Halloween: Spooktastic or pointless?

[Kernowfem]

It's that time of year again....shopping earlier i witnessed a huge kerfuffle in the halloween aisle. Kids were fighting over witch and wizard costumes, parents snatching up jumbo pack of chocolates and sweets....(haribo must be raking it in) and teenagers were grabbing at plastic spiders.

Pumpkins were being heaved around by men and women while they scurried around looking for tea lights. It was chaos.

So i ask you members of the forum, Is Halloween worth the celebration? Will you be celebrating with a fancy dress party, off ghost hunting or turning out the lights and hiding behind your curtains hoping you'll be left in peace??

 

[ACE1888]

American 'Tripe' which has been 'integrated' into British life, it's for the Kids, which is cool, but we'll no doubt hear of Teenage 'Dirtbags' and chavs probably ruining it for the majority of decent folks. I do give to ones that come around with responsible Parents and make the effort however

 

[90019]

I'm not bothered by it, really.
Not going to do anything for it though.

 

[newbie babs]

I am off with my son and daughter to see a band.

But I will be in fancy dress at work for the students

 

[Bungle73]

Trick or treat is so annoying! Yes let's send our kids round to bother complete strangers in the evening demanding goodies for fear of reprisal. What an excellent idea.

 

[gnolife]

The way trick or treat is done round here is that you get little kids coming round asking for sweets, and people in the houses lob eggs at them. Its based on the idea that the kids are asking for either a trick or a treat, so they get given the trick.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I still hear people saying that it is not really commercialised, but when you see stores such as Marks and Spencer selling complete Halloween outfits for all age groups, face paint, etc, it really is time to ask yourself if the financial benefits to such stores over-ride any other considerations that might ensue. I must confess that in our small area, all children are usually under ten years of age, very well behaved and always accompanied by at least one parent. The American influence is there, but at least we have not yet arrived at the stage of celebrating Thanksgiving Day yet.

 

[T163R]

Is there anything else as pointless as Halloween ?

Maybe a poll would be welcome here.

 

[callum112233]

I'd say that halloween is just an excuse for retailers to try (and succesfully) screw more money out of people. I don't get sucked in by it
Although, some places, like castles etc, they host some interesting things about ghosts and scary things from the past at this time of year.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . . at least we have not yet arrived at the stage of celebrating Thanksgiving Day yet.

No, not yet.
But (with a little reminder) I do celebrate American Independence Day - it nicely marks our separation from them (some would even say that we got rid of them)!

I don't mark Halloween at all. The ghosts and traces of the past seem to be in evidence quite enough without any further effort.

 

[WestCoast]

Hmm, do they still go crazy on Pendle Hill? Anyone from Lancashire way will know what I am on about!

I think the Americanised version is a bit pointless to be honest, it's a good excuse for retailers to extract some cash though!

 

[T163R]

I'd say that halloween is just an excuse for retailers to try (and succesfully) screw more money out of people. I don't get sucked in by it
Although, some places, like castles etc, they host some interesting things about ghosts and scary things from the past at this time of year.

And Christmas is becoming like that.

 

[callum112233]

And Christmas is becoming like that

Sadly this is also true, theres too many crazy parents who are more excited about Christmas than their children.
I'm happy with simply a good meal abd drink for Christmas.

 

[SS4]

And Christmas is becoming like that.

Becoming? It's already here!

I hate halloween, it gives social legitimacy to intimidate people

 

[Kernowfem]

Hmm, do they still go crazy on Pendle Hill? Anyone from Lancashire way will know what I am on about!
!

I'm a yorkshire lass and i know what you are on about The answer to that is yes they do. However, it's not the "witches" But ghost hunters who go looking for them thanks to the Most Haunted Live episodes from Pendle Hill a few years ago.

Rumours are also rife that withcraft still goes on in the area....make of it what you will....

 

[chris89]

Im not bothered by it at all really.

I won't dress up or go to fancy dress parties as find it a waste of money to do so. My parents do by sweets for the kid's trick or treating, but gladly they never do so lots of sweeties to eat

Chris

 

[rail-britain]

Yet another retailers con to add to your calendar

 

[WestCoast]

I'm a yorkshire lass and i know what you are on about The answer to that is yes they do. However, it's not the "witches" But ghost hunters who go looking for them thanks to the Most Haunted Live episodes from Pendle Hill a few years ago.

Rumours are also rife that withcraft still goes on in the area....make of it what you will....

I believe Pendle Hill has got a bit out of hand in recent years on Halloween, with people coming in from all over the place.

 

[Kernowfem]

Is there anything else as pointless as Halloween ?

Maybe a poll would be welcome here.

Poll added

 

[district]

Without wanting to incur any hatred I quite like halloween, just a bit of fun!
Of course it can be taken too far and I of course don't condone harrasing the elderly via 'trick or treat'.

 

[Kernowfem]

I believe Pendle Hill has got a bit out of hand in recent years on Halloween, with people coming in from all over the place.

Indeed WC. Apparently it is descended upon every October 31st. I have also heard that private land has been accessed, places broken into and several property owners knocked awake in the night only to find cheeky, ignorant hunters asking to gain access to their homes/gardens etc in order to "investigate".

 

[SS4]

It just seems strange to celebrate something we once burnt people at the stake for...

 

[valenta]

It's a silly palaver to have to endure every 31'st of October. The constant ripple of kids (many teenagers!) knocking on your door is very annoying. Was thinking today that the phrase "trick or treat" is not really apt, it probably should be replaced with "give us the sweets." Tempted to stand at the door dressed as a monster and scream "go away!" - see what the 5 year olds say!

 

[HST Power]

Treat or riot, Private Eye said so beautifully this morning.

 

[Seacook]

I an a bit bemused by the whole thing. What exactly are we supposed to be celebrating?

Anyone ringing my doorbell on Monday evening is not going to get a friendly reception between 8 and 9 pm - University Challenge followed by Only Connect is a high spot of the week.

 

[Eagle]

I an a bit bemused by the whole thing. What exactly are we supposed to be celebrating?

The eve of Samhain. The end of summer and the start of winter. Certainly the most widely-celebrated Celtic festival (even if no one knows it is one).

It's been fused with the eve of All Hallows' Day, plus a few bits and pieces from All Souls' on November 2.

So it's a hybrid pagano-Christian holiday.

 

[valenta]

Anyone ringing my doorbell on Monday evening is not going to get a friendly reception between 8 and 9 pm - University Challenge followed by Only Connect is a high spot of the week.

Obviously I won't be answering the door when the Newcastle match is on!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Hate it, I agree with most of what's been said above.

 

[Greenback]

I hate halloween, it gives social legitimacy to intimidate people

Yet another retailers con to add to your calendar

I agree!

It just seems strange to celebrate something we once burnt people at the stake for...

The only thing being celebrated is capitalism!

The eve of Samhain. The end of summer and the start of winter. Certainly the most widely-celebrated Celtic festival (even if no one knows it is one).

It's been fused with the eve of All Hallows' Day, plus a few bits and pieces from All Souls' on November 2.

So it's a hybrid pagano-Christian holiday.

Holiday? Do I get a day off?

The whole Hallowe'en concept has become rather lost since the adoption of the American idea of dressing up and going around houses begging. Which was bound to happen once the big stores realised how much money they could make.

Mind you, I have been to a few good Hallowe'en parties down th eyears, so it's not all bad!

 

[newbie babs]

Lancastrian witches don't converge on Pendle Hill at this time of the year. Those interested in what happend there do, and those trying to see ghosts etc do as well.

Lancastrian witches don't have need to go to Pendle Hill

Greenback, trick or treating was not invented in America