Was Halloween a big thing when you were growing up?

[BiggyJ]

As in - did you carve pumpkins/turnips, go Trick or Treating, have themed parties etc?
I can't say I did, or can't recall it being a big deal as it is now for my own teen DCs.

(Born mid 70s so was a kid during the 80s )

I was also born mid 1970's and was a child in the 1980's - I remember there used to be a Halloween party at school, we had to take our costume to school and get changed after lunch. There would be some kind of disco along with apple bobbing and eating currant buns off a string. We never decorated the house, I never heard of trick or treating until I was an adult and there was no Halloween tea or pumpkin carving.

Fireworks night was more of a big deal - there were local displays with bonfires everywhere, fairgrounds, penny for the guy competitions etc.

Oh we do decorate the house, living room mainly

@Completelyjo and @TenWeeCaramelJoeys
I need to know more about the coconuts please! 😁

That is spooktacular!!
Is that a Halloween tree? 🎃 👻

Yes indeed that's a Halloween tree 😀

Some of my many pumpkins

The sky is blue the grass is green?? What??

Halloween is coming and the goose is getting fat, would you please put a penny in the old man’s hat?
If you haven’t got a penny…

We didn’t carve pumpkins, go trick or treating or anything. If it was ever mentioned in our house, my parents would moan that it was some American thing and becoming a trend over here. Bonfire night was a bigger thing; always went to the local display and sometimes fireworks in our garden too. This was in the 80’s.

At grandmas house was different though. Black bin bags for witches capes, witchy fingertips to complete the costume, sweets and cakes. No trick or treating but some Halloween fun.

Goodness me. They're so pretty!

I need to see your tree please? I've never seen a Halloween tree before 😄

Before this thread I was already thinking I’m going to have to force the tradition on my English DC and bake an apple pie every Halloween like my NI childhood and now I have the perfect creepy face inspo 😂

Yes! Trick or treated every year in the 80s lUsed a black bin bag and a witches hat/broom usually. All the kids I knew did. London area

Also did apple bobbing in a barell and toffee apples in our flats

I love your username. One of my fave shows!

Thanks yes it's amazing isn't it!

We had carved turnip or pumpkin. Got dressed up in costume and knocked at family members houses, played duck apple. Had hot dogs and toffee apples. We were not allowed to go trick or treating at strangers' houses but I remember other kids ( but not many) doing it. People would put a pumpkin on the step on Halloween night itself, not for the whole of October like it is now.

Totally agree.

Also perfect for Halloween viewing! I've yet to finish the last season so that's tonight's viewing, what a timely reminder!!

@RufusthefIoraImissingreindeer Also love your decor! Those pumpkins are amazing! 😍

I was born in the early 60s. South Wales. We used to celebrate Hallowe'en by ducking apples. Either the apples would be in a bowl of water or tied to washing line. You had to take bites with your hands tied behind your back.

@FanOhFan exactly this. Halloween party every year with sparklers, bangers, bengal matches. Carved turnips and toffee apples monkey nuts and the rest. Also went round the doors singing that for a few pennies.
Halloween remains a highlight of my year and I throw big parties though moved out of NI a few years ago and it’s still not such a big thing in the other part of UK I moved to.

"Halloween was never a particularly British thing. I used to be more excited about Bonfire Night as a kid!"

@RichinVitaminR You do know that Halloween originates from the British Isles don't you? Its just not an English thing, all you have down there is the American import but for us Scots and Irish Halloween is an ancient festival that literally belongs to us!

It was a thing in late 80s rural Yorkshire but my parents are conservative Christians so anything spooky was banned. Children knocking were shouted at and we sat in the dark all Halloween. We went to church and prayed for their souls on All Souls day!

We did make a bigger fuss on bonfire night. Probably because my parents think Catholicism is a gateway to the Devil.

I carved a pumpkin for the first time when DC were small but we put sweets out and a do not knock sign on the door. We don't trick or treat either. I just can't get my head round it. I don't particularly like the gore element that has crept in over recent years. Its to celebrate the darker season and the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead.

Here you go

Dh decorated it…hence the gaps!

I bloody LOVE this. I'm so doing this next year!

I was born in the 70s, child of the 80s. I remember going trick of treating and apple bobbing at Halloween parties. I remember dressing up as a witch and a cat.

It's also my birthday a couple days before so my parties were always Halloween themed. Spider birthday cakes, apple bobbing, jelly with spider sweets in.