To not get why so many adults love Hallowe'en

[Bananabread123]

What is there to love about grotesque skeletons and blood-soaked zombies?

I dont understand the hype and Im a pagan. For me its Samhain (pagan holiday) not Halloween and I remember dead relatives (sounds morbid but it isnt).

Its always been a 'thing', its an ancient tradition. Its not new!!
The 'original' pagan tradition included dressing up and there was 'mischief night' in some areas too.

Its just got bigger over the years and much more fun.

Its not begging if people decorate their homes and welcome kids to come and get sweets.

Its one night in the whole year... its not the end of the world.

I love Xmas and thats got so much 'bigger' now but I am not impressed with Xmas decorations up in shops even before halloween stuff is in! Its ridiculous.

It's the festivities of it for me. Kids having hot chocolate carving a pumpkin. Spooky film after with popcorn and sweets. I spent £2.50 on lots of halloween tat in the November sales last year, so it's not expensive. Food wise we have natchos with wedges. It's making memories!

I love the sense of community with all the little ones knocking on the door. We're in a long cul de sac so everyone seems to follow the rules - no decorations = no knocking. I do think it depends where you live.

I did get pissed off last year when a child (old enough to know better) complained I only had haribo. The mum jumped in and explained it triggered her dd's epilepsy so did I have anything else. I did have different things in the kitchen but she was so rude and entitled I said no. Seriously, don't ask for free sweets if you're going to be fussy, go to a sweet shop!

Its one night in the whole year... its not the end of the world.

No one has said it is

People are just as entitled to not like it just as you are to.

It's ok if people stick to the no decorations, don't knock rule. However even in this 'naice' area they don't. As said previously elderly next door neighbour gets really frightened due to a bad experience with it a couple of years ago.

and it isn't just one night. People have already said they have had trick or treaters round

I feel the same way about Christmas.

I'm not that bothered, and I find it embarrassing doing trick or treat (whether trailing round with kids or answering the door myself) - but I like how much the kids love it, IYSWIM. I love it when we all do pumpkin carving with friends and decorate the windows.

Sometimes I love the things you can buy like cute bat hairbands and witch fingers - other times I am a bit shocked. I don't like things like coffins and zombies and I think they could be really upsetting for some people. But OTOH it is true that it lets kids address the scary, other, unspeakable things that we all really do fear, and get a handle on them.

My 6yo DD is beyond excited, I think she loves it more than Christmas.

For me, I like it because I like holidays. I know lots of people who complain they hate Halloween, and Christmas as so on, but I'd find it really boring if everyday was just the same.

I like watching the seasons change, and having different things to do at different times, egg hunts at Easter, costumes and trick or treating at Halloween, fireworks on bonfire night, Christmas trees and decorations in winter. I like that each holiday has its own identity, and building family traditions. I wish we had more really - one a month would be ideal for me.

For us it's a reason to dress the house and garden up,to let the 5DC choose a costume each,to treat all the children that come to the door trick or treating to lots of sweets.

It's all about fun that we can share with our DC for us.

Frankly, I'll get behind anything that brings out the community spirit and good cheer in my corner of London.

We had an incident of egging last year, but it was only tenuously related to Halloween and I'm hoping that having identified him to his mum the next day the little darling won't do it twice.

I agree with Yuck whilst at the same time hating anything to do with adults dressing up in costumes - no, you're not a supervillain, you're still Gary from accounts eating a sausage roll and drinking mulled cider out of a plastic cup. Snore.

It's not my cup of tea either, banana but each to their own. I believe that at many Post Offices you can get a 'No Trick or Treat here, thank you' card to put in your front window if you're not taking part. They seem to work but obviously nothing is guaranteed on this earth.

I've hated it since I've had eggs thrown at the window. I now have to stay in so I can wash it straight away if it happens.

I don't get why so many adults like:

Football
Disneyland
Nandos
Pantomimes
Scary films

But, you know, so long as no one forces me to any of the above, it's really none of my beeswax

I'm a misery guts and don't celebrate, tried to get in the spirit last year but after half an hour of sugar fuelled little demons knocking on my door, making dogs bark I put my "baby sleeping please do not knock" sign up and sat in a blanket eating the huge bowl of sweets I had planned on dishing out. This year I will be found eating sweets in darkness

No-one says you have to like it or join in but every year there are threads on every forum on every website slagging off Halloween and the people who do enjoy it. Its begging, its silly, why do adults like to dress up, its horrible, its satanism, its inviting all the demons from hell to come to my street (and other words to that effect) etc (have heard them all!)

Yet if the people who do enjoy it stick up for themselves and say anything back as to why they enjoy it then they are suddenly the bad ones criticising others!

Its fine if you dont like it and its fine that others do. Its one night of the year, should we all stop enjoying ourselves because someone else up the street doesnt like ghosts and ghoulies? There are people who hate Xmas and have a genuine phobia of xmassy things. Should we stop all the shelves filling up with xmas stuff? Stop putting xmas trees up? Dont see that happening.

I really don't like the way it has grown and grown. My DCs are now young adults but honestly they weren't that bothered about it when they were young.. we would have a few sweets in and they would peer round the door at the costumes, but I don't think they ever went out. It got spoilt with teenagers knocking on the door. It was low key 15 years ago, not so now, it seems obligatory.

I happened to be at home and watch whatever its called with Eamonn Holmes I think it was, This Morning?. They were showing all the halloween stuff. It was ridiculous. One of the things was a lifesize crawling baby (actually far too lifelike) with blood dripping out of it's mouth, pale green, cross eyes and it was mumbling "I'm gonna GET YOU..." It was vile. Thank god none of this crap was around when mine were younger, I honestly think they would've been terrified.

I'm quite torn about it, we do low key non scary costumes DD is a bumble bee DS is a bit older so I let him choose Frankenstein. Sometimes it's an opportunity to connect
And be a light in the darkness. They don't know what Halloween means they just see it as a bit of fun. We only go to neighbours houses trick or treating and have a few friends over. I want them to have a fun memory filled childhood and just because I don't support something doesn't mean my children by default have to miss out ifyswim

No-one says you have to like it or join in but every year there are threads on every forum on every website slagging off Halloween and the people who do enjoy it.

Every year there are posts saying how people are miserable and moaning and having a go at those who don't enjoy it.

People are miserable and moaning about Halloween?! It's a good job you're here on Mumsnet isn't it piglet?

I don't like Halloween, never have done. Neither am I a fan of zombie movies. Or of skiing. Or of getting drunk down the pub (although I love a good night out, and have no problem with other people getting as drunk, or not, as they want to). I'm not a fan of playing golf. I don't want a house full of pets. But you know what? That's ok. Because what I enjoy is my choice, and what you like to do, is yours. We are all different, and that's just fine with me.

Fwiw Halloween didn't "start" in America.. This bugs the shit out of me, like traditions from America are poison!

Halloween is all hallows Eve which is actually a Catholic tradition.. Irish people have always celebrated Halloween.

It's my favourite holiday! Prefer it to Christmas even. I've always been a massive horror fan, i love the films, the special effects, zombies are my favourite. I have my room permanently decorated with all sorts of ghoulish spooky trinkets etc, and halloween is the best time to find them in shops. The dressing up can be really fun, and its an excuse to have a social get together and have some fun. I hate the concept of trick or treating though. It just seems rude going round knocking on complete strangers doors asking for free stuff, especially given the state of the economy right now. It seemed harmless the 2 or 3 times i did it as a kid (under the age of 8) when it was for a penny sweet or two, but these days it's not just kids and (in myarea at least) they all expect money and get aggressive and complain if you attempt to give sweets! I stopped answering my door at all a good few years ago as round here you get really intimidating gangs of late teenage boys, with maybe one or to wearing a mask the rest just normal clothes, knocking on your door wanting money, and not just a couple of coppers. I'm feeling a bit daunted knowing i'll be home alone this weekend too when they're going to be out, so my plan is curtains shut, lights off, few snacks and a horror film fest by myself, ignoring the knocks and being glad for once the bell doesn't work!

I agree with those saying each to their own, some enjoy it, some don't, you're not forced to take part. I also agree we need to be much more open in UK about death and dying, it's a part of life which we seem desperate to hide from and that's unhealthy. I'm another for whom it's samhainn and mark it in my own way with the focus on remembering those who've passed.