To think that Halloween should be about ghosts and bats, not horror?

[ally90]

All the displays in shops round here are gruesome 'scream' masks, with blood to pump down face, hanibal lecter masks, zombie things, just all horror.

In my day it was getting a wedding dress out of the dressing up box and painting your face white. Or getting a really simple witches mask, a black cloak, hat and broomstick...not horror just halloween being about witches/ghosts/bats and cats

Now its gone all american (sorry if you are american)

Anyone else with me?

YANBU - my dd is getting scared to go into shops (even corner type shops) now.
Its all horrible and WAYYYYY too grown up and nasty. I don't like it and I'm not looking forward to opening the door to groups of unidentifiable teens (probably) looking like something from a horror film. What is wrong with a witches hat/sheet draped ghost/painted on skeleton? Its all a money-making commercialised nightmare. I even spotted halloween cards in one shop....

Actually, I'm going to agree with you on this, but I wouldn't call it 'American' - American kids dress up as all sorts of things that are not remotely horror related on Halloween.

Some of the things in Tesco would give me nightmares, never mind little children.