Aibu to completely bypass halloween

[crazyhatlady]

Just back from supermarket shop with ds and it was full of halloween tat, literally every corner we turned.
Now he's harassing me for said tat and tbh I just feel like it's a big marketing ploy to encourage people to spend money on crap they don't need

A lot of my neighbours seem to go ott decorating the houses. I just don't get it. I'm a single parent and trying to put cash away for Christmas, also got 3 kids birthdays to buy for next week. Ds is 4.

So am I justified or just a big meanie?

I can't be arsed with it at all. I despise the way it's become such a commercial farce.

I wasn't overly bothered by it as a child but now I find it incredibly tedious!

Yadnbu. It's balls!

Im totally agreeing with Personalclown,Sirzy and Hiddenhome here. My DC has autism and as I write there are fireworks going off and Im going to have tto stop here now as she's starting to scream. imagin on halloween and bonfire night.

I would be interested to know how old your children are. When they are small it is easy to forget Halloween. When they are 12 and love it as much as Christmas then it isn't so easy.

Besides, BF's mum has invited OH and me for a few drinks that evening so what's not to enjoy?

I can't be bothered to go all out for halloween, I do dress the dc up and take them trick or treating. This year they're being zombie pirates, already have pirate costumes and well I'm in love with Jack Sparrow. Spent a pound on face paints in tesco's and have there pumpkin buckets from last year. Meh it's for the kids and they love it, suck it up and let them enjoy it.

What annoys me is the meaningless, "Happy Halloween!" What's happy about the day we remember the dead?

Absolutely hate Halloween. Nothing positive in celebrating all things demonic. I avoid at all costs. But am amazed at the pressure from friends and school for dc to join in. Really do hate it. Also f***g scary for elderly people who have their door bells rung constantly. Actually, not just elderly people. Horrid.

"But am amazed at the pressure from friends and school for dc to join in"

Why? Most people don't think of Halloween as anything other than a bit of harmless fun. We even went trick or treating with the vicar's wife and children the other year.

You see, I don't get this! When I was a child, all the churches were very against hallowe'en, and it was very much discouraged. My school wasn't a faith sschool, but had old fashioned head, and she didn't like it- we did nothing Hallowe'eny at all.
Now, even church schools are having hallowe'en discos
I don't like it. I'm not christian, but it just seems improper
I don't let my children do stuff for hallowe'en at all, but then eldest would probably have nightmares and scream for the next 6 weeks anyway! fireworks is enough (and a much more 'proper' celebration/commemoration)

Why is it improper though?

I don't feel it's demonic remembering the dead either, I have lovely memories of family who have passed away.

I was raised in a Christian church going family - we LOVED Halloween - my mum always did a big kids party

this was in the 1970's

I find the more modern evangelical churches to be anti it

We are christian and we don't celebrate Halloween.

I hate trick or treat. Ds will visit an old lady we know and bring her some chocolate instead. He will knock in broad daylight and probably wear his school uniform.

I think its appaulingly rude to knock on people's doors and demand sweets.

it's pretty easy to ignore and not take part (unless you live in real antisocial areas) imoho!

why shouldn't it be 'happy' though to remember the dead?

I am thinking of getting hold of cheap copies of one of the gospels and giving them to the trick or treater along with a bad of sweets.

Go on then , I'm sure you won't be the laughing stock of the neighbourhood if you do that, ReallyTired

At least I would never get bothered by trick or treaters again!

Reallytired bible bashes at trick or treater's peril...

Course you would- you gave them sweets

I went to a Roman Catholic school, and whilst it wasn't a huge thing, Halloween was certainly celebrated. We sang all the songs and everything

yes but they where bad sweets

Usual

I think you mean 'Harris Eecombe'

That's what he was called when I was a child, I'm sure

I can't be bothered with it this year tbh. I'm 80% sure I won't be doing it. Trouble is, I was the local childminder and I am still the local Guider, so it's kind of expected that I will be welcoming!

Trouble is, me knees aren't what they used to be and all that getting up and down is going to kill me!

I once famously did the full works, with decorations and costume for me, homemade cakes etc when I was childminding. I even bought an orange light bulb to put in the outside light. Trouble was, it turned out to be red. DH thought he was on to a good thing, when he came home from work!

Lol @ the red light and the knees not being up to it

I don't like Halloween. It isn't actually about remembering dead people but evil spirits who, tradition says, come out in force the night before All Saints Day, which is 1st November. The night before All Hallows Day = Hallows evening = Hallowe'en (or something like that).

But more than Halloween I really, really hate trick or treating. Knocking on strangers' doors saying or implying give me sweets or I'll throw eggs at your house? Even if I didn't mind Halloween in general I can't imagine I would send my kids off to do that.

As I understand it guising is the Scottish equivalent but there's no mention of tricks involved, you sing a song or recite a poem or something and are then rewarded for that with sweets. That's what it was when I lived in Scotland anyway.