Every year this complete non-event ends up ruining my birthday! Try and book a restaurant that doesnt have a bunch of fat 'dead schoolgirls' or screaming kids dressed as a skeleton on Halloween. And then people have the audacity to ask whether they can come to my birthday meal in fancy dress!
I remember one year strategically placing the car on my drive, along with wheelie bins to prevent anyone getting near my front door. About an hour or so later i hear a commotion outside. Open the front door and see a big fat pikey looking woman standing at the end of my drive, whilst her brats are attempting to overcome the assault course that I had placed in front of them. "What the f*** are you doing?" I ask the pikey bird. "Trick or treat" she replies. Need I go on?
Missis and kids like it and I have mellowed as I've got older. They bought a big box of sweets for the beggars callers last night. Still think it isnt good, but losing this battle 3-1.
You neednt robbo. Witnessed a bit of the same in my walk home last night.
My boss gave out 400 pieces of "candy" last night. He tells me specially as he knows it winds me up... I blame him for this nonsense, he's American of course. Mind you even he's been moaning about the age of some of the older kids.
Bet he doesnt get some of the rough necks i witnessed last night in the area he lives.
I got home and kept the lights off until after 8pm as didn't have any sweets. no knocks but did see a large group circling our cul de sac just after I got in. I think if we have kids we'd get right into it, and knock on doors of those down our road with kids, until then, I'm hiding.
Just another US 'tradition' foisted on us by Tesco to allow mums to pay a fortune for a lot of rubbish clothing for their little darlings to dress up as ghosts and goblins. The Chief Constable of Thames Valley claimed last evening on Radio 5 that halloween was the biggest 'crime day' in his area bar none, including new year's ... a common crime would be for householders refusing to hand over a few sweets to a gang of door knocking n'er do wells, and the upset lickle children would then throw a large rock at the windows of the rotten old householder. Halloween, just another excuse for big stores to sell a load of rubbish and for naughty kids to cause potential mayhem. Bring back Guy Fawkes
Four kids came into the pub we were in last night, not even a plastic mask between them. Got told where to go in no uncertain terms by everyone in there.
The sensible thing would be if they would only knock where they see a pumpkin on display as a sign that they welcome a call. However the temptation to put a lifesize picture of Gary Glitter in the window next year is almost overwhelming !
Always a good idea to get your facts right, or even read the post before yours, before you go into a rant
: - )
Keep your hair on Henry, it wasn't a 'rant' but AN OPINION. .. Bonfire night/ Guy Fawkes was usurped by 'Halloween' in the UK, I would guess in the 1980s/1990s, foisted on the public by marketing men who saw a niche to flog a lot of rubbish. Before that it was penny for the guy and 'bonfire night' Agreed, Halloween predates Guy Fawkes, just as Yule predates Christmas. But how many years ago did Halloween become an important 'festival'. The answer .. when it was reinvented by marketing men, rather like 'Father Christmas and the Reindeer' a fine ancient tradition dating to the 1930s. I am aware of the history of Guy Fawkes night and Christmas and Easter .. all previously Pagan traditions tarted up for Christianity's more refined tastes. .
Four kids came into the pub we were in last night, not even a plastic mask between them. Got told where to go in no uncertain terms by everyone in there.
Should have seen these kids that came in the Anchor a few years back. Mother driving a car stopped outside threw the kids out who went round each person in pub with hand out saying trick or treat and no mask either. and these kids were very young - should have been in bed at 9pm 3 days before bloody halloween.
I notice everyone sticking up for it are people with lovely little cherubs.
Americanised rubbish... same as these flipping baby showers that are turning up. What a load of shite. Buy a present when the baby is born, not before.
Should have seen these kids that came in the Anchor a few years back. Mother driving a car stopped outside threw the kids out who went round each person in pub with hand out saying trick or treat and no mask either. and these kids were very young - should have been in bed at 9pm 3 days before bloody halloween.
I notice everyone sticking up for it are people with lovely little cherubs.
Americanised rubbish... same as these flipping baby showers that are turning up. What a load of shite. Buy a present when the baby is born, not before.
Firework display out the back was pretty good.
And don't get me started on "the school prom"... Grrrr
I love American culture (you can keep the jazz and the guns but most of the rest is OK) but Hallowen is English and Scottish. We've re-imported it in a similar way to how the Beatles and Stones reminded the Yanks about their own music.
Halloween is fun. Just cos some dickheads act up doesn't mean it's not. Could say the same about drinking in pubs or going to football.
And on Saturday I will go to a firework display because even though I'm not a woman I can multi-task and enjoy too different celebrations in the same week. Not sure if we'll be burning any catholics in effigy like we used to. PC gone mad I say.
I am now in possession of a year's supply of Coffee Crisp's which my kids hate & which seemed to totally dominate the Halloween 'candy' offerings this year
I think it's fine for kids under the age of ten to go trick or treating (with a responsible adult) and only knock on people's houses who are clearly ok with it (i.e. a pumpkin or some other kind of decorations in the window/on their house).
If anyone over that age knocks on my door they will be politely declined. The smaller kids will get a small packet of sweets. It is after all, a bit of harmless fun.
I know, I have read the thread Henners. The point is that the Halloween we invented is nothing like that which has drifted back from across the Atlantic. You were making a sarcastic point about the stuff we like from America, so I felt duty bound to point out your error.
Trick or treat, proms and so on are about commercialism.
Part of the reason it annoys me is that we grew up as part of the " children should be seen and not heard " generation, now everything is geared around them, if you dare to suggest that anything should be for adults only you get slaughtered for it. So part of it is jealousy, not proud of that, but just being honest.
Comments
Jesus.
F*ck off is usually the reply
"What the f*** are you doing?" I ask the pikey bird.
"Trick or treat" she replies.
Need I go on?
Missis and kids like it and I have mellowed as I've got older. They bought a big box of sweets for the
beggarscallers last night. Still think it isnt good, but losing this battle 3-1.My boss gave out 400 pieces of "candy" last night. He tells me specially as he knows it winds me up... I blame him for this nonsense, he's American of course. Mind you even he's been moaning about the age of some of the older kids.
Bet he doesnt get some of the rough necks i witnessed last night in the area he lives.
I think if we have kids we'd get right into it, and knock on doors of those down our road with kids, until then, I'm hiding.
... you'll know that trick or treating evolved from much older traditions in the UK.
: - )
Four kids came into the pub we were in last night, not even a plastic mask between them. Got told where to go in no uncertain terms by everyone in there.
I am aware of the history of Guy Fawkes night and Christmas and Easter .. all previously Pagan traditions tarted up for Christianity's more refined tastes.
.
I notice everyone sticking up for it are people with lovely little cherubs.
Americanised rubbish... same as these flipping baby showers that are turning up. What a load of shite. Buy a present when the baby is born, not before.
Firework display out the back was pretty good.
Listening to US Rock and Roll/Blues records
Wearing Levi Jeans or converse boots
Watching American Movies or any American TV shows
Following Baseball
I could go on.
I love American culture (you can keep the jazz and the guns but most of the rest is OK) but Hallowen is English and Scottish. We've re-imported it in a similar way to how the Beatles and Stones reminded the Yanks about their own music.
Halloween is fun. Just cos some dickheads act up doesn't mean it's not. Could say the same about drinking in pubs or going to football.
And on Saturday I will go to a firework display because even though I'm not a woman I can multi-task and enjoy too different celebrations in the same week. Not sure if we'll be burning any catholics in effigy like we used to. PC gone mad I say.
I think it's fine for kids under the age of ten to go trick or treating (with a responsible adult) and only knock on people's houses who are clearly ok with it (i.e. a pumpkin or some other kind of decorations in the window/on their house).
If anyone over that age knocks on my door they will be politely declined. The smaller kids will get a small packet of sweets. It is after all, a bit of harmless fun.
Trick or treat, proms and so on are about commercialism.
Part of the reason it annoys me is that we grew up as part of the " children should be seen and not heard " generation, now everything is geared around them, if you dare to suggest that anything should be for adults only you get slaughtered for it. So part of it is jealousy, not proud of that, but just being honest.