Not to know that Halloween is considered a big thing in Scotland?

[useruseruseruseruseruseruser]

Scottish Highland born and bred, Scottish parents. We never did Halloween and nothing for it whatsoever. Christmas was big though.

I see people all over MN saying how big it was in Scotland? I seem to have missed it?

I am talking 70s/80s here, for reference.

[LoisWilkerson1]

I remember "that hoose is haudin" If a house had tablet or macaroons they'd be decendeded upon.

[Lessstressedhemum]

I grew up in Ayrshire in the 60s and 70s. We had a school party during class time and we were all things like Diddy Men and Dominoes, nothing scary. We went guising, "Are you haudin it, missus?", you didn't get sweets really, though, unless someone's mum had made tablet or toffee apples. The treacle scones were the best bit. My poor dad had to carve a tumshie every year.

[Highlandcathedral]

I grew up in Sutherland in the 60s then moved to Inverness for the 70s. Guising was a big thing in both places. Costumes on, go round the local houses (which weren’t decorated, they were mostly family friends). Did our party piece then got some nuts, fruit, and maybe a few coins.

We also always had guide/brownie parties too, with dooking for apples and treacle scones. I’ve been in England for 35 years now but I still do the Apple dooking for the village children when they come to my house. They would all be disappointed if I didn’t!

[Shampaincharly]

I do not live there now either.

[EustaciaPieface]

I’m Dundonian but been in Glasgow since 1996, moved here after I graduated. Back home to Dundee regularly though!

[Shampaincharly]

Who mentioned NY ?
Must have missed that!

[wafflyversatile]

Agree with pp that NY was bigger than Christmas. My dad worked Christmas morning in the early 60s but NY day was off.

[wafflyversatile]

Village near...... Dundee in 70s. We carved neeps and usually had a party in the village hall with fancy dress, apple ducking etc. I won the lantern competition one year with the use of marbles and eyeshadow! #stillproud

[Willow2017]

S.E. Scotland we went guising in 70s. Made our own costumes, neep lanterns, party piece.
Still a big night here.😀

[Mammylamb]

Waves to all dundoneans and weegies. I was brought up in Glasgow but been in Dundee since 2002

[FermatsTheorem]

Waves back to all fellow Dundonians. (Alas, I was brutally uprooted and taken to England at a relatively young age )

[lily2403]

My friends, family etc loved guising in Scotland (east coast)
We all had songs and dances worked out weeks in advance, we were out in droves.
Not so much nowadays which is :( out of our group of houses (a lot of them) there were 5 with decorations etc everybody else house was in darkness

[2018SoFarSoGreat]

Waves back to all of the Dundonians 😝

[Shampaincharly]

And WAVE to @FermatsTheorem

[Shampaincharly]

Quite a few Dundonians on this post.
Wave to @EustaciaPieFace and @2018SoFarSoGreat

@FartnissEverbeans...love your name!

[Mumberjack]

I’m Scottish and it has always been a big deal: when I was young it was the big social occasion of going out guising and carving a neep (I’m central belt so it was never a tumshie ) - wasn’t really about decorations, elaborate costumes etc or playing tricks - more about going round the doors, telling jokes and having a carry on.

Now it’s more sanitised in some ways - steering clear of some houses which don’t participate - which is a good thing, and soending much more money than before on costumes, sweets etc...then again if it wasn’t for home bargains for cheap stuff I’d be raging about the cost. My D.C. love it and it was nice to meet more neighbours the other night.

[AvoidingDM]

I don't know if we called it guising or just "out for Halloween" great fun went to the houses we knew who were expecting you and had bags with your name on them. Monkey nuts, apples and a small sweet.

I also recall school showing Tam O'Shanter on TV, 4 classes so about 100 kids round what was probably a 25" telly.

Tam O'Shanter being the film of Burns tale of witches and stuff!

I'm sure i can recall my grandparents (20's) speaking of Halloween and dooking for apples.

[FermatsTheorem]

Just to clear one potential confusion up "guising" is short for "disguising" and has nothing to do with Guy Fawkes!

Anyone else used to sing this one?

New Year's coming and the goose is getting fat,
Please put a penny in the auld man's hat.
If ye hannae got a penny, a ha'penny will do,
If ye hannae got a ha'penny then God bless you.

[tabulahrasa]

Argyll - about 100 miles north of Glasgow and fairly rural... and we all went guising in the 80’s...

[GrandTheftWalrus]

Lanarkshire here as well and we went guising round the houses. Getting brought in to do our turn. Usually in my bin bag and green face.

When I joined the guides my mum got good at home made costumes and I won the 1st prize 3 years in a row.

DP is from Edinburgh and he remembers the same.

We were born in the 80s so this wouldve been early 90s.

[ThriftyMcThrifty]

My grandma grew up in Glasgow then Aberdeen and used to tell us fabulous stories about her childhood Halloween’s, she said it was more fun than Christmas as no church. She grew up in an orphanage then was fostered so I doubt she had a particularly nice childhood, but that was one of the highlights for her.

[StoneofDestiny]

Grew up in Glasgow. Never went guising (not sure I knew what that was as a child). Had a 'Halloween mask' made of cardboard/thick paper - we called it a 'false face'. Ducked for apples at home and ate toffee apples and treacle lollies. Never went round doors.

[Doubletrouble99]

Guising was what we did in the 60s and 70s. But guising was a penny for the guy which we had in our bogy. The pennies were for our bonfire fireworks. So guising had nothing to do with Halloween when I was a child. We went to Halloween parties with apple bobbing etc. but that was a separate thing.

[TooManyPaws]

Aberdeen in the 60s, guising for relatives. Neep lanterns, and getting monkey nuts or apples. Definitely had to do a turn.

Aberdeenshire in the 80s, helping run a cub pack. Always a Halloween party with apple 🍏 dooking and treacle scones. The kids went guising too.

Been in Fife since then and the kids still guise here but I don't usually see it as it is before it gets too dark and I'm at work. A big thing for the primary children - all the mums getting them ready while the children decide what their party piece will be. I know someone who lived for a while in Texas and the locals were most confused by her Scottish children insistent on telling them jokes or stories! 😂