Hallowe'en

I'm flying into the States a day before Halloween. It should be interesting to be visiting my family during that time because I have not been able to see little trick or treaters for years (well, there were a couple when I lived in Ireland, but not nearly to the same magnitude as I was used to getting in upstate New York).

I was just logging into my yahoo acc't when I saw this in the "featured" section:
 http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylc=X3oDMTFtMXI2N3ZvBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDMzk2NTQ1MTAzBHNlYwNmcm9udCBwYWdlBHNsawNGUC1Ub2RheUludA--?qid=20071014095931AAaeCLR&fr=hp

Oy.  Didn't realize that would be so long.  Called "The Origins of Halloween," and a Brit responded to the question, "What is the history of Halloween?"  Her answer:

Funnily enough, I've just been reading about that. Apparently it's based on the Celtic 'fire festival' when fairies were thought to roam the land. The tradition arrived in America and Canada when the Irish came over, fleeing the potato famine in the 19th century. From there it has come back to the UK (the long way). The Celtic tradition had children dressing up as fairies and going door to door begging treats, with tricks played if they were turned away. They carried lanterns carved from swedes or turnips, it's only when the tradition got to America that pumpkins got involved. When I was a child (in the 80's, in the Midlands), Halloween and bonfire night were sort of mixed up, and I think that the reason is in these Celtic roots. Studies by J & I Opie in the 1950's showed that the celebration of halloween in the UK was sharply devided geographically. 'Those living to the north and West of a line from the mouth of the Humber to Knighton, then South along the English/Welsh border and on through Dorset...' took part in enthusiastic celebrations, those on the other side did not.

I'm curious abt this last part, the geographic division...Do folks who live in these particular areas find there is more of a celebration of Halloween or, at least, the Celtic version?

I'm curious abt this last part, the geographic division...Do folks who live in these particular areas find there is more of a celebration of Halloween or, at least, the Celtic version?

I haven't noticed much of a Hallowe'en presence here in Celtic Wales. Nor in Celtic Cornwall, where my bf lives. It's pretty much the same as in England. But perhaps at some point in history it was celebrated more here. I don't really know.

I've just found this thread and it got me thinking. Although Halloween is not as celebrated here as in the US, I definitely grew up with it. Brownies/Girl Guides groups I belonged to as a child always had some kind of Halloween party with the other Guiding groups in the area and we celebrated at home until my brothers and I were teenagers.

Staples of our family Halloweens included trick or treating in our neighbourhood until I was about 8 or 9, bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins, trying to eat ring doughnuts hanging from the ceiling by string (without using our hands) and wearing scary masks.

Although I haven't really celebrated it properly for the last few years, my friends and I all got dressed up in scary costumes last night and went to a big Halloween party - the house was all decorated in cobwebs, pumpkins, skeletons, spiders etc. and everyone was dressed up - it was great fun and everyone there was in their early-mid 20's!

On a side note about Christmas Carol Singers, I've always understood that people were collecting money for charity (http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/xmas/carols.html) - we've always given a bit of money to carol singers (not that we get many anymore). There used to be an annual carol singing walk held in our town, where about 50-100 people gathered together and sang carols in different parts of the town in order to raise money for charity.

On a side note about Christmas Carol Singers, I've always understood that people were collecting money for charity

I think it depends on where you live. The ones around here are only ever collecting for charity, but I think other people have had experiences with kids just looking for money.

Well, I for one, am glad the tradition of throwing eggs and other things at people and cars has not carried on to the  UK.

I used to be afraid to go outside on Halloween because of it.

I definitely know people who are anti-Halloween. It's why I started the thread in the first place!

I think people are anti the commercialisation aspect.  Plus it is so close to Guy Fawkes night, it's too much.

There's some info here on the Pagan origins:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/samhain.shtml

I think people are anti the commercialisation aspect.  Plus it is so close to Guy Fawkes night, it's too much.

Perhaps, but my sense it's the trouble that can come out of it. What I've heard is they don't like the teenagers in hoodies who make trouble if you don't give them a treat. The whole 'yob' thing I guess. Sweetpeach says she's glad the egg throwing and whatnot hasn't crossed over, but I do think some of the mischief-making has. At least that's what I get from people I've spoken to.

Perhaps, but my sense it's the trouble that can come out of it. What I've heard is they don't like the teenagers in hoodies who make trouble if you don't give them a treat. The whole 'yob' thing I guess. Sweetpeach says she's glad the egg throwing and whatnot hasn't crossed over, but I do think some of the mischief-making has. At least that's what I get from people I've spoken to.

Oh yeah you could be right, I didn't think of that. 

Well, I for one, am glad the tradition of throwing eggs and other things at people and cars has not carried on to the  UK.

I used to be afraid to go outside on Halloween because of it.

Maybe where you live, but DH's gran's house got eggs thrown at it last year (and it's not the first time its happened).  In the US my family has never had a problem with vandalism on Halloween.

usually this time of year theres signs in shops refusing to sells eggs and such to anyone under 18

Yes, but some of the egg thing is actually early Guy Fawkes mischief (the early fireworks, etc) ... it all just rolls together really. As Britwife said, they are just so close together.

In the states if you had your lights out or at last your porch light out.. you weren't giving out candy. end of story.. there wasn't any  'trick'  .. at least where we were

DB is experiencing his first American Halloween. Since we don't get Trick or Treaters here, I may have to drive him through a nearby subdivision so he can see how popular it is.

A couple of weeks ago we were driving back from my parents' house and DB said "Wow! Those people decorated really early for Christmas!" He had seen someone's Halloween lights out and thought they were Christmas lights. Of course I then had to drive him around to show him how people decorate for it. He was shocked! He said he'd only really seen people carve a couple of pumpkins and that's about it. He'd never seen the skeletons, bats, witches, etc... He was also surprised at the different sizes of pumpkins he'd seen. He said he'd only ever seen large Jack o'Lantern type pumpkins before.

In the states if you had your lights out or at last your porch light out.. you weren't giving out candy. end of story.. there wasn't any  'trick'  .. at least where we were

Same where we lived as well.