To think Halloween is just another massive marketing ploy we've all fallen for.

[Blwean]

Reading this article today https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/30/halloween-boo-basket-useless-clutter?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1HhG1J-mqf1zU7ss8lxMCkNwsMJVTKudjgEt4auGVFrS8qwKuIUUUBmQc#Echobox=1698686636

Apparently Halloween spending is set to surpass £1bn in the UK this year for the first time and shops have been making a concerted effort since 00s to introduce more products and use social media influencers to push them.

Then there's pumpkin patches. Basically fields where people place pumpkins as there's none actually growing there and people pay silly prices to go and take pictures for Instagram. A friend of mine paid £50 to take her and DCs to one of these places then she's shelled out £20 on each of them for costumes and over £30 on decorations. It's her business what she spends on but just last month she was complaining about cost of living.

I'm all for celebrating Halloween but it's just about spending more and more money each year. The Instagramisation of it has ruined it and everyone just blindly spends loads on costumes they'll use once and other meaningless tat. Its the shops cashing in and we're all just like sheep who follow the marketing and influencers so we spend more

What a moronic statement. Halloween is an absolutely classic event for all kids to enjoy. To get this offended over a harmless event that occurs for ONE DAY a year shows so much about your character. Do better!

This ^^

It's just a bit of fun. If you never celebrate anything life can get pretty drudgerous

Dressing up, eating sweets, carving pumpkins is essentially harmless fun. There's an environmental side to consider with the extra tat

I would advise on only sending money you have, and only on things you need or enjoy. But that's not specific ro Halloween.

If you don't like it you don't like it. As long as you leave others to get on with it it's nothing to do with anyone's character.

Halloween is part of my cultural heritage. (Scottish)

I enjoy it immensely and I don't have an instagram account.

See you next week for the anti fireworks threads and god the anti Santa threads the week after that.

It made it over here because it started in Scotland and Ireland.

It's not American.

Much of the tat is cheap, pocket money stuff.

I remember trick or treating when I was in middle school, around 1988 - 92 and definitely in secondary around 93-95

It may not have originated in the US but the way it's "celebrated" nowadays is definitely imported from the US. From the tat to the dressing up in all sorts of costumes to trick or treating where it's just begging for sweets.

There was none of the trick or treating 50 years ago and any costumes for parties were homemade.

Even 25 years ago when mine were young enough to do it it wasn't really a thing.

So yes it has all changed in recent years, and I agree it's all a marketing ploy

NO! Its an ancient tradition as the nights suddenly darken...my children get so much joy out of dressing up...of being allowed to be outside in the dark with friends. The fun if knocking on houses when usually we are such an insular society

Cultures across the world have rituals over autumn and winter that bring some collective festivity and carnival ...its absolutely an important thing

Seriously how joyless can people be. I agree about waste and consumerism but that is a wider issue not about the halloween itself

It is not American.

Here's a little history lesson for you then

spookyscotland.net/scottish-origins-halloween/

I'm 49 and I went out guising as a wee girl.

So did my parents before me.

Some people enjoying a thing you don't like and spending money on said thing is just a part of human existence. Not a lot of point in getting worked up about it.

This.

£1 BILLION pounds in the UK. Just wow. Most ot it tat and straight into the rubbish too.

Bugger off.

i've decorated my garden and have got sweets for all the kids on the street

in the midst of the dark nights and sad times it's ridiculous to suggest we can't all come together and make each other smile.

i've spend less than £20

I'm in my 50s and we celebrated Hallowe'en when I was a child. We carved neeps and dooked for apples. We sometimes went to parties and dressed up as witches. DH went guising in his big city.

I've got 3DC. The youngest has spent the last 2 days painting a box to look like a Creeper from Minecraft, the middle child and I sewed a handkerchief skirt for her ghost costume using cheap as chips fabric from Boyes and she bought a white drapey top from a charity shop. The eldest has made a costume from clothes in her wardrobe plus some things from a charity shop. We were away last Oct break so they are enjoying spending the day with their friends. I think a combination of a traditional British Halloween plus the US traditions is fun and the kids love it.

Taking my toddler out trick or treating has been so much fun. He's been marvelling at all the bigger kids in their costumes getting sweets and was so excited to run up to the houses with decorations outside. It's adorable, what a lovely way to spend our money and time. He's so happy and gets to enjoy a lovely event, and his little outfit was so adorable.

He's nearly 2 so was possibly the smallest kid I saw out. Other kids stopped to give him their sweets when they saw him and his mostly empty little bucket. (He doesn't know what sweets are other than things to collect, so we replaced his sweets with tangerine segments and he was very happy!) It was very nice, really lovely seeing all the people who'd done up their houses and come out to make other kids in the area smile.

I haven't. But YANBU

Absolutely, but if throwing a few decorations up and handing out sweets makes mine and other children happy who cares?

The rules around trick or treating are quite clear - you only knock on doors where a lit up jack-o-lanterns is clearly displayed. Those houses invite the neighborhood kids to come by, show off their cute costumes, say trick or treat and get some candy. Nothing to do with begging. Once my kids move out I’ll still be decorating my home and participating just like most of our lovely elderly neighbours. Those without pumpkins are left alone. Costumes vary from shop bought to clever homemade witty costumes. Not all are scary. Again, this is in Canada and it’s a really lovely tradition.

OP hasn't suggested any such thing . You're rude and missed the point

Have you ever carved a turnip?

It's like a fucking workout. Thank fuck I hit parenthood in time for the turnip-pumpkin switchover.

To all the offended replies who clearly have missed the point, I never said I don't celebrate it or enjoy the community side. I do. I just don't spend £££ to do so and keep it basic