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.
Of course the Halloween now is nothing like the old English version but the same applies to baseball surely. Things change, we move on, sometimes for the better and sometime not.
And you are around the same age as me so will remember that we were encouraged to beg on the streets for pennies to buy fireworks (which I at least spent on sweets).
Children being seen and not heard was a Victorian thing. Yes, things are often a lot more child friendly or even child centred now but there are still plenty of adult only bars in pubs and clubs for example.
I just don't get the yank bashing as if just saying "It's from America" immediately means it is no good or lesser than "good old" British traditions. Especially when as is the case here they aren't American in original at all.
I think School proms are silly but not because they are American. It's because they are expensive and tasteless (IMHO) but we can do tasteless and expensive just as easily as our American cousins.
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.
Of course the Halloween now is nothing like the old English version but the same applies to baseball surely. Things change, we move on, sometimes for the better and sometime not.
And you are around the same age as me so will remember that we were encouraged to beg on the streets for pennies to buy fireworks (which I at least spent on sweets).
Children being seen and not heard was a Victorian thing. Yes, things are often a lot more child friendly or even child centred now but there are still plenty of adult only bars in pubs and clubs for example.
I just don't get the yank bashing as if just saying "It's from America" immediately means it is no good or lesser than "good old" British traditions. Especially when as is the case here they aren't American in original at all.
I think School proms are silly but not because they are American. It's because they are expensive and tasteless (IMHO) but we can do tasteless and expensive just as easily as our American cousins.
I was bought up to be seen and not heard, I was also not allowed to do penny for the guy. You are right that not everything from the USA is bad, but modern Halloween is, which is the subject of the thread after all...
I was bought up to be seen and not heard, I was also not allowed to do penny for the guy. You are right that not everything from the USA is bad, but modern Halloween is, which is the subject of the thread after all...
:-)
That explains a lot then : - )
I certainly wasn't. In fact we were told off if we didn't argue "properly". And we weren't allowed to have a guy because burning an effigy of a person was wrong. Then again we never went to Spain because my dad was banned after breaking into the Spanish embassy in London.
Modern Halloween is an import from abroad but so are curries, burgers, Kebabs, Lager, wine, flatpack furniture, fried chicken restaurants, rock and roll, rap, reggae and The Simpsons.
Some I love, some I don't but not because I didn't have them in the 60s when I was a kid or because they are "foreign".
Nostalgia for the good old days is OK as long as you remember they weren't actually always good and don't let that blind you to anything new or exotic.
Can i just say that the Halloween commentary on Charlton Player last night was terrible, rather than just describing the trick-or-treating action on the streets as it unfolded, Jamie Reed & Peter Finch just wittered on & on about the weather, the colour of Finchy's socks & whether Halloween is an American import or an olde English tradition. I'm sending an email to the BBC as we speak!
Personally I don't mind it but what I did find disturbing last night was a little girl knocked our door about 7 o'clock obviously it was pitch black outside, she wasn't any older than 6-7 and she was on her own, nobody chaperroning her. Don't these people read the newspapers?
Can i just say that the Halloween commentary on Charlton Player last night was terrible, rather than just describing the trick-or-treating action on the streets as it unfolded, Jamie Reed & Peter Finch just wittered on & on about the weather, the colour of Finchy's socks & whether Halloween is an American import or an olde English tradition. I'm sending an email to the BBC as we speak!
Shocking. Were any former female prime ministers mention?
Can i just say that the Halloween commentary on Charlton Player last night was terrible, rather than just describing the trick-or-treating action on the streets as it unfolded, Jamie Reed & Peter Finch just wittered on & on about the weather, the colour of Finchy's socks & whether Halloween is an American import or an olde English tradition. I'm sending an email to the BBC as we speak!
Shocking. Were any former female prime ministers mention?
Not that I recall Henry, but have you ever seen Peter Finch & Mrs.Thatcher in the same room ??! Hmmm....
What are you wittering on about Henry? Honestly...
Maybe johnny73 has it right, its about where you live. What i saw last night with gangs of teenagers banging on doors and yelling didnt look like fun to me.
Can i just say that the Halloween commentary on Charlton Player last night was terrible, rather than just describing the trick-or-treating action on the streets as it unfolded, Jamie Reed & Peter Finch just wittered on & on about the weather, the colour of Finchy's socks & whether Halloween is an American import or an olde English tradition. I'm sending an email to the BBC as we speak!
Shocking. Were any former female prime ministers mention?
Not that I recall Henry, but have you ever seen Peter Finch & Mrs.Thatcher in the same room ??! Hmmm....
Yes, and I have pictures to prove it. Not pleasant.
...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.
I'm in the pro-Halloween camp, but there's certainly something in this argument that strikes a chord with me. The biggest change that annoys me like this is travelling on public transport. When I was a kid, I would always have to give up my seat if an adult, any adult, wanted it. I was told that was the deal because I'd only paid half fare. Nowadays no kid would consider giving their seat up for an adult, and no parent would make them. In fact half of them would probably want the adults opposite to move so that they could put their muddy feet up. Bah!
Last night about 6pm. Door bell rings a few times, I ignore it. Banging on the door gets louder & louder. I ignore it. Tap tap tap on the window. Right, I'm really peed off now. Let's be 'avin you !
It was the wife, she'd forgotten her key. I'm in the doghouse (again :-)
Some people on here just seem to hate kids and kids having fun rather than Halloween itself. Very strange.
A lot of people it seems mate , am surprised
A lot of people just want to go about their lives without a bunch of youths threatening them once a year. As said previously, a lot depends on where you live. Lets say for example your parents lived on a housing estate in Woolwich, do you really think that sweet innocent children go trick or treating? Or is it an opportunity for a mob of youths (with fuck all else to do) go out and have a laugh and frighten people within their own property?
Yeah I get all that Robbo , but I'm talking about 5/6 year olds having some innocent fun . Not too much hassle there . Depending on where you live you could get threatened by a gang of youths any time of year
Isn't the real issue here whether or not those little trick or treaters have managed to find their way back from Dippenhall's national park sized front garden yet? Someone call mountain rescue!
Some people on here just seem to hate kids and kids having fun rather than Halloween itself. Very strange.
Yeah, well, these days it's a lot safer than saying you love them - some vigilante mob would remove your testicles and hang you from the nearest lamp post.
Comments
Of course the Halloween now is nothing like the old English version but the same applies to baseball surely. Things change, we move on, sometimes for the better and sometime not.
And you are around the same age as me so will remember that we were encouraged to beg on the streets for pennies to buy fireworks (which I at least spent on sweets).
Children being seen and not heard was a Victorian thing. Yes, things are often a lot more child friendly or even child centred now but there are still plenty of adult only bars in pubs and clubs for example.
I just don't get the yank bashing as if just saying "It's from America" immediately means it is no good or lesser than "good old" British traditions. Especially when as is the case here they aren't American in original at all.
I think School proms are silly but not because they are American. It's because they are expensive and tasteless (IMHO) but we can do tasteless and expensive just as easily as our American cousins.
:-)
That explains a lot then : - )
I certainly wasn't. In fact we were told off if we didn't argue "properly". And we weren't allowed to have a guy because burning an effigy of a person was wrong. Then again we never went to Spain because my dad was banned after breaking into the Spanish embassy in London.
Modern Halloween is an import from abroad but so are curries, burgers, Kebabs, Lager, wine, flatpack furniture, fried chicken restaurants, rock and roll, rap, reggae and The Simpsons.
Some I love, some I don't but not because I didn't have them in the 60s when I was a kid or because they are "foreign".
Nostalgia for the good old days is OK as long as you remember they weren't actually always good and don't let that blind you to anything new or exotic.
Maybe johnny73 has it right, its about where you live. What i saw last night with gangs of teenagers banging on doors and yelling didnt look like fun to me.
""
Door bell rings a few times, I ignore it.
Banging on the door gets louder & louder. I ignore it.
Tap tap tap on the window.
Right, I'm really peed off now.
Let's be 'avin you !
It was the wife, she'd forgotten her key.
I'm in the doghouse (again :-)
As said previously, a lot depends on where you live.
Lets say for example your parents lived on a housing estate in Woolwich, do you really think that sweet innocent children go trick or treating? Or is it an opportunity for a mob of youths (with fuck all else to do) go out and have a laugh and frighten people within their own property?
:-)
Hardly the London riots was it. Just another excuse for people to have a moan up.