Am I the only one.........

[soppysofty]

Is it only me who totally detests Halloween!

We spend all year keeping our children safe, telling them not to talk to strangers, not to accept 'pressies' from people they do not know, to run away if a stranger approaches them - the list is endless.

Then, on one day of the year, we tell them to go around the town wearing skimpy costumes which, in some cases leave very little to the imagination, and knock on strangers doors asking for sweeties!

This is England, not the U S of A.

What do you think?

[millielilac]

As a child we celebrated Halloween but not in the way it is celebrated now ....it was a very low key affair ..

No pumpkins for us ....it was turnip lanterns ....no dressing up and certainly no knocking on doors requesting treats .....

It is an awful American import that has grown over the years . I particulary do not like to see tiny babies dressed up in Halloween outfits
.....just not relevant at all ......

[ed_blackadder_1]

We never did anything for Halloween when we were small either.  I can't believe the outfits for dogs..................

[goldenangelanimal]

I don't particularly like it, but have always given to them when they have knocked, but won't be this year, it's the way the teenagers look at you and then what you have given them and then back at you, usually with disgust, because it isn't a five pound note and then they start with the rude comments, this was my experience last year, plus they jumped all over my car and dented the bonnet

[harrydog10]

No its just not you, I detest it too.

We don't get any little kiddies doing Trick or Treat, we get the undesireable yob element, who don't want any sweets, they want money, to buy drink or drugs, if you gave them sweets they would more than likely tell you to 'foxtrot oscar' along with them  egging  your house or your car or even you, if they are quick enough before you close the door. Its not that we live in some awful place, they just seem to appear every year. They don't care what time of the night it is either.

The 2 small shops at either end of the road don't sell eggs or flour to anyone from Wednesday, and the Police put on extra patrols.

So I just don't open the door.

[rainydaywoman11]

As Millie says, we did dress up (in a hotch potch of stuff your Mum sewed) and we went round the neighbours, with our turnips too.  I remember my poor mother toiling away excavating turnips!

In the house we dooked for apples and my Mum made toffee apples.  That was it.

True story - we were at a concert in Glasgow in Sept 2012 and the taxi driver was chatting away and he told us that Halloween is now their busiest time of the year.  Used to be Christmas.  

[****merlin*****]

---

@soppysofty wrote:

Is it only me who totally detests Halloween!

We spend all year keeping our children safe, telling them not to talk to strangers, not to accept 'pressies' from people they do not know, to run away if a stranger approaches them - the list is endless.

Then, on one day of the year, we tell them to go around the town wearing skimpy costumes which, in some cases leave very little to the imagination, and knock on strangers doors asking for sweeties!

This is England, not the U S of A.

What do you think?

---

I think 

1-no sensible parent has EVER told a child  " to go around the town wearing skimpy costumes which, in some cases leave very little to the imagination, and knock on strangers doors asking for sweeties!"

2 - halloween originated in Ireland

3- it can be good sensible fun for children if like anything else common sense is applied

you could say the same about santa

you warn children not to talk to strangers or take anything from them

then you PAY and shove them on an old mans knee, take photos and make SURE they take a present from him

i have never ever taken my children to doors (only my mums when they were young)

but most people put a lit pumpkin outside their house if they want visitors, its well known

so i think any fault of anything other than fun lies with the parents 

[harrydog10]

I remember some years ago being in Calgary in Canada for Halloween, it was so different to here, whilst they do knock at doors where a lit pumpkin is visible, they also dress the little children who then go into the shopping malls with the parents and the stores fill their little baskets with sweets and fruit.  I think that is a much better idea and safer too. 

I just feel for the old people, who are sometimes petrified by all the knocking at the door, despite clearly displaying a sign not to knock issued by the Met Police, no respect in my opinion. 

[rainydaywoman11]

Merlin's right.  We lived in a tenement and were  only allowed to go to the neighbours in our own 'close'.

When my son was young we lived in a hamlet and one of the neighbours had a traditional Halloween party for the kids in the street (10 houses), only about a dozen kids and I thought that was safe.  Adults were also invited.  Was good fun.

During a visit to NI, which coincided with Halloween, we could not believe the decorations, lights and banners etc. on the houses.  It was like Christmas.

[rainydaywoman11]

I have to go now, but I meant to say to Merlin that I hope you are feeling better than last time I 'saw' you 

[hightara]

arghhh.... I hate halloween too....I only have the wee girl left now, she goes up to her grannys and a couple of the nearby relatives (who have kids).

We never really dressed up or went round doors as kids, most of the fun was indoors, ducking for apples, making and eating apple pie etc.

this is her back from the school parade, so most of her makeup has fallen off, but I wish they would stop doing that in schools too, blimey Ive to dress her up twice and I am rubbish at it. Dreading this evening taking all the carp of her face.

[harrydog10]

Awwww she is a cutie.  See I wouldn't mind if she called at our house, I would willingly give her sweets and I am sure she would be polite enough to say thank you. Not throw a bunch of abuse, eggs or flour at me !. 

We were never allowed to go to peoples houses when we were growing up, in fact, my Mum (bless her) used to say it was begging Lol.  I'm not so sure we ever celebrated it really.

[bitsnknots]

We tend to get quite a few teenagers knocking at the door.  They don't even live around here.  I don't mind the two youngsters from across the road.  I don't think that we'll be answering the door tonight.

[bhgardeners]

Since the kids grew up we make it a rule not to be home.  We stay for the littlies then leg it out for dinner arriving back after the hooligan element have had their "fun".

This year Sproglet is coming so have no doubt it will be off to the neighbours we know well and home within about 5 minutes.  Of course that'll mean answering the door('cos I don't want the stained glass broke) for about 4 hours handing out sweets! LOL

[captainbovine]

I remember hollowing out a turnip it took all afternoon to get the middle out, boy it was hard work. We had bob apple and apples on string hanging from the ceiling, you had to get a bite out of it, it was great fun. We had chestnuts too that we put in the ashpan on the fire.

We never got dressed up though and went house to house. It wasn't popular in UK then,

[millielilac]

Went to Boots today to pick up some medication and the pharmacist was wearing a Halloween costume .........!!!