To be sick of how "big" a thing Halloween is now?

[BlancheBlue]

When I was little which wasn't SO long ago, Halloween was a bit of apple bobbing and a few teenagers with coats pulled over their head asking for change and some egg throwing. Supermarkets were stuffed with tacky shite and Halloween wasn't seen as a massive night out for people to get pissed and having a Halloween party was quite rare.

This interpretation of Halloween is a pure American import. Whats next ffs UK thanksgiving or something.

prepared buckets of water for trick or treaters

puts down copy of Agatha Christie's 'Halloween Party' to reflect on the fact that Halloween parties are a beastly recent import that were definitely not around in Christie's day.

I'm just glad pumpkins and tealights are now everywhere. The smell of a burning swede set alight by a wobbly piece of household candle will stay with me forever.

I'm Irish and it's been a big thing since I can remember. Trick or treating, Halloween parties and discos etc. Of course the shops are on it now, with all the plastic tat, but its the same for every other holiday.

I really enjoy it. Trick or treat, sparklers in the back garden, the village firework display, pumpkin trails at the National Trust places....it's what you make of it really. We don't spend a lot of money on it or anything

DixieWishbone
I'm sure you're not.

Jassy

I'm not bothered by Halloween but anyone thinking they will get a sweet if they knock at the door is sadly mistaken. The lights at the front of the house will be off, the doorbell will be disconnected and the hall door will be closed.

If I knew someone with small children and they arranged to come round that would be different though but anyone else can bugger off.

Sorry, I'm still extremely pissed off that my elderly mother's house was egged when she didn't answer the door.

If you don't like it then don't take part. Just because you think it is shit does not mean everyone feels the same way.

I am sick to death of the American bashing on here that for some inexplicable reason is allowed to persist. This may come as a shock to you, but MN is no longer a small, unknown UK website - it is global. Maybe remember that before you bang on about "American shit".

And for the record, it's candy, not sweets.

I am irish too, we went around collecting apples and nuts in the 70s. Outfits were home made (out of a bin bag), i would have killed for a proper costume! I have never encountered youths with eggs or anyone doing 'tricks' its just not a thing where i live. I love Halloween and my kids get a big kick out of it.

This again. The sneering anti-Americanisms, right on schedule

Surely you have bigger things to moan about this year?

When did it change from Hallowe'en to Halloween

It's All Hallows Evening (abreviated , hence the ' )

Any way. YY to turnip carving and the unholy stench of a candle in a turnip.

And I don't like Happy Hallowe'en.... it's spooky, scary,fun. Keep Happy for New Year, Merry for Christmas

I am 47 and we have done halloween since i was a small child

My husband and i have decorated the house and had friends round since we were married at 21

We have decorated the house, played games and had a halloween tea since my ds1 was 3 he is now 18

So not a recent import in my house at least (and not american )

When did it change from Hallowe'en to Halloween

For me, it was when I was too lazy to switch from letter to character keyboard on my phone mid-word.

Blame Steve Jobs.

jassy

I'm 53 and we certainly had Hallowe'en when I was a bairn. Not so many shop bought treats back then, but the other families in the street baked biscuits or gave apples or if you were really lucky, a few pennies. Costumes were made from old clothes in the attic and, if you were better off, you might buy a plastic "false face" from the toy shop.

Hallowe'en was a big night on the kid calendar as, in the north of Scotland at least, Christmas wasn't a big deal then.

I hate Hallowe'en!! I just ignore the knocks on the door, but very time some pillocky little fecker knocks the door, the dog upstairs goes apeshit. Kids are taught not to go off with strangers, and are then encouraged to put on a shite Asda costume and knock on any old pervert's door. I hate it.

Anyone who's lived in North America and returned to the UK (we lived in Toronto for five years and Halloween is indeed amazing) will know that British people are, on the whole, miserable bastards. If the holiday was 'national take your dog door to door day' Brits would be all over it.

Halloween is a bit of fun for kids. End of.

lucille

Nice

What like: children with guns, institutionalised racism, anti-abortion, sexism, Donald Trump?

Ifailed as I said in my post which you were replying to, I live in NI - your above list isn't exclusive to the US and we have enough "politicians" here to rival the shite that comes out of Donald Trumps mouth.

It'as pretty much perv central down my way.

This is a boring annual "complaint" on MN.

I'm in Scotland, in my 50s. Halloween was big when I was wee. I went guising in homemade costumes (my favourite was a harem costume - my mum was an excellent seamstress) and said my piece (my trick) in return for my treat. All the children in the area went guising.

Like many others have commented, the main change - which has been extremely welcome - has been the replacement of neeps (turnips) with pumpkins. I have a massive respect for my mum for carving lanterns out of the unforgiving neep innards.

Agree about the pumpkins

Turnips are a bitch