To ask why people celebrate Halloween

[Flippetydip]

This is absolutely not a goady post but I just don't get Halloween at all. It seems like a celebration of everything that is horrible. Why do people do it?

I think it was actually made law that people HAD TO celebrate Guy Fawkes night. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it?

I've always celebrated Halloween ( All Hallows eve) but then I'm Scottish.
We aye had guising when I was wee, dooking for apples ( bobbing for apples) , trying to eat treacle scones hanging from strings.
We had tumpshie lanterns, a hollowed out turnip ( swede)

We did not have trick or treat.We had guising. It was bairns dressed up , often in parents old clothes, going to door and doing a 'turn' -you were expeçted to tell a joke or sing a song . Often it was pennies handed out ( or some other money) or apples sometimes sweets.
Anyone turning up before 31st October would be sent away as it wasn't yet Halloween.
I still hold to a lot of these traditions. Taught them to my offspring.
I do not like this trick or treat idea, it should be a fun time.

The tumshie lantern was supposed to scare off evil spirits

We now have a Samhaim celebration in Edinburgh city centre.

I get that about November 5th, which seems much more uplifting.

Burning someone alive at the stake is more uplifting than dressing up?

Wow.

I celebrate it with my DC because I celebrated it as a child, it is part of my Scottish cultural heritage and far more fun than listening to bagpipes! My English DH didn't rate it much when we first got together and had more memories of bonfire night. But he has been won round by apple bobbing, eating treacle scones off a string and the sheer joy the DC have in dressing up and going out to interact with the neighbours. Honestly I think Halloween is a much more inclusive festival than one based around torturing and burning people from one faith. But no one has to celebrate anything they don't want too

I was brought up a Catholic so 1st Nov is All Saints Day in the Christian calendar so the night before being All Hallows Eve, the night before holy day. We just dressed up as devils and Dracula and witches etc and apple bobbed etc. Sometimes we had a bonfire in the garden and a few sparklers to combine both dates. these days it seems more about horror, I'm not a fan of that.

Btw I think they stole the bonfires from Hallowen to move them to Guy Fawkes night, the night they arrested him, not the day he was executed. Less pagan I suppose. Although King James VI was a believer in witches and the supernatural , wrote books on the subject.

"I get that about November 5th, which seems much more uplifting."

"Burning someone alive at the stake is more uplifting than dressing up? "

To be fair, not many people actually get burned alive on Nov 5th whereas thousands dress up.

It's great to help children understand the difference between reality and fantasy. They can explore fictional creatures outside of books and television. Plus as a Canadian, it is a fun little celebration that whole communities take part in!

*Yep - me too, but I have been well reminded on this thread that it is hideous in origins - which is absolutely is. I still love it though!

In that case, why do you find it so inexplicable that people love Halloween?*

I don't find it inexplicable, I just find it odd. Bonfire night is fireworks and bonfires and whilst yes, I totally get that it is hideous in origin (as I have said many times you "wow" people - RTFT) it still feels less "dark".

For the Pagans among you, that I totally get. I completely understand why you celebrate it (although I'm interested to learn more). It's the ghoulish, horribleness of the shops and decorations and the like.

I'm afraid I don't see witches and vampires as good clean fun, I see them as pretty dark and scary

I think it helps children to play with their fears. We just lived through an earthquake here, which as terrifying for everyone. Now the children have integrated the earthquake into their games, it all helps them to process things.

olliegarchy99
It is not a centuries old tradition - there was never ever Halloween when I was growing up

If you are going to criticise something at least know what you are talking about. It is centuries old in Scotland and Ireland thank you very much.

I "do" Halloween because it's fun, and because sweets.

DD is an adult now so obviously doesn't go trick or treating but the front of my house will be decorated so the little ones know they're welcome to call. I love seeing them all dressed up!

What’s that got to do with not wanting kids dressed up as monsters?

Because hearing countless times over the years that these 'light parties' are a counterpopint to all those devil worshippers and occultists who are asking Satan to come into the world by dressing up at Halloween yadda yadda yadda and lkight parties are saving all those nice christians from being brought into the darkness! (Yes I have read that countless times on forums, had posters praying for all those poor children who are being brought up in 'the darkness' etc)

Christians used to dress up and dance round bonfires too, but that is conveniently forgotten in the rush to condemm anyone celebrating Halloween by dressing up and going guising.

I enjoy Carving pumpkins - i grew up with turnips.

To be fair, not many people actually get burned alive on Nov 5th whereas thousands dress up.

But thats what they are celebrating!

Dont get me wrong used to love bonfire night, penny for the guy, taking stuff to the community bonfire and having a great night with sparklers, bonfire and hot food. These days they are few and far between due to health and safety and extortionate insurance which is a shame.

Because hearing countless times over the years that these 'light parties' are a counterpopint to all those devil worshippers and occultists who are asking Satan to come into the world by dressing up at Halloween yadda yadda yadda and lkight parties are saving all those nice christians from being brought into the darkness! (Yes I have read that countless times on forums, had posters praying for all those poor children who are being brought up in 'the darkness' etc)

Christians used to dress up and dance round bonfires too, but that is conveniently forgotten in the rush to condemm anyone celebrating Halloween by dressing up and going guising.

But I still don’t understand what that got to do with not wanting DC dressed up as horror themed things?

I love a bit of fancy dress me. It’s just the horror stuff I don’t like. I think that’s true if most people who don’t celebrate Halloween. It’s not generic fancy dress or festivities they don’t like or the date, it’s the monster/spooky stuff so your point still isn’t relevant.

What's not to love about dressing up, and racking in the chocolate and sweets, if you're a kid?

Not hard to understand why kids love it, really, is it.

Yes, witches and vampires are scary. No, 7YOs dressed up as witches and vampires are not scary.

If kids found it scary - as opposed to a load of fun with their friends - do you think they would want to do it?

I personally find Halloween a load of faff, but it really doesn't take much imagination at all, to understand why kids love it.

Kids love it. But it is harsh saying the genuine fear some kids have of some of the makeup and props these days makes them "snowflakes". Fucking hell.

Our local wedding boutique put up fake crime scene tape and a wedding dress with blood and fake stab wounds on it. Wtaf?! Bit far imo...

I've always liked it but in recent years DS1 has become more and more terrified, especially with the increase in realistic make up and the intention to scare. Dressing up is fine and fun but the horror element means that we might not even get out the house to walk to a friends for dinner (a friends who does know and celebrates the traditions of it). And I'll have to ask a friend if DS2 has any chance of trick or treating.

You dont have to dress up your kids as monsters to enjoy halloween, there are hundreds of things they can dress up as instead. You dont need to join in if you dont want to, nobody is forcing you.

Its the insistance that light parties are 'better' than halloween that annoys people. Its the insistance that Halloween is dark and evil by people who dont understand it nor have ever found out the origins of it.

Not saying op said this but have heard it too many times to remember.

When I was a kid halloween was something purely and simply for the kids to enjoy and even then it involved little more than wearing a bin bag and a 50p mask and going out trick or treating... it's now just another example of the infantilization of society that we have grown adults using it as yet another excuse to "partaaay" with, of course, the obligatory facebook pictures to show what a crazy and wild social life they have.

You dont need to join in if you dont want to, nobody is forcing you.

I know. I’m not joining in. I posted about choosing to go to an alternative party and then you started making comments about the party which I responded to.

Its the insistance that light parties are 'better' than halloween that annoys people. Its the insistance that Halloween is dark and evil by people who dont understand it nor have ever found out the origins of it.

It’s not the origin that people tend to be interested in it that are relevant to people’s dislike of it. It’s the not liking spooky stuff. I know you said there are other things to dress up as but it’s mostly spooky things.

Anyway, you don’t need to join in with the glow stick parties, no-ones forcing you

I don’t understand November 5th. We send fireworks up to ooh and aah over, to ‘celebrate’ a failed assassination attempt. Never really fully got that one.

My children like Halloween because:

Sweets

I agree about Nov 5th. I do love a bonfire party but it’s such a weird thing to celebrate.

Did anyone watch Gunpowder? It was very interesting to learn a bit more about it all. I knew catholics were persecuted but the level of persecution was more horrific than I imagined.