Does anyone not celebrate Halloween?

[heartbroken22]

What do you say to your kids if you don't?

The hyped-up centralisation of it within popular culture is American, not the older traditions.

You could say the same about Christmas but nobody complains that Christmas is too American to celebrate.

No, I disagree, but I'm not interested in derailing the thread. Maybe start a new one about the origins and influences of Halloween if you want to discuss?

Is the only reason because you see it as American? As others have said, it's an Irish and Scottish tradition that has always been held in those countries and was taken over to America by Scottish and Irish emigrants.

Anyway, what about Coca-Cola, Hollywood movies and iPhones? Why deny yourself something enjoyable just because it seems American?

Our whole family had a beautiful evening at Hallowween! Dressing up, sweets, generosity, joy, excitement, community spirit, togetherness. What's not to love?

I'm a Scot who grew up with Guising and now lives in the USA.
I don't see this hyped up commercialism that is talked about.
A lot of the costumes are carefully thought out and often handmade.
The dc at the door last night were extremely polite, all of them regardless of their age.
They took took one small sweet each unless told to take more.
Everyone said happy Halloween and thank you.

The house decorations will be put away until next year.

If the English have over commercialized Halloween and turned it into a plastic tat fest, or similar that is on them.
It has has nothing to do with the Americans ( or the Celts).

For some of us, of pagan faiths, Halloween or Samhain is our most important festival of the year when we celebrate our ancestors and the pagan new year.
It isn't anything to do with commercial Halloween.
I guess true Christians must find the trivialisation of Christmas just as annoying.

I don't really celebrate any holiday since they tend to mean little to me and are mostly consumerist frolics. You can't help but be swept up by the festivities though so I've always indulged. Never celebrated halloween but usually gone on a night out dressed up.

But now I have a child these things become very important last time we 'went trick or treating' which is basically everyone coming outside and swapping candy about in funny costumes.

Meh. But my 6 year old was over the bloody moon so next year I'm going fully deccies on the house and dressing up myself because what matters to me is her enjoyment.

It's exactly the same with Xmas.

I don't have religion, but I don't celebrate Halloween either, just because I don't want to be disturb at night time, especially after a long day. Besides, what's the point to celebrate? I don't mind people dress up anad having fun, but not on my door!

Well personally our house doesn't but our child has been to events and out with friends

I am not against it we just don't do it so I don't really know what I would say it is not an active thing not to celebrate it for us

And mountains of sweets that are bad for the teeth.

So I have a catholic upbringing, I understand it as being connected to all souls day ( Nov 1st) which is a holy day of obligation and a bank holiday in many catholic countries such as Spain, Italy and ? France. So a celebration of the departed really. My DM said we dressed as gouls to scare the evil spirits away. In the Northern hemisphere it serves the social purpose of helping school children make the transition to the dark evenings as we go into Winter.

I quite like it but object to all the sugar. Also not that keen on some of the older kids

I'd prefer it if it didn't lead to so much use of plastic tat.

Dressing up and eating sweets is fine, if it's your thing. But please stop the plastic tat!

(ditto Christmas - you can celebrate it without plastic tat made in China under slave-like conditions)

ancienthouse · 01/11/2022 08:34

I'm from the northeast and Halloween has always been celebrated in my family.

Can I ask roughly whereabouts? I'm from Newcastle and we did it in primary school a couple of times, just artwork, toffee apples and apple bobbing, with nothing in the wider community.

The first time, I hollowed out a marrow from my dad's allotment, but the string pulled through. It was just some local kids out on the green, no trick or treat.