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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

what you think of halloween?

344 replies

adam7485 · 24/10/2021 18:40

. ok. halloween can be a fantastic time for all people kids and everyone, but am i the only person to think it brings the worst out of people? 2019 before covid i got a taxi to a local pub who were having a halloween party and we almost had a nasty accident as some kids threw something in front of the car. how we didn't have an accident was probably more luck than judgement. to think that a good celebration and fun has become tainted by the actions of a certain group of people?

OP posts:
SheeceRearsmith · 25/10/2021 07:35

‘Fun sponges’ - I’m having that, great description of some of the miserly grumps on here.

Sparklingbrook · 25/10/2021 07:37

There will be many threads about this over the next week.
It’s the same every year.

HappySantasaurus · 25/10/2021 08:00

Happy to be considered a fun sponge on this one, I'll make up for it over Christmas! Grin

MiniPumpkin · 25/10/2021 09:24

I absolutely love Halloween and my little girl is obsessed all year round. We are Scottish and have been talking about it for the last 2 weeks 🤣 we have went ott with decorations and the next weeks diary is full of Halloween parties . I just love to see the kids enjoy it. We will go trick or treating but I won’t knock every door, if I see curtains shut or I’m not sure we will just skip that house. We tend to go to neighbours we know so we aren’t annoying folk

Hobbesmanc · 25/10/2021 12:01

I'm a Halloween baby but it wasn't a huge thing in 1970's North East. Mum would help us make a turnip lantern- stenchy! but we weren't allowed even though it was my birthday, to trick or treat. It was mainly older teenagers that turned up wanted money. Maybe I'm confusing it with Mischief night but there were deffo quite few tricks played.

Bonfire night was a much bigger thing. School would have a firework display and a magician with hot dogs and cups of soup. The older kids would have been collecting scrap wood and old furniture etc for weeks and there would be a blaze supervised by a few drunk dads. We would be allowed to watch hopefully with some sparklers

LagunaBubbles · 25/10/2021 12:14

know it wasn't this big when I was a kid (1970s)

Well that depends where you are, Halloween and guising were always big when I was growing up in the 1970s in Scotland.

BashfulClam · 25/10/2021 12:15

I love it but then again I am a pagan. My family have been Pagan for generations do it’s important to us. I do rituals, welcome departed loved ones to come and be with us and welcome the Celtic new year.

junglejane66 · 25/10/2021 12:27

Kids knocking on your door begging for sweets, if you ignore then you get eggs thrown at your house, whats fun in that?
I hate it, it sends my anxiety into overload and I have to turn off all the lights and hide all evening in my own house. But dont worry its only kids having fun, yes at the expense of my MH

luckylavender · 25/10/2021 12:34

I absolutely hate it. It's just the most pointless commercial claptrap. And don't get me started on the begging.

Cherryana · 25/10/2021 12:44

I can really see that it gives a good opportunity with dressing up and make-up. Some people are amazingly creative.

But I think its horrible and gross and I hate it.

At least 'Day of the Dead' has family remembrance about it.

MrsToothyBitch · 25/10/2021 13:16

I don't mind it in a gentle form- the pumpkins, fairly tame halloween themed costumes etc, but I don't like trick or treating or killer clown costumes etc. Fine if others do. I won't answer the door to t&ters though.

I loved it as a kid- I grew up in a huge gothic pile of a house so I was allowed Halloween parties and my parents went all out decorating the place! I liked the cats and bats and rats etc, nothing really horror inspired and it was all pretty tame and age appropriate. I think a lot of kids like the spooky factor! I out grew it around about the time we moved.

These days I enjoy admiring other people's efforts and occasionally make a gentle effort myself. DP and I have a Halloween goodie bag each and we buy some Halloween themed sweets and watch nightmare before Christmas and other films- it's a fun thing to do. I have a little metal pumpkin lamp who comes out to keep us company in the dark, too. We are actually having a mini party this year- it's an excuse to see people and have fun, but it's 5 adults doing an escape room & then playing atmosfear with snacks and pizza. I might also buy some extra decs but I try and avoid plastic or buying lots of things we won't use again. It'll probably be a pumpkin and some bunting and paper plates or something. We have Alexa light bulbs so I'll turn them Halloween colours!

Obviouslynotallthere · 25/10/2021 17:40

When my kids were little we used to do a Pumpkin party - dress up, apple bobbing, change all the lightbulbs red, decorations with pumpkins and spiders etc. Halloween CD music. Apple bobbing and lucky dip with spaghetti like worms. Give sweets to the kids who came to the door and then go out for a ghost walk dressed up and with torches. Great fun. We did trick or treat a couple of years when they were a bit older.

BashfulClam · 25/10/2021 18:53

@luckylavender to pagans like me it’s not pointless and guising getting a treat has it’s roots going back centuries. Open your mind a little.

QueenDanu · 25/10/2021 18:56

I am 51 and irish and i know everything has become american but when i was a child it was great, you had your party piece ready for the houses you knocked on! The people giving out the nuts and apples woukd say "ok, two verses is enough, well done!". We thought we were lucky if we got some type of glamorous nut like a brazil nut!!

WowIlikereallyhateyou · 25/10/2021 18:58

@luckylavender

I absolutely hate it. It's just the most pointless commercial claptrap. And don't get me started on the begging.
This ^
QueenDanu · 25/10/2021 19:02

@Snugglemuffin

I'm Irish and the way we celebrated Halloween was lovely. I don't like the way it's been taken over by commercialism and people acting like jackasses, but then...hasn't Christmas been too? I've seen people acting appallingly on work nights out at Christmas. Normal, middle class, middle aged, educated professionals, so drunk they can't get a taxi.

My dad is a doctor and he used to get called into the hospital so often on Christmad day. Often for a domestic dispute where someone had been stabbed. Doesn't mean I think Christmas itself is bad. People can be though.

Doesn't take much of an excuse for some people. See how people (sorry, but especially in england) behave when "the footie" is on.

I agree! Hallowe'en before the invasion of pumpkins was pure pagan celebration in a very catholic country. I loved it. I remember my mum trying to carve a face in a turnip though!!! You'd need power tools!

It's funny reading this thread and somebody mentions a penny for the guy. Obviously that's a 5th of november thing which is totally different. I can see why the two sets of traditions have become a bit merged though.

Even in ireland, a bonfire is still common at hallowe'en but i wonder if that might be a 5th november thing that came over from england?

FourTeaFallOut · 25/10/2021 19:05

I think it's a bloody wonderful event that embraces community, tradition, shared experience, theatrical dress up and performance. And you get the annual po-faced Mumsnet threads to boot, what's not to like?

Crunchymum · 25/10/2021 19:08

I've always tried to avoid celebrating. My kids have enough sugar and tat in their lives.

Sometimes my BIL and his wife do a Halloween party (depends on if it falls at weekend / in the holidays) and we go there.

Kids are more aware that is it is a "thing" now but I can still get away with a scary film and popcorn.

Last year grandparents bought them some vampire teeth / fake blood / make up so we used that but I wouldn't have done anything otherwise.

We don't decorate and I turn the bell off.

Grandparents help with childcare and usually do a pumpkin with the kids near to the day. I have neither the skill nor the patience for pumpkin carving.

TheKeatingFive · 25/10/2021 19:08

We thought we were lucky if we got some type of glamorous nut like a brazil nut!!

😂

I told DS (7) we used to get monkey nuts or satsumas. He was deeply unimpressed.

I'm also Irish and we love it. Planning a great night of trick or treating here, our neighbourhood is very into it so it should be lots of fun. I just need to bulk buy sweets in lidl and we're all set.

mama3bears · 25/10/2021 19:09

I hate the whole concept of it. From the frightening of people to the begging for sweets.

AosSi · 25/10/2021 19:10

I love it. Much better than the consumerist, overly drawn out crapfest of Christmas.

TheKeatingFive · 25/10/2021 19:11

I think it's a bloody wonderful event that embraces community, tradition, shared experience, theatrical dress up and performance. And you get the annual po-faced Mumsnet threads to boot, what's not to like?

😆

Also the ignorant whinging about being taken over by 'American' traditions. Though these aren't so prevalent this year. Perhaps it's finally sinking in.

Sparklingbrook · 25/10/2021 19:11

@AosSi

I love it. Much better than the consumerist, overly drawn out crapfest of Christmas.
I agree. it's all over in one evening and more enjoyable. Now my two are adults I don't really bother with it. But the decorations and fancy dress outfits are still in the loft, I don't really want to part with them.
AosSi · 25/10/2021 19:13

I agree. it's all over in one evening and more enjoyable. Now my two are adults I don't really bother with it. But the decorations and fancy dress outfits are still in the loft, I don't really want to part with them.

Ah hang on to them! You never know, if you have grandchildren some day they may come in handy again.

TheKeatingFive · 25/10/2021 19:13

begging for sweets.

Urg, what judgmental twattery.