Halloween: Love it or hate it?

I didn't vote.

Loved it as a kid (50s-60s), but since I can't go Trick or Treating any more...

Gez said:

Voted "hate it", though it's more indifference mixed in with mild dislike.

I don't like themed holidays, they're too artificial, forced, unnatural, gaudy, tacky... But I reserve my loathing for Christmas. In France, Halloween was brought a few years ago by merchants, but it didn't really catch on, every year Halloweenish participation (costume, decoration, etc.) shrinks.

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Hear, hear!

I like it...

It gives girls an excuse to dress up in skimpy outfits. What's not to love?

Edit: And there's candy!

Presto2112 said:

I simply do not understand hating Hallowe'en. The post-Hallowe'en dental bills, I can understand, but the giggling kids, the adrenaline rush of a genuinely good scare, the excellent excuse to get an all-night game of CoC or Ravenloft or something, it's all excellent!

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Well I voted hate it, but I suspect that my reasons don't really have any connection to what you've said, because my reasons for hating it are basically all connected to the fact that I'm not American (and wouldn't therefore apply if I was American - I'd probably love it then).

(Before anyone accuses me of being a thread-jacker, I'll point out in my defence that the poll didn't in any way indicate that it was for the American readers on ENWorld only, nor did it have any separate options for us non-Americans).

I did type this up in a blog comment recently, so I'll reproduce that here.


Grumpy mode on...

When I was a kid (1970s) growing up in London, Halloween pretty much didn't exist. The only knowledge I had of trick or treating was from watching Charlie Brown cartoons. The vast majority of kids would have given you a blank look if you'd mentioned trick or treating to them.

My mum did occasionally try to do some traditional English Halloween stuff for me and my brother - ducking for apples and trying to eat buns of string - but I didn't tell anyone at school about that because I figured they would make fun of me. Halloween then was pretty much nothing more than an old-fashioned word.

The big event (holiday in American terms) then was Guy Fawkes Night (also called Bonfire Night) which was on November 5th. Everyone would have a bonfire party at their house and light fireworks.

You'd also get - in the previous few weeks - kids doing "Penny for the Guy". This is where they would make a guy (the effigy that gets thrown on the fire on Guy Fawkes Night) and hang around outside shops with it, saying "Penny for the Guy" (i.e. begging for money).

You don't get that anymore. I've seen one Penny for the Guy in ten years when I was driving past somewhere. It was a pity for them I was driving as around ten years ago I got so pissed off at the death of Guy Fawkes Night that I said that from now on I would give five pounds (about $7.50) to any Penny for the Guy kids I saw: I've never yet had to do it.

Basically, Guy Fawkes Night doesn't really exist anymore, and as much as it does, it's now just called Bonfire Night or Firework Night. Councils will do firework displays on the nearest weekend, but that's about it.

What killed Guy Fawkes Night?

Well it's basically a combination of safely initiatives disapproving of home firework parties and Halloween.

Yes. Halloween - more specifically American Halloween - killed Guy Fawkes Night.

How did it happen?

Well basically, the two events are two close for both to healthily exist, and Halloween has a load of Hollywood glamour by virtue of being an American festival; Guy Fawkes Night looks boring and old-fashioned by comparison.

When did it happen?

Well I'm convinced it was ET (the 1982 film).

That film was huge in the country, with practically every child watching it, and it included what was effectively a ten minute advert for trick-or-treating. Almost overnight, Halloween was a big thing with loads of kids going trick-or-treating.

Of course, when customs are imported in this way (a dominant culture overwhelming a weaker culture) the customs often get distorted. This case is no exception. As far as I can tell (from participating in on-line discussions with Americans, where we try to explain why we hate trick-or-treating, and they tell us that we're a bunch of miserable killjoys) there are a number of important differences between trick or treating in the UK and the US.

Specifically:

* In the US, I believe that trick or treaters only knock at a house if the house has some kind of Halloween decoration. This is not the case in the UK. They knock on every door.

* In the US, people give sweets (candy) to trick or treaters. In this country, they generally just give money. In fact, an attempt to give sweets (as my mum once found) can result in you getting an earful of abuse.

* In the US, I think the kids pretty much always wear costumes. This is often the case in the UK also, but not always.

As you can imagine, this new custom can cause huge distress to old people, who have no idea what's going on when teenagers knock on their door late at night and shout "trick or treat" at them.

Me? I'm just pissed off that a little bit of the culture of my childhood has died. Every year I decide that I'm just going to tell trick-or-treaters to piss off and then I open the door and find a pair of happy five years olds dressed in some costume or other - and since it's not fair to blame them for what's happened I end up giving them a quid or two.

...end grumpy mode.


I've since found an article on BBC News that gives a bit more information on the subject.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4408078.stm

Maybe it's because I'm an ex-pat American, but I don't get Guy Fawkes. Especially in this day and age, should we really be commemorating an act of religious terrorism?

Not that I'm saying it should be replaced with Halloween. What ever happened to plain old harvest festivals?

I sort of like it, but I'm anti having an americanised version everywhere in the world, trick or treat to me is pretty reprehensible thing to encourage, especially as kids in the UK don't seem to get the idea that tricks are meant to be pretty mild (knocking over trash cans) rather than throwing eggs, setting light to trash, etc.

I'd rather have a big bonfire (even though of course in the UK we have Guy Fawkes on 5th Nov)

Actually the more I think about it the more I'd prefer banning Halloween celebrations in the UK for enhanced Guy Fawkes. Of course personally I'd celebrating part of Guy Fawkes intent - blow up the monarchy and the MPs = result, return of Catholicism - not all that keen. This year has been funny in the UK in having Halloween, Diwali (Hindu festival), Eid (End of Ramadan - Muslims) and Guy Fawkes night all in one week, so bit of a multi faith overload (and lots of fireworks! Hurrah!).

It's funny that I'd written this before reading Johnny's post, but I realise he's said a lot more clearly than me what I dislike about celebrating Halloween.

I voted hate it. However, if I could made up, Big Budget Hollywood style, to look like Graz'zt (though the legs would be tricky), it would be the bestest holiday EVAR!

I like horror, so Halloween is pretty much my favorite holiday.

Except for people who dress up in non-horror costumes. That really annoys me. The fun part of Halloween is the horror.

Jonny Nexus said:

Well I voted hate it, but I suspect that my reasons don't really have any connection to what you've said, because my reasons for hating it are basically all connected to the fact that I'm not American (and wouldn't therefore apply if I was American - I'd probably love it then).

(Before anyone accuses me of being a thread-jacker, I'll point out in my defence that the poll didn't in any way indicate that it was for the American readers on ENWorld only, nor did it have any separate options for us non-Americans).

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Well, Halloween is big in Canada too. Halloween isn't just an American holiday (anymore). And yes, Canada is a very different country when it comes to holidays. After all, our Thanksgiving is in early October.

Cheers!

KF72