Crap halloween givers

[WashingAt30]

It's nice when someone opens the door to you, and they at least smile, and maybe have a little chat about the DC's costumes. My god, some people don't even look happy, just shove a bag of sweets at you as close the door! I wouldn't be surprised if one creepy man we met was on some kind of offenders register. Why bother if you're not going to get into the spirt?!

What I'm saying (though its not me saying it as its documented fact

It is just you, from another country, and a couple of other people on this thread saying it. And lots of people who actually did grow up here saying it was definitely an event when they were younger in 80s/90s, I do think our version is mostly influenced by the US though.

It can't be "documented fact" that we didn't celebrate it because that isn't actually true.

Ah, Halloween in the 70s. Up North we didn’t have pumpkins, we had turnips which were really hard and took ages to carve. You could carry them on string and take them trick or treating. Sometimes we got chased away by cross house holders! Turnips lasted longer than pumpkins so you could take them to Bonfire night the next week. It was always freezing and we were allowed sparklers. It wasn’t as big as it is now, and it was just for children, not university students.

What's the point of anything?

Why bother going out for a meal.. just cook it yourself.

Why bother going to see a comedy, just watch it on TV.

It's been celebrated in England for centuries.

Well I was really lucky

First time trick or treating with my kids.
And wasnt a hundred per cent sure of the etiquette.

Lots of people commenting on the costumes. And saying how nice they looked. And everytime my 6 year was told she looked scary- she got really happy.

Everyone who opened the door was really cheerful and the kids were just happy to be trick or treating.

One guy asked for a trick- and they just looked at me- we had rehearsed some jokes,but in the heat of theoment tgey forgot. But the man gave them some sweets anyway.

Half the time they were too timid to even say trick or treating so needed prompting.

Anyway.

We didn't get many knocks. But will definitely decorate the house for next year,and now I realise how happy it made my kid when someone talked about her costume or pretended to be scared of her- i'll do the same if someone knocks.

Did the kids even say " Thank you"!
Unbelievable
You're lucky people opened their doors

We rarely get any callers, although we didn’t even bother to decorate this year, now our youngest DC is at uni.

I always have sweets at the ready, though.

Last night there was a sharp knock at the door, and DH rushed to open it, and found an Amazon delivery on the doorstep. They’d left without even having some chocolate!

Yes that's true, Halloween in England has been imported from the US, while Halloween was imported to the US (and Canada) from Irish and Scots.

And because Halloween isn't a customary celebration in England, having got it from US influence, you get ignorant English people thinking it's an "americanism", when the only thing american about Halloween is using a pumpkin instead of a turnip.

99% of Halloween is Irish/Scots.

Okay, okay. I think we got the message by now. You celebrated Halloween your whole life long. Can’t believe this all came from
me calling it an Americanism - which by the way it very much is in the manner in which it is now observed.

The irony of you repeatedly calling the English ignorant
When you are refusing to believe what other posters,are telling you based on your OWN anecdotal. Experience, s.

What have I stated that isn't true?

Halloween, an Irish/Scottish custom, exported by Irish/Scottish people to North America, who in turn exported it to other places (including England).

Guy Fawkes Night/November 5th, an English custom, has been the dominant celebration in England during this period of the year.

Now no-one with any sense is silly enough to argue any of this.

What some are disputing is the scale of the English celebration of Halloween. Until recently, it was tiny, as reflected by the paucity of English television shows with a Halloween theme until the 2000s.

Halloween in Liverpool across the ages as reported in the press

there was nothing, nada, zilch about Halloween.

Source please?

More Halloween across the ages in Liverpool

Ooo yes, forgot about Apple bobbing 🎃 and other silly H’Ween Games we used to play back then. There wasn’t as much on the telly box though … only 3 channels and they didn’t broadcast during the day. No streaming, on demand or recording so not much survives. I’m sorry DeeCee77, your sample size of one based on the fact you grew up in a different country and so celebrated differently doesn’t mean H’ween wasn’t celebrated in England.

For the Chalet Scool fans amoungst us there is of course the infamous Halloween party where Thekla sets her frilly underthings on fire

Written in the 1930s, it may be set in Austria but it was full of British (mostly English) school girls and written for an British, mostly English, audience who were obviously expected to know what Halloween was a recognise some of the games such as bobbing for apples.

Oh yes, the apple bobbing! Always fun and, looking back, absolutely disgusting!

I have also recalled Halloween songs that we used to sing at school when I was about six, can still remember the words.

Cultural celebrations are not measured by what was on TV, especially at a time when TV was very limited.

Those are great images. It also doesn't negate what I stated.

I was at Liverpool university in the 90s and there was nothing in the city shopping area based on Halloween. This was in complete contrast to what I was accustomed to in Ireland.

As I said previously, those with Irish roots in their family (many of which are in Liverpool, so those images are fitting), live near the Scottish borders, were more inclined to celebrate Halloween then.

There is no "Happy Halloween Mr Bean" episode (like there's a "Merry Christmas Mr Bean")...there is one in the animated Mr Bean though (from 2016)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6691002/

This is an example of the change since the 2000s when Halloween grew in popularity in England. There was no Halloween themed dancing in Come Dancing, there has been in its successor Strictly.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200659/

There was no Halloween themed dancing in Come Dancing

You're hilarious

Cultural celebrations are not measured by what was on TV

There was plenty of Halloween stuff on TV, this poster's inability to google or follow the links other people have posted is her own issue,

I definitely celebrated Halloween as a child in the 80s and 90s and that was in an upper middle class family in a fairly rural village, with parents who were reasonably uptight about things generally (our TV lived in a box room and only came out to be watched a few times a year!).we always had a Halloween party with friends, dress up and themed food and lots of people in the village went trick or treating.

Meanwhile whilst doing my nurse training in Salford in the 90,s we had Halloween disco,pubs and clubs were decorated for Halloween and had halloween themed events etc ,unless you visited every single venue at Halloween during your time in liverpool then you really can't base.your individual experience on the Whole if England ,but I expect you will tell.me I'm wrong because you an Irish person knows better 🤔

Paul Daniels Live At Halloween Mon 31 Oct 1988

As the 13th candle is lit, Paul Daniels and his special guest Eugene Burger take you once again into the world of the unknown on this, the most mysterious night of the year. Watch if you dare!

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ae0002a079664875953ae1076161b95c

"Halloween? What's that?" We all said

Meanwhile whilst doing my nurse training in Salford in the 90,s we had Halloween disco,pubs and clubs were decorated for Halloween and had halloween themed events etc

Yes, same where I went to uni in the north

Britain (more specifically England as British media is English centric) is a cultural behemoth; the second biggest on the planet. So this "only 3 stations" or "not much survives" doesn't wash.

Doctor Who...been going since '63....one Halloween special (from 2021)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Halloween_Apocalypse

There are endless examples of the change in its status in England.