tolerate it or you totally will hate it. Pick an emotion. Love it, myself.

And as to the poster who said "Whoa, thanks America for giving our snot-nosed kids an excuse to egg us and commit crime": Well now, there can be several responces for that, but it's not my fault as an American. Your looking at it the wrong way, I think. Crime is universal. People have to get over and deal with it. Human beings just look for an excuse to be ignorant and mean and cause crime, and they'll find a way. Simple as that. Than again, the eccentric loner I am, I don't give the best responces. If you don't wanna deal with said 'snot-nosed brats', than turn off your lights and lock your doors and they shouldn't come to trick or treat very much.

Too bad Halloween seem's to make many pissy and has an overly negative light. It's an anchient Celtic/Gaelic holiday with some interesting, well meaning and just plain FUN elements behind it. I love it, myself ...

 

[senob44]

I remember as a kid we all thought "trick or treat" meant give us a treat or we will pull a trick on you lol.The truth is I beleive the saying's origins are that children would eitheir be given a treat or the person would perform some sort of trick to amuse them.

Trick or Treat meant to me, and most kids, either the kid does a trick for the treat, or they just get a treat.

When I was young, we would always trick or treat in the same basic area. There was this one house where lived an elderly man. When you came to the door and said "Trick or Treat" to him, he would always shout "Trick!" and pretend to grab at our candy before scurrying back inside and closing the door. He actually seemed to revel in doing this. It became like a tradition, we would ring his bell every year, and every year the same thing. Until one year, he came to the door coughing and wheezing and looking basically half dead. We said "Trick or Treat". He said, "I know you boys. You've been coming around here on Halloween for years. You're the only ones who even bother coming to my door anymore. I'm terribly ill. I'm just a lonely old man and I don't think I'll live to see another Halloween. I was hoping you boys would come around this year because I have something for you." He stepped inside to his living room and came back with three crisp 50-dollar bills. He said, "These are yours if you'll promise to do one thing for me. Think of me when you think of Halloween. I've got no family left and I want someone to remember me when I'm gone." This was a very heavy thing for three teenagers to hear. We mumbled, "We will remember you." He gave us the money and we left. Next year, sure enough, there were new people in the house. And I still haven't forgotten that elderly man.

 

[Supafly]

Halloween is getting bigger and bigger here in Germany.

I first noticed and celebrated it at my local pub (which is sponsored by Guinness, so they have shitloads of goodies every year). By now, stores everywhere have lots of stuff, decoration, makeup, costumes, etc.

The kids are into it big time, and so I am sure that in some 5 or ten years it will be like in the USA. Can't wait :nanner:

 

[britlover]

When I was young, we would always trick or treat in the same basic area. There was this one house where lived an elderly man. When you came to the door and said "Trick or Treat" to him, he would always shout "Trick!" and pretend to grab at our candy before scurrying back inside and closing the door. He actually seemed to revel in doing this. It became like a tradition, we would ring his bell every year, and every year the same thing. Until one year, he came to the door coughing and wheezing and looking basically half dead. We said "Trick or Treat". He said, "I know you boys. You've been coming around here on Halloween for years. You're the only ones who even bother coming to my door anymore. I'm terribly ill. I'm just a lonely old man and I don't think I'll live to see another Halloween. I was hoping you boys would come around this year because I have something for you." He stepped inside to his living room and came back with three crisp 50-dollar bills. He said, "These are yours if you'll promise to do one thing for me. Think of me when you think of Halloween. I've got no family left and I want someone to remember me when I'm gone." This was a very heavy thing for three teenagers to hear. We mumbled, "We will remember you." He gave us the money and we left. Next year, sure enough, there were new people in the house. And I still haven't forgotten that elderly man.

Ah, that was touching and quite sad, senob. I truely apprechiate you sharing that. I have to agree that must have been pretty heavy for you and your friends, as young'ens, to hear from a nice gentleman you had known in your neighborhood all of your life that he wasn't gonna be around much longer, and her gave you quite a bit of money for the old days. Hell, that is a very nice & generous amount to give to kids these days, still. I walk our two family dogs, Boston Terriar's, 4 times a day and still only get 75$ for it (though I've greatfull to a large extent, cause it's extra money).

I know you'll never forget him. I hope he is in a better place somewhere (I am a person of some Faith, as I posted before). I'm pretty sure he is.

And Supadupafly: Even though some probably don't care to think too much of global culture imperalism (if that's how some choose to think about the holiday, though in origin it's a Pegan Gaelic/Celtic holiday--it's just been Americanized through the years), I'm so very glad that Halloween is really catching on it Germany. I hope mainland Europe takes a shining to it through out the years. People should give it a chance and maybe it'll grow on them. It's one of our more fun national holidays, like the 4th of July (which I like inspite of Patriotism, because I don't believe in it, but I enjoy the family gathering, barbecueing with my father and the shooting off of Fireworks).

I'm glad you enjoy. So very good to hear ...

 

[Perilypos]

In my country Halloween has no tradition and hasn't practically naturalised, although it has been becoming popular in a small scale in last 15-20 years, notwithstanding the major part of the community tends to consider introducing Halloween into the country as a snobbery.