Trick or Treating - A bit of fun or a pain in the arse?!

[Lynne33]

Hello again - can't seem to stop posting at the moment!!

Anyway, without wanting to insult our American Mumsnetters, does anyone detest Trick or Treating like I do?! Every year we get bombarded with kids (some are teenagers), knocking on our door and demanding sweets (and in some cases money) or else!! One year I just didn't bother going to the door as they rang when my kiddies where in the bath and the next morning my car was covered in flour and eggs. (Worse things have happened to my neighbours like getting their cars scratched down the side with a key!!) I am not a killjoy, but I don't like to feel threatened in my own house. I don't live in a particularly nice area, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Also, 9 times out of 10 the children are on there own without an adult in sight. There is no way, my two are going to do it when they grow up. It was unheard of when I was a kid.

We are having a little party with Halloween pumpkins, and scary games, apple bobbing and stuff. So I have got nothing against the day per say (sp?), I just HATE Trick or Treating. What do you all think?

SueDonim - ooh dont start me on religious comparisons again

Yes they are very similar. I know I am repeating from previous threads here, but paganism (in my case Wicca) is simply the 'old' religion and Christianity is a new twist so to speak.

Scotland and Ireland obviously have their traditions rooted deep in Celtic history hence the continuing recognition of pagan festivals, even tho they may have modern names and associations now.

We too live in NE Scotland and our kids had a wonderful night on Halloween. We live in a small village so we know all the kids - they go guising in little groups and make a real effort with costumes and song, poems, jokes, etc. A few of us mums got together and sat with a bottle of wine and received the 'guisers' - it was great fun! I understand how those who life in towns feel it must be very different when you don't know who is coming to the door and all they want is money or sweets. I just feel so lucky that our kids are living in such a friendly community. We had a friend visiting in the early part of the evening and she couldn't believe how much effort the kids made - or how polite they were!

LOL, Snugs, and thank you for the info. Talking of 'fusion religion' (I just made that term up -good or wot?? ) today's Jakarta Post has a picture and article of people visiting their relatives' graves, in the run-up to Ramadan, which begins on 5th or 6th Nov. It's not a Muslim tradition to do so, instead derives from when Javanese cultures were Buddhist and Hindu, and have now been absorbed into Javanese Islam.

They offer prayers to their ancestors to help their spirits rest and for strength for themselves over the fasting month. They also meditate, burn incense and make offerings to spirits of ancestors. The photo is lovely, a family of four all sitting by the grave under umbrellas to keep the sun off, and chatting away, just like on a picnic.

SueDonim, most celebrations are of Pagan origin, such as Christmas and Easter, it's just that the Christians, in a bid to eliminate Paganism (no offence Snugs!) took over many of their festivals and made them their own. Christmas is the festival of light, so the Christians figured that as Jesus is the 'light of the world' they would celebrate it as his birthday. I think Jesus was actually born in January.

Jehovah's Witnesses won't celebrate any of these occasions as they claim they are more Pagan than Christian. So less presents to buy at Christmas then!!

The thing about Scotland, or some areas of, Rhubarb, is that certain more austere sections of the church have tried to eliminate all pagan references to Easter and Xmas. Easter is not a Bank Holiday in Scotland, deriving from the days when the church frowned on anyone enjoying themselves by having a day off. You could reflect upon God just as well when you were at work!

Christmas itself was not a Bank Holiday until fairly recent years, although Hogmamany has been for ages before England adopted it. When my DS's were at school their Head Teacher would not even permit the school to have a Xmas tree and today some West Coast comunities still 'keep Sunday sacred', as the recent furore over Sunday flights on ?Harris shows.

I just think it's interesting that pagan traditions seem to have remained healthy in an area where the most strenuous efforts were made to eliminate them!!

The thing about Scotland, or some areas of, Rhubarb, is that certain more austere sections of the church have tried to eliminate all pagan references to Easter and Xmas. Easter is not a Bank Holiday in Scotland, deriving from the days when the church frowned on anyone enjoying themselves by having a day off. You could reflect upon God just as well when you were at work!

Christmas itself was not a Bank Holiday until fairly recent years, although Hogmamany has been for ages before England adopted it. When my DS's were at school their Head Teacher would not even permit the school to have a Xmas tree and today some West Coast comunities still 'keep Sunday sacred', as the recent furore over Sunday flights on ?Harris shows.

I just think it's interesting that pagan traditions seem to have remained healthy in an area where the most strenuous efforts were made to eliminate them!!

As a Yank transplant I hate the way Halloween is done here because the only TorT'ers we get are teenagers, who turn up a week early, in tracksuits and a token-effort SCREAM mask, wanting money, of course... GRRRRRRRrrrr. I always holler at them to come back on 31st October exactly, 2 foot shorter, 4 years younger, and in a proper costume, and they never do.

And now I'm such a food Nazi about my own kids I would just as soon they never had sweets, anyway.