For goodness sake!

[Doris_Pinks]

We have always done the Halloween thing withour girlies, but mainly due to the fact we lived overseas where it was the thing to do!

Now in the UK we have our own Halloween party, (I wouldn't want my girls wandering the streets!) and dress up in full costumes, it is so funny to answer the door to unknown trick or treaters in a costume that is scareier than theirs!  ;D ;D ;D

Was thinking that now they are 17 and 14 they wouldn't want a party...............................wrong, so Tuesday we shall be getting out the face paints once more, which as we have just moved house could take me till next Halloween to find! :-\

[Doris_Pinks]

[Carol]

I know everything changes, but not for the better, but Halloween has gone a bit over the top now.  It is Americanised.  Trick or treat is not a British expression, it was 'guising'  up here in Scotland when I was but a lass.  We had great fun at Halloween as well but just round the neighbours whom we all knew and the fun was dressing up with old clothes and making a lantern from a big 'Swede' with a candle stuck inside it.  Folk who had children had parties where you dooked for apples or messy games trying to eat 'things' dangling from a string.  It was all home made fun.  Now Holloween is the third most profitable event for retailers in Britain, with associated spending amounting to £120M this year.  Apparently the pumpkin market alone is worth some £25 million.  Once a low key traadition, this 'Celtic' festival is now a consumer driven charade.   Have fun folks trick n treating but I will be giving out sweeties if any of our local children can be bothered to walk to my house cos I am the last in the village.   ;) ;)

[supersprout]

There's an indirect upside ...
the farmer who sold me three more MASSIVE cinderellas said people were buying them for hallowe'en yes, but increasingly were also buying pumpkin and squash to eat. He reckons more peeps are trying squash for the first time and his season extends well before and after November, with squash sales soaring during the winter months. Good news for seasonal food by-passing the supermarket, and for the farmer :)

(then he threw in two 'American' pumpkins he said were noted for their sweet flesh. When I thanked him, he said, well you'll be back won't you? What a salesman! ;D)

[Mrs Ava]

Asdas pumpkins were about £2.99 each, and I saw some in a wheelbarrow today outside someones house and they were bigger and only .99p each.  I am a sucker for a celebration, but must admit to being nervous when I am confronted by a crowd of teenagers outside the front door.  However, fortunately for me, we live in a quiet village so most of the tricksters are in my childrens school and I know them.  I have knocked today and asked 3 neighbours if they would be okay if my 2 came a'knocking, and they were thrilled to be asked!  After school tomorrow we will make toffee apples and bob for some apples....if my carpet can stand it....and then have sausages and ketchup with tomato soup, no I mean, Zombies bloody fingers with a bucket of blood for supper.  My biggest worry is the 'egging' as for daughter number one, this could be fatal!!!!  :-\ >:(

[trojanrabbit]

'sprout and EJ - yep, I'm planning to hit one or two supermarkets before the end of the week in the hope that there'll be some of the already cheap pumpkins reduced to clear the shelves (presumeably for xmas stuff!) - and for me to put in a nice cool, dry place to store.   ;D 
In some ways it's nice to see a range of winter squashes making a bit of a come back, being traditional fayre for storing over the winter. Rather sad that the supermarkets sell a large proportion from abroad (often Spain/Portugal), but most ridiculously when it's out of season by importing from such places as S Africa and Sri Lanka!   :(

[caroline7758]

It's not often I defend the US, but I don't think the "thug" side of Halloween comes from over there- that's a British innovation, like football hooliganism. It's the commercial side that's been imported and spoilt a nice tradition. Anyone else remember the hard work of hollowing out a TURNIP lantern in the days when pumpkins had never been heard of?

[Emagggie]

Bearded Wonder has just come in with HUGE bag of sweets!Supposedly for trick or treaters.....I have pointed out that we haven't had any in the 4 years we have lived here,(out in the sticks) so why does he think we will tonight?
No comprehensible answer was forthcoming, his mouth was full of toffee.
                                                   ::)

[Mrs Ava]

oooo we made fab toffee apples and choccy apples, then went trick or treating to our neighbours.  Daughter number one managed to spook herself so much that I think it has put her off for life!!

[bunjy]

well my 2 older lads have took my ben out trick or treating and had a great time....they only call on houses with a pumpkin or other halloween stuff in the windows,,,i have a large pumpkin and a flashing lights 1 in my window..... i dont mind giving away a few sweets and the little kids are dressed up so good i love guessing who they are ....

tracy

[Andy H]

We had about 4 lots knock tonight. gave them sweets and they liked the pumpkin, Little ones all gone to a lot of efffort dressing up that looked cute, mums standing watching them knock on the doors.

Then a bunch of hooligans came(my godson) yes he got sweets as usual!

I don`t mind the little ones out with parents.

[Garden Manager]

I am amazed. Not  a sign of the usual trick or treaters around out way, though i want home until around 6pm so may have been some younger ones around earlier. Nevertheless, the front door was firmly locked and the doorbell turned off. Ok so there may have been some we didnt hear but, usualy if people cant make us hear with the doorbell they bang on the door, and the front step has a loose slab that makes a noise when people step on it.  Nothing was heard so I guess no 'visitors'. Good! ;D ;D ;D

[saddad]

The temperature drop came in handy... no callers tonight... OK we were in the back with all the front lights off... no doorbell sinc the T+T crowd took it off and threw it years ago!
::)

[lorna]

I had some change ready but Lorna sent Joshua round with quite a lot of sweets to hand out instead of money. Josh rang a little later to ask if I had anyone at the door. No, I hadn't and didn't get one caller. They at that point had one group of three, don't know if they had any more.
Now, do I return all the sweets or do I have a little munch while Lorna is at work?
Need a lot of will power to resist ;D

[supersprout]

;D ;D ;D

[triffid]

Resistance is futile!

I thought I'd got away with the whole sweetie/ Hallowe'en thing with Small & Tiny Triff ... then got a phone call last night from one of the nice folk up at church.

I've just won a huge jar of M&Ms, having apparently guessed to within a pumpkin shaving how many were in said container!

Now, how am I going to hide THAT from them??

[lorna]

Don't ask me cos I would just say hide them and wait until you are on your own then get munching ;D ;D I have no conscience!!!!

[Emagggie]

Never mind them, Triffid, how are you going to hide it from yourself?
Losing a hard fought battle here with the sweeties the BW has left.(obviously he didn't like them  ;D)

[greenstar]

I encourage our kids to keep up the Scottish tradition of guising - a pre-cursor to trick or treating.  They have to provide some sort of entertainment in order to earn a reward, so we had an 8 year old star wars storm trooper and a 4 year old pirate going round the neighbours telling really bad jokes and, ahem, "cute" songs and dances.  There's none of the "trick" element, which I like. 

As for begging?  I spent six months busking my way round Europe, I suppose it's the same thing really.  :)

[Mrs Ava]

Triffid, I'll tell you what, you post them to me and then you won't have to worry ! ;D

[fbgrifter]

bah humbug.  we should stick to the tradition of celebrating the birth of an israeli with a turkish st. nicholas (wearing red thanks to coca-cola) and a german fir.

*runs and hides*

:P