The Big Saturday Debate - Hallowe'en.

[NoMercy]

Should we carry on celebrating this imported tradtion?

Children love it, most grown ups hate it. Surely knocking on doors of elderly people when it's pitch black dark outside, dressed in strange outfits and shouting "trick or treat" is tantamount to anti-social behaviour?

Or would we just be punishing kids by scrapping this tradition?

Let's hear your views....

[Barmaid]

I keep a bowl of sweets by the front door and let the kids take a handful of sweets. I don't mind the little ones who dress up and are thrilled. It's the older ones who slap on a bit of face paint and tell you they want money that get up my nose.

[pastafreak]

joeluke....have you no memories of what it is like to be a child??...or is it just your basic sourpuss nature shining through??

[NoMercy]

It's annoying when you go shopping and your favourite lines have been taken off the shelves to make way for themed products such as Hallowe'en-themed French Fancies, etc.

[ChuckFickens]

"Some may forget that when the tradition evolved in the States"

And some may forget it's a British tradition from long before the States had been colonised (though admittedly these days it's taken a lot more seriously in the States than hare)

[joeluke]

Pasta......as kids we made (with parents help) our own costumes (paper hats, bin liners etc)

Like everything else these days it's far too commercialised

[ummmm]

Begging......I beg to differ. I gave the treats to the people who's door I was going to knock on.

[cazzz1975]

in my opinion its a waste of money, there is no meaning of halloween being observed other than dressing up and begging for treats and delighting in being allowed to throw eggs at anyone who says no. look at the amount of crap they have been selling at the supermarket, there are whole aisles dedicated to it. utter utter waste that will be clogging up rubbish bins by next week.

[joggerjayne]

There's a fab hotel here called the Pelirocco.

(It's the one where all the rooms are based on kinky sex themes)

Well, they are having a Halloween Ball tomorrow.

How could any adult resist that !!

I'm a bit torn, because one of my WAM pals has invited me to have grown up drinks at their children's Halloween party.

Decisions, decisions.

But ... I'm afraid I voting a big "thumbs up" to every aspect of Halloween. I think it's all very jolly.

[pastafreak]

Chuck...I should have clarified my remark...I mean Halloween as we know it now...which of course bears little resemblance to it's origins.
I agree joe...everything was simpler-and more magical for children.

[joeluke]

That's obviously the irish way

[ummmm]

No...it's the way of someone who doesn't agree with all this crap but cracked under pressure from a child. I knocked on the houses of people I knew...gave them the treats...and let her think everyone was so kind...

She's still deluded...bless her.

[cazzz1975]

ah the irish way, we get sent a barnbrack from ireland every year

[ummmm]

Lol.....lucky you cazzzz....we get sent seaweed.

[cazzz1975]

LOL ummm, we get lava bread as well

[craft1948]

The daughter loves Halloween and does the pumpkin lights, decorates the hallway, and dresses up as a witch. She has bowls full of treats for all of the kids.
To get a treat they used to have to stroke her pet rat!!.............(it's dead now)

[jackthehat]

All I can say is that Claire was very lucky that we didn't just eat the sweets and refuse to open the door when you knocked !!!............;o)

I have often told people how you dealt with things, ummmm, as an illustration of responsible parenting. A happy medium between a child wanting to do as their friends were doing, and the rights of neighbours not to be bothered/intimidated by roving gangs of sweetie demanding children.