Halloween!! :D

I can remember my last Halloween in America, I had to chase a kid down on the opposite side of the street to give him some candy since I had so much and no trick or treaters. LOL. I think I did scare him, actually. He probably wondered why the hell this crazy lady was chasing him. Haha.

LOL!!!!!

Not on UKY, I'm not!  

I think everyone's entitled to them.  I'll never say anything to the contrary.  You think what you think and I think what I think.  And that's great.

Call them thing neeps up here. Tried carving one once, thought about getting the old chainsaw out but gave up and got a pumpkin instead.

But did halloween not originate here as I am sure the Celtic people used to dress up and wore masks and paid some sort of tribute some dead people or gods or something of the sort? I don't think they had the candy so couldn't really go door-to-door. But I do remember my father telling me how they used to go guising as a kid and they did go door-to-door.

That's hilarious about carving rutabagas.  And at the risk of sounding "daft" what's guising?

One of the main reasons I am going to continue to make things a big deal and not leave things the way they are (as far as *not* "Americanizing" England) is because my daughter is American.  Yes, we are moving to a new country with a new culture and customs...and I am very excited to learn about all of those things and share them with my daughter...but I think it is extremely important for me to keep American traditions alive (in England even) for her sake.
The fact that my daughter is already going to be missing out on all of that, makes me strive even harder to make it a big deal in our household.  

Excellent, when we finally have kids I'll be doing the same with mine!  They are going to be half American after all...

 And at the risk of sounding "daft" what's guising?

guising = disguising

Opinions?  We don need no stinkin' opinions.

I think it might depend on where you are.  Here in Surrey we get about 20-30+ trick or treaters every year.  There now seems to be a general rule that if you want trick or treaters then you put out a pumpkin or some decorations.  If you don't then they won't bother you. 

I think it might depend on where you are.  Here in Surrey we get about 20-30+ trick or treaters every year.  There now seems to be a general rule that if you want trick or treaters then you put out a pumpkin or some decorations.  If you don't then they won't bother you. 

Sounds good.   I figured in larger areas it probably has been growing in popularity but in smaller towns I didn't think it would be.

By the way, cute cat!

Opinions?  We don need no stinkin' opinions.

just fragrant ones, eh?

So since Halloween (and obviously Thanksgiving) are not widely celebrated or that popular in the UK, I'm assuming the possibility of finding decorations is fairly low.

I don't think so, actually- I was just in my neighbourhood Co-op food store tonight and they had a whole huge display of halloween decorations & candy...and I know I've seen Halloween stuff in TK Maxx in past years.

Yeah, it might be different if you live in a suburban area with lots of families/kids.  I live in university-land, so was really only just speaking from my own experience. 

I don't like dressing up for Halloween, but I do like getting little trick or treaters. They're very cute! My friends in college were way into Halloween and they were planning their costumes months in advance. Blech. My first Halloween in England I happened to be out on Halloween night and I did see some trick or treaters, but we never had any at our place and there were even a bunch of young kids in our neighborhood. Halloween is a bit bigger here in  Dublin, with lots of places selling costumes and decorations. I've even seen some decorations already out. I told DH we need to get a bag of candy in case the few kids in our building trick or treat, but with where we're located, I don't expect anyone but them.

I emigrated to the UK on 31 October 1985... I remember arriving in Glasgow Central Station and seeing 1 guy, dressed as Superman.  I recall thinking that was weird, because i'd been travelling for a couple of days and had forgotten it was Halloween.

I emigrated to the UK on 31 October 1985... I remember arriving in Glasgow Central Station and seeing 1 guy, dressed as Superman.  I recall thinking that was weird, because i'd been travelling for a couple of days and had forgotten it was Halloween.

 

I emigrated to the UK on 31 October 1985... I remember arriving in Glasgow Central Station and seeing 1 guy, dressed as Superman.  I recall thinking that was weird, because i'd been travelling for a couple of days and had forgotten it was Halloween.

I really thought you were about to say "and it wasn't even Halloween." 

I really thought you were about to say "and it wasn't even Halloween." 

That would've been priceless!

DS has commented on the changes he's observed in Leeds (that well-known student hive) and it seems to him that the students are always running around in costumes.  I asked if this was a Halloween thing?  No, he didn't think so.  Hen nights?  No. It seems to occur any time of day not just at off-to-the-pub time. Anybody observed this elsewhere?

DS has commented on the changes he's observed in Leeds (that well-known student hive) and it seems to him that the students are always running around in costumes.  I asked if this was a Halloween thing?  No, he didn't think so.  Hen nights?  No. It seems to occur any time of day not just at off-to-the-pub time. Anybody observed this elsewhere?

I saw a bunch of kids running around in costumes on different days when I was visiting my hubby in July.  It was because of plays at the school.  YMMV.