Do you prefer Halloween or Bonfire Night?

[LilyAB]

YABU - Halloween 🎃
YANBU - Bonfire Night💥

Bonfire night, love the smells, the glowing faces round the fire and sparklers. And that the next stop is Christmas.

I have such wonderful memories of bonfire night; big organised events in big fields, hot food and drinks available, amazing fireworks displays but zero events round here now.

Northern Irish so never had bonfire night until moving to England.

Still prefer Halloween even here though. In NI Halloween is like the best bits of both rolled together as the fireworks and sparklers all happen then.

Bonfire night. Usually a day in the garden sorting out the fire which we light as it's getting dark. No fireworks other than sparklers, and lots of nice autumnal food. It's mellow and low key and I love it.
I'm not a Halloween fan and actually this year found it really strangely unsettling and OTT.

Bonfire night for me!

Lol.

Build a bonfire build a bonfire
Put the Tories on the top
Put the liberals in the middle
And then burn the bloody lot

@TheYearOfSmallThings Bonfire night doesn't exist outside the UK, so I remember reading about it in Secret Seven books and thinking that was what British people called Halloween.

It doesn't exist in the whole of the UK either. NI doesn't celebrate the 5th November and bonfire night has a very different meaning!

i love Halloween. Dressing up, decorating the house, all of it. I used to like bonfire night but last year went to an organised display which was loud, muddy and expensive so done with it now.

I suspect the answers might vary according to age as well as location. Bonfire night was big when I was a kid. Always had bonfire and fireworks in the back garden, baked spuds in the fire and homemade toffee. Always took it in turns to celebrate at different houses so there was a big gang of kids. In contrast Halloween was a pumpkin and some apple bobbing (grew up in England)

For DD it's totally all about Halloween- dressing up, trick or treating is much more of a thing.

People are likely to favour the one they associate with happy childhood memories. For me that’s Halloween. I’m Irish so obviously Bonfire Night wasn’t a thing for us. Have attended a few events when living in the UK and had a nice time, I do enjoy a good fireworks display. Would quite like to see that parade they have in Lewes (I think) where they burn an effigy of the Pope! I’m convinced though that lots of people think the day is celebrating Guy Fawkes.

@CanIPetThatDawg Would quite like to see that parade they have in Lewes (I think) where they burn an effigy of the Pope!

You can see loads of those in Belfast sure 😂

Lol so true.

Although I believe the Pope still being burnt in Lewes is the OG 1605 Pope.

Bonfire night every time. Huge fire in the garden, massive fireworks, sausages and baked potatoes, slight sense of danger, staying up all night round the fire, shrinkidinks in the embers next day.
Halloween in its modern format is for Americans.

I’ve been there once, with a Catholic friend included. From what I recall it’s quite pagan and has lighted torches and barrel rolling but it’s good fun.

There are lots of parades of the societies and I found it crowded.

It's definitely cold enough for hats and gloves once the sun has gone down!

Halloween is my favourite.
I love Halloween. I wasn’t allowed to celebrate it when I was a child and I remember feeling sad watching all of the kids in my street dressed up and having fun outside while we did nothing. I over-compensate for it now.

Bonfire night, I miss living in Sussex so much around this time of year.

Halloween.

There doesn't seem to be much to bonfire night anymore. No one has an actual bonfire and our town doesn't have a fireworks display since Covid because of the cost. My kids have been asking for fireworks this year but I'm a bit scared of lighting them and next door on both sides have pets and one has a baby.

What happened to penny for the Guy? I haven't seen anyone do that since I was a kid.

I was guessing maybe parents don’t let their children sit with a guy in the street (usually outside a shop) to get money or go door to door, probably due to safety, so no more penny for the guy.

Dislike like both

I loved both as a child but as an adult, bonfire night. We get a packet of ‘low noise’ fireworks, sparklers, toast marshmallows and have tater ash (hash?) for tea. This year I have seen a slow cooker hot chocolate recipe which keeps it lovely and warm so you can keep topped up! My sister and nieces are coming round this year too so that will be fun.

And it’s my birthday too on bonfire night

Halloween for sure. I hate fireworks, there’s always some tit around here who sets them off for days before and after, usually just after I’ve fallen asleep.

To me, Halloween is super-naff and American and Bonfire Night (if you think about the historical origin) is very gruesome. Don't mind a pumpkin lantern but could do without the celebration of all things ghoulish. I'm not religious, so that's not my objection - but I hate seeing blood and gore as a fun element!

So - not crazy about either, but I think we need a festival of some sort at this time of the year - as light gives way to the months of darkness. Long ago the festival of Samhain was celebrated at this time and many other cultures have festivals at this time. In my ideal world it would be a harvest festival of food, light, pumpkins, apples, mulled cider etc - and you could have a bonfire too!

I think fireworks could wither away though, except for massive public displays.

I like both.

I like festivals that are celebrated in the autumn and winter.
All of them beat weekend telly.

It brings light and warmth.

I might do Saturnalia this year too😊