Why are people bothered about Halloween being American?

[OgwdihwO]

I often hear both on here and irl that Halloween, trick or treating in particular is so American therefore we don’t participate.

Why is it an issue that it’s American?

There are many traditions that are not British! Do these people only celebrate British traditions? Or are they hypocritically getting drunk on Burns Night or celebrating Easter/Christmas (Jesus wasn’t British after all)

Burns Night I’m obvs thinking of the English/Welsh etc. Same with Paddy’s day

Also it's Scots/Irish in origin

Halloween is not American, its Irish, originated from Ireland.

It's not originally anyway, Its an old Celtic tradition that emigrated with the Scots and Irish when they went to America. Obviously it's mutated, but that's where it comes from.

And lots of English people are really snobby about Americans

I love Halloween personally (whatever its roots) but it is now viewed as another example of American commercialism that has been exported to the world (I think!) A bit like the commercialism that has now sprang up around Christmas, Valentine's etc.

It's Celtic in origin. The American bit is pumpkins, it should be swedes and turnip lanterns (far harder to calve!)

Ha, I remember carving turnips! I do love Halloween.

I did mean the whole Americanism thing that people hate. Is it just pure snobbery?

Pumpkins are fab, easy to grow and easy to carve!

Because some people would rather act like snobs than let their children have a bit of fun.

Turkey isn’t traditionally English for Christmas, as turkeys are from the Americas. It’s goose or nothing!

It isn't American but we brought it over there.
I think a lot of the anti American sentiment comes from the English and Halloween wasn't really an English tradition anyway so they might think it's come from the states.
All those pumpkins don't help , it's turnips !

Scottish /Irish people took Halloween to America trick or treat used to be called guiding, I guess because the US just ran with it and made it a huge celebration. Did England not have Halloween ?

I agree I blame the pumpkin whats wrong with scooping out a turnip( swede ) until, your arms ached

When I was growing up I thought we ( in Ireland) did Halloween and England did Guy Fawkes.
Did kids in the 60s and 70s do Halloween in England ?

Hallowe'en seems to have taken over from Bonfire Night.

Halloween is not American. Why do people think this? Some elements of it have become Americanised, though - such as pumpkins. When I was a child in North England, we made turnip lanterns.

@Mrsjayy

Scottish /Irish people took Halloween to America trick or treat used to be called guiding, I guess because the US just ran with it and made it a huge celebration. Did England not have Halloween ?

According to Wiki, Cornish Celts (and Celts in Brittany!) also observed Samhain.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain

Halloween isn't American. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that the wouldn't take part because of that reason but I suppose everywhere is different.

In the 70s/80s, Hallowe'en felt genuinely quite spooky for a little kid apple bobbing, telling fortunes with apple peel and turning off the lights to tell ghost stories in candlelight. And of course the turnips. Always the turnips.

@Lemonsyellow

Halloween is not American. Why do people think this? Some elements of it have become Americanised, though - such as pumpkins. When I was a child in North England, we made turnip lanterns.

The world (outside of British Isles) thinks this because America commercialised and exported it. I doubt many Americans know the history of Halloween either.

That’s what I meant @Lemonsyellow, that people hate celebrating Halloween or don’t let their kids go trick or treating because it’s become Americanised... but so what?! It’s fun!! No one has to buy all the crap that the shops sell. Just like no one has to at Christmas time.

I LOVE bonfire night. Our village has a proper lantern festival, leading the guy to the fire

I grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s. My parents were war children and they did Halloween too. I assume my grandparents did it before that too- they were in Northumberland. It’s an ancient festival by origin. Trick or treating we didn’t do - that is American. We had Mischief Night instead.

It's also " All Hallows Eve" in reality, time when we honoured our departed. That's got a bit lost amongst the pumpkins and plastic shit.

Well lifesabeach every day is a school day did not know that.

Halloween is most definitely American. The Irish version is very different (and a bit boring, if I’m being totally honest) and even they’ve taken certain elements back from the States.

Halloween is Scottish isnt it? And for kids...

@Lemonsyellow

Halloween is not American. Why do people think this? Some elements of it have become Americanised, though - such as pumpkins. When I was a child in North England, we made turnip lanterns.

And as someone who grew up with the labour of Hercules that was hollowing out and carving rock-hard turnips, I applaud the switch to the much easier pumpkins. (Though the smell of slightly singeing turnip is very evocative...)

I think the 'American commercialism' thing is mainly to add another string to the bow of the kind of fun-sponges whom admittedly, I've never encountered outside of Mn who sniff, bosom-hoik and talk about Hallowe'en as 'teaching children to beg', and overturning the usual advice on eating sweets and not talking to strangers.

Not being originally from the UK, I was a bit taken aback at the negative attitude to Hallowe'en from my DS's village C of E primary -- the vicar actually did an assembly on how it was wrong to celebrate Hallowe'en. I grew out in a devoutly Catholic society and there was absolutely no sense that it was in any way a threat to a Christian worldview, even if the emphasis was on All Souls and All Saints, and November as the 'month of the Holy Souls'. But we were certainly allowed to dress up at school etc.