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?

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

Oh a judgey post not only about Halloween but Facebook to!
I couldnt care less if people dont like or dont want participate in Halloween. I do find it really sad though that some people look down on those who do, for just enjoying something they dont. Didnt get the memo that fun stops when you are out of your teens so yes we had a Halloween party where all the adults dressed up, danced to the Timewarp amongst other things and got drunk. Not everyones idea of fun of course but we enjoyed it!

Who said they were burnt at the stake? Genuine question! I must have missed that bit.

I've noticed it keeps the christmas stuff out of the shops until the end of october now it's becoming a bigger thing in the uk.

That's got to be a good thing.

I've always loved halloween, I love to dress up and when my children were small used to decorate our hallway like a haunted house so it was all creepy for the trick or treaters.

I love it, not just because it was an integral part of my childhood (I grew up in Northern Ireland) but because I believe we need these celebrations/rituals/traditions, things to look forward to and plan for. We are infinitely poorer as a species without them. And our primary festivals all have pre-christian roots, indicating their long standing importance.

For me, all the hand wringing around Halloween and Christmas being 'too commercialised' misses the point. These festivals are only as commercial as you allow them to be. The best bits of halloween for me are those that cost very little, bobbing for apples, apples on a string, hiding the ring in the apple tart, making a costume yourself.

One thing I am delighted about is the widespread availability of pumpkins nowadays. Carving a turnip was a complete pain in the arse.

laurie I will now be looking up apples on a string and trying to plan some games for this evening! Thanks

I don't have kids but I still like it.

The iconography is fun (pumpkins, cats, witches on brooms, spiders/cobwebs, ghosts).

You can also do a more Day of the Dead style thing than Halloween, which means there's an excuse for sugar skulls, beautiful brightly coloured decorations, Mexican food and tequila.

@kala

Try marshmallows on strings too! It's really fun.

I once nearly drowned myself ducking for a pound coin, so maybe give that one a miss!

I'm with Laurie (love the username, btw). I grew up in NI where Halloween has always been celebrated. It's not about celebrating horrible things, but acknowledging that they exist and gathering together in the cold and dark to light lamps and have fun and carry on through the hard times together.

Laurie is indeed a wise one, (especially re carving turnips - complete PITA)!

When I was little, a thing that happened every single year on November 6 was that there'd be a story in the papers about some poor bloke who'd gone up to a lit firework and bent over to see why it hadn't gone off and ended up blinding himself. Eventually they started discouraging home fireworks and organising those big public events. And then I think eventually councils stopped having those because the insurance costs went up. I think that's contributed to it dying out in a lot of places.

Gosh, I feel old sometimes.

I find the way that celebrating Halloween has changed/evolved in my lifetime quite interesting. My DC are 12 and 9 and for them it is all about costumes and trick or treat. They see it as an essential thing to take part in ( 12 year old has now declared himself too old to take part but sees it as a thing for younger kids)

When I was a young child ( born 1970 and grew up in Essex) Halloween was a non event apart from maybe stories about witches and a Halloween themed art activity at school. The only activity we did at home was bobbing apples.

My first awareness of "trick or treat" was from the film ET and then it seemed to very slowly and gradually grow in popularity in my area. It's. It's not something I ever took part in though as was too old by the time it became a big thing.

Is that a similar experience to other people who are my age?

I'm in my 40s and we would dress up in spooky costumes, make turnip lanterns, go trick or treating, eat toffee apples, bob for apples, eat apples on a string, eat barmbrack with a coin and a ring,or apple pie, tell ghost stories, and light sparklers.

AngelsWithSilverWings The south east of England mostly didn't do much for Halloween in the 70's the rest of the country typically did more including trick or treating, certainly me growing up in the 70's dressed up, went trick or treating and it was more of a thing than now in many parts of the south east still.

Why are ppl so judgey about everything? Every year it seems to be the same threads.

No-one is made to participate in anything but tbh what's wrong with having some fun once a year? And I disagree with 'it's just for kids'; don't see what's wrong with adults having some fun too (we need it sometimes!) That post earlier about the 'infantilisation of our society' is exactly the kind of thing DF would say and he's the most miserable man alive

I agree everything is too consumerist these days but there's a simple solution to that; just don't buy all the crap! It's not obligatory.

Because it’s my birthday 🎂

Oh happy birthday zigg!

It wasn't a thing at all where I grew up and then I lived in flats most of my adult life and got no trick or treaters. For the past three years I've lived in a house and love decorating the front and opening the door to trick or treaters.

I'm not religious and don't have kids so Christmas is a bit of a non-event for me. So it's nice to bring joy to the neighbourhood children on Halloween by handing out sweets and planning the decorations. It's fun!

And as for the comments talking about wanting to avoid the dark things - well sorry but life is not all sweetness and light. It's good to acknowledge the darker side including death and horror as they exist in all our lives.

Im not into it but dd and dad are. So hes decorated, carved a pumpkin, bought an outfit and 5kg of candy.
They wont go out until half 6 which means ive got 2 hours of knockers before hes home from work. I just dont feel safe opening the door at night anyway.
Cant wait till its over.
Why go out when she's already got 5k of sweets? Strange.

Bernard pretty much the first response to OP saying they liked bonfire night was so celebrating the burning if actual real people is uplifting
Then various comments about burning the pope ( which I know is part of the custom in Lewes), burning Catholics, watching Guy Fawkes burning over and over again etc.
Just pointing out they weren't burned as a punishment!

One thing I am delighted about is the widespread availability of pumpkins nowadays. Carving a turnip was a complete pain in the arse

Oh god this! I still remember this!

kalalaka one of the ones we used to do was everyone blindfolded or sitting in a dark room, then there's a story about some children exploring in a dark creepy house where there's been a murder. They start finding thinks as they feel their way around and items are handed round the circle. A wilted cabbage leaf for skin, peeled boiled egg eyeball, a bone, peanuts for teeth etc.
Also flour pressed into a basin and turned out, coin placed on top. Everyone takes turn to scoop off bits of flour, the one who makes the coin fall can keep it but have to pick it out if the flour with their teeth.

That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying weeds.

Here’s a little video explaining the Irish origins of Halloween.
www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiK4P7Z9JrXAhWM2xoKHXY1AUQQFggKMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newstalk.com%2FThe-Irish-origins-of-Halloween-explained&usg=AOvVaw1nT5SG8SpQCJJDkl2MHbkW

Neep lantern ready!