For goodness sake!

[Georgie]

We had young kids knocking on the door this evening saying trick or treat!   ???  ::)   Don't they know when Hallowe'en is?  They left empty handed I can tell you.  We never have the treats they were after in the house anyway and I doubt they'd have said thank you for a cup of homemade celery soup.   ;)

G x

[Georgie]

[supersprout]

I used to know the neighbourhood kids (and their parents) who visited at Hallowe'en or carol singing time in York, and enjoyed seeing them busy making their costumes and lanterns in the run-up to the night. As I moved around the country later in life, they were strangers :'( So I kept some wholesome biscuits and satsumas for All Hallows - that way they didn't leave empty-handed if their cossies or songs were good :D

Never thought of celery soup :-X ::)

[Georgie]

Oh, satsumas are a great idea.  Will get some in for TUESDAY night just in case we get any little devils around.   ;D  (Will have to hide them from the OH though - he's a satsuma fiend.   :D)

G x

[Jill]

I still do not know why we have to pay dues to a revolting tradition that's come straight from the USA with no justification.  Trick or treat - bah humbug.  Curtains will be closed and doorbell unanswered.   Pumpkin will be carved and lit in the kitchen at the back of the house purely for the satisfaction of US.

[Garden Manager]

I still do not know why we have to pay dues to a revolting tradition that's come straight from the USA with no justification.  Trick or treat - bah humbug.  Curtains will be closed and doorbell unanswered.   Pumpkin will be carved and lit in the kitchen at the back of the house purely for the satisfaction of US.

Quite agree. Door locked, doorbell disconnected, knocks of door ignored. Halloween is a ridiculous 'tradition' we maintain. An excuse for legitimised nuisance making and begging. As far as i recall we have never even had a carved pumpkin in our house even when i was little.

Personaly the whole event puts my nerves on edge.

[manicscousers]

we used to have halloween parties for our lot, they were not allowed out 'trick or treating', we didn't like the idea of our kids going around to beg off a load of strangers, good grief, I sound like one of those grumpy old women!, still >:(

[Garden Manager]

In that case I am a grumpy (not so) old man.

Never got 'into' halloween as a kid, no parties or anything. Although I dont think it was such a big thing in the UK back then (late 80's - early 90's).

[Deb P]

I still do not know why we have to pay dues to a revolting tradition that's come straight from the USA with no justification.  Trick or treat - bah humbug.  Curtains will be closed and doorbell unanswered.   Pumpkin will be carved and lit in the kitchen at the back of the house purely for the satisfaction of US.

Can't blame the USA for this one I'm afraid.....
My thoughts were exactly the same as yours about all this, until my kids went on the internet and showed me this..... they are still not allowed out trick or treating though!!!!!

"The true origins of Halloween lie with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the deadâ€"including ghosts, goblins and witchesâ€"returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.

When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank ciderâ€"traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Even or “holy evening.” Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 2, the Church celebrates All Souls Day."

[MrsKP]

halloween might have come from us, but nasty trick or treat thing was from over the pond, wasn't it ?

I rember carved pumpkins, witches, and bobbing for apples at Brownies, but i never remember begging at halloween.  that was reserved for penny for the guy, and at christmas !

;D

[manicscousers]

"The true origins of Halloween lie with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the deadâ€"including ghosts, goblins and witchesâ€"returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.

the thing is, they never went around doing trick or treat, I would imagine if people didn't want to join in, they would just get left alone

[Yellow Petals]

I think it's all lovely.  The whole thing and I don't care where any of it originated from. 

I love hearing kids shout trick or treat and seeing them dressed up etc etc and it's a once yearly occurence!

I feel sorry for people who get aggro from nasty 'trick or treaters' or get their housed egged etc but on the whole I think Halloween is great.  Society today spends far too much time complaining about what children do which is big shame.

Now, if we're talking about penny for the guy then that's something else .... !  >:(

;D ;D ;D

[MrsKP]

don't think i've seen anyone asking for a penny for the guy in about the last decade or so.  usually it's "spare change for a cup of tea".  I suppose they do look a bit like a guy.   :-\

I like the origins behind the celebrations, what I don't like it being hit in the face with a whole display of nasty tatt that you see in every supermarket and sweet shop in the month leading up to whatever it is (longer at christmas).

don't people know how to make a costume these days without resorting to an off the peg @ ridiculous price number ?

i'd like to trick or treat some of the little urchins that will be on the prowl on Tuesday night  :P

[Mrs Ava]

Well my little urchins will be prowling in home made costumes, with a rather larger old hag behind them to act as bodyguard.  This old hag has forwarned the neighbours that a couple of rather cute little 6 and 7 year olds will be knocking at teatime - those that don't want a visit, won't get one.

I am with Yellow Petals - in this sometimes miserable society with wars, famine and destructive diseases, a little bit of fun goes a long way.

[Georgie]

My point was mainly that they were 3 days early!  I'm with manicscousers and others.  I don't mind the fun - we decorated the house and had parties for friends every year until my daughter grew out of it - but she was never allowed to go out trick or treating.  I guess it's different if you are in a village or other small community where you know the people you are calling on but otherwise it's either at best a nuisance to others and at worse down right dangerous.  I've seen children as young as about six knocking on doors of complete strangers and not a 'responsible person' in sight.    :(

G x

[manicscousers]

i love to see children having a good time, i've got three myself, mind you the youngest is 25 and I have a 7 year old grandson, he is going to a party then around His street where he knows all the neighbours, I'm more concerned for elderly(older than me) who find it intimidating and for children knocking on the doors of strangers

[Emagggie]

Having been caught out by some delightful little dears who weren't satisfied with the booty and so 'egged' my car, I'm jolly glad I've moved to a sparsley populated road! ;)

[powerspade]

For those who think that halloween is lovely please come and live here in wales, last year 6 cars got smashed windscreens in our street, eggs flour  thrown everywhere. Old people living alone get scared out of their wits. Two streets away one old lady had battery acid thrown at her new front door. Happy halloween huh!
Just goes to show this country is no longer a Christian country especially here in Wales

[Garden Manager]

I still say trick or treating is begging and parents should not be encouraging their children to do it. After all the rest of the year they are told not even to talk to strangers let alone ask them for sweets or money!

Trouble is these days kids get their own way and wrap adults around thier little fingers. Parents cant say no to letting thier kids do what they want, including trick or treating. Theres no real dicipline any more.

BTW Halloween may be an ancient english/british festival but the whole excessive trick or treat business is an american creation. I have heard  the phrase 'American Gothic' as the source of modern haloween. Grotesque in my opinion.

[shirlton]

I'm afraid I agree with those of you in opposition to trick or treating. I was brought up  in a convent and we celebrated it with apple bobbing and other simple things.I do not agree with knocking on peoples door and whats more or less threatening them unless they give them something. I can handle sitting in my living room and waiting for the next bang on the door but my poor mom and other old folks like her must sit there terrified. Lets face it children today are not like they used to be. Most are brought up to expect more than a little sweetie. If people want to celebrate Halloween why can't they just have a party with like minded people and their kids

[wellingtons]

My son has never gone trick or treating and at 16 he's unlikely to be going now.

We do have children come trick or treating, but it's usually the children on our road.  What happens is the mums go round to the neighbours to ask if it would be OK and they're only little anyway (I think the eldest in the group is about 8).
And I'm happy to hand out sweeties.