To be a bit annoyed about all the fuss about halloween?

[Karlakitten1]

I've had childrn at school asking why they have to go to school on Halloween. I think this is ridiculous and although it's all a bit of fun on the day, I just don't see the need for a big fuss and think going trick or treating is like begging IMHO. Am I a miserable git?

I dont decorate my house and neither do half of my neighbours but we still get people knocking.

You need one of these...

www.westyorkshire.police.uk/sites/default/files/images/press-office/hq/halloween.jpg

www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/sites/default/files/documents/files/No%20trick%20or%20treat.pdf

It's an important date on our calendar as we celebrate Samhain. We have people round, each person brings a dish of food and we celebrate the end of the harvest and beginning of winter.

It isnt my kids, its kids I teach! They wamted to know why they dont get the day off?! Some of you think they should have the day off? I think parties are fine, but just it's a joke they want a day off. I don't like the kmocking on doors, so maybe that does make me miserable, but a day off?!

Exactly! I know it isn't in the UK, it just seems it has become a massive event now, I think the dressing up etc is fun, I suppose if people are up for it, then going halloweening is ok as a community, must be nice for it to be a community thing, rather than gangs on teens hanging around.

Really reboot? Where are you? I grew up on the west coast and now live on the east. Both central belt though.

I'm from the far north of Scotland and we went guising. There were no special bought sweeties back then, homemade cakes, apples or money for guisers.

It's a really great idea if you think about it. We almost never talk to our neighbours. We do at Halloween. I may be biased because I moved to Canada and DD and I LOVE Halloween. We had a cloud of bats flying on our house one year. This year DH is Hip Hop Zombie.

They are just chancing their arm for a day off. However, every moment is a teaching moment. Explain that if they vote when they're older, they have power and can write to their MP and suggest a national holiday. Young people don't care about politics because they don't understand democracy. Really good chance to explain.

YABU but I'm not disappointed to see my first "trick or treating is begging" thread this year.

Yabvu, I love Halloween! I love dressing the kids up, I'm already thinking about next years costumes. DSs is a definite, might change my mind on DDs.

I can't wait til they're old enough for a proper Halloween party with their schoolfriends.

Nah, they don't need the day off. I like guising though, we live in a very family dominated community, so it's nice. I'm tempted to make them carve a neep like I had to though. And they like dooking for apples ( autocorrect didn't like that!)

As you're a teacher you've presumably noticed that Halloween usually falls in half term, so maybe the kids are simply not thinking about it like that? If they've never been at school for Halloween maybe it hasn't occurred to him it's not a holiday like Christmas or Easter?

It's not begging if the kids only go to decorated houses as the decorations mean those people are happy to have trick or treaters. Obviously going to undecorated houses isn't on, we used to get a lot of that but in recent years it's stopped thank goodness.

I actually prefer the way the Amercians do it as they don't go so blood and guts as we do. The kids' costumes on sale in Sainsbo's are so gory, I hate them. In America they go as anything and everything, it's much more fun like that.

I agree that they don't need a day off that is ridiculous but you're being a real killjoy likening it to begging , it's a bit of fun and it has its basis in longstanding winter traditions

Although we are all terribly enlightened now it has its basis in scaring away the darkness we fear in winter....embracing it rather than fearing it and personally I think it's a good thing....it has gone by many names and frankly you don't have to participate but why ruin the fun for others

There's lots of things I don't quite understand the appeal of (football and tennis for examples) but I don't complain that others enjoy it

Perhaps focus on what you enjoy and leave others be a bit....all you have to do is smile and say no you don't get a day off and let the kids get excited

In America they go as anything and everything, it's much more fun like that.

God no, that's awful. You just get a herd of sodding princesses. DD is going as a vampire bat. She's 5. Being the scary thing does them good.

MrsTerry,
Hahaha,my daughter loves Halloween and dressed up as a witch last year but is going to be a vampire this year with fake blood and fangs(she's 6).

I still do not understand why Americans go all out for Hallowe'en.

Because it's fun. My children got just as excited about Hallowe'en as they did about Christmas. Plus many of us have Scottish and Irish roots so it's in part a strong cultural tie to the mother countries.

I agree that many of the costumes in the US are not in the least scary. But this is an election year and that means that some will dress as the Republican nominee for president, which is very scary indeed. I plan to put my Clinton-Kaine sticker out for the night as a charm against them.

Halloween is massive round our bit. It's a lovely community event, with hundreds of children our and about.

The littlies start guising about 5:30pm, old primary age do 6-7pm ish and the teenagers (mostly with some really fantastic home made costumes) 7-8pm.

Everyone has to do a turn for their sweeties and no one goes to houses without any decorations.

It's really lovely.

I still do not understand why Americans go all out for Hallowe'en.

Visit the US during Halloween and you'll see why. Americans know how to party.

It's not in keeping with my Christian faith, but I appreciate that the children enjoy it.

I do smile, and funnily enough I am going to a hallowern party...so maybe not such a killjoy. I just haven't seen in previous years it being such a massive event, especially with the need for a day off. I wouldn't mind if they come in families etc to doors, I have opened my door snd given treats when it's groups like that.