Do you have Halloween in your country?

[brocktonblockbust]

This holiday has already cost me $13 as I had to buy several 2 lb bags of Kit Kats and Snickers as the kids won't stop knocking on the door and the evening has not even come yet. That's when it gets a lot worse

[X]

it started in Britain in the Middle Ages. 'Halloween' is a corruption of All Hallows' Eve, when kids would go out 'guising'. It was a celebration of dead relatives. They dressed as ghosts, carried a hollowed out turnip with a candle in it and knocked on people's doors. They asked to do a service for the owner, for which they received a small treat.

Istarted in the US in the 1930's. Obviously now, the Americans got into it big time and introduced loads of other customs and made their own inputs with monsters and stuff. It's probably more of a US thing nowadays (culturally). It gets bigger every year here.

I only know all this because I was researching for a pub quiz I am running.

[X]

It's just a shame that people are so vacuous and shallow that they no longer realise why we celebrate certain things and dates.

We wouldn't even be here if Jesus hadn't slain that fucking giant pumpkin with his slingshot.

[X]

So, anyway, I spent ages doing this year's pumpkin for the church fete

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[goti71]

So, anyway, I spent ages doing this year's pumpkin for the church fete

.

Now that's a winner.

[brocktonblockbust]

Yes I am a big enemy of rampant, gobbling consumerism and the superficiality of it all.

I have not owned a TV since the mid-1990s and cannot bear to listen to advertisements on the TV or the radio. It is the most revolting stuff imaginable all been done getting people to gobble gobble gobble up all of the trash starting with hula hoops and then going to pet rocks and then going to Magic 8 Balls, all the way to things like iPhones at Smartphones at all sorts of sneakers Penn tennis shoes and nonsense Galore

[Gandalf]

Yes I am a big enemy of rampant, gobbling consumerism and the superficiality of it all.

I have not owned a TV since the mid-1990s and cannot bear to listen to advertisements on the TV or the radio. It is the most revolting stuff imaginable all been done getting people to gobble gobble gobble up all of the trash starting with hula hoops and then going to pet rocks and then going to Magic 8 Balls, all the way to things like iPhones at Smartphones at all sorts of sneakers Penn tennis shoes and nonsense Galore

I am quite the same. I won't watch TV or listen to the radio. I have my curiosities and I will research them and give them time, but I will never spend my days being told what to buy. The trouble with the radio is it is just so laborious. For every good song you have hours of bad songs and meaningless chatter. It's better to just listen to a good podcast or something.

I look at 'special' days like Christmas and things like this and it has become a real perversion in the West. Families get into debt buying things that they cannot afford when a) There is no evidence to suggest that Jesus was born on that day and b) Jesus would no doubt have been against mass consumerism and sheer greed that only benefits the money lenders. Surely Christmas is about families having a meal together and maybe a few gifts here and there. Why all the song and dance? Out here Christmas is basically a day off to take your girlfriend to a coffee shop. I like that simplicity.

Halloween is something I have never really understood. I find it a bit creepy and in this day and age you don't want your kids knocking on the doors of strangers begging for sweets. Just give them some sweets yourself or even better a multi vitamin drink and tell them that it is better than getting cancer. Halloween is not good nutrition. A kid should be grateful for a handful of walnuts, but they would probably throw them at you saying 'Oi Mister, what's this shit?' 'It is called a walnut, it is full of healthy fats and is better for your teeth'. 'You are a weirdo'. 'You will learn in time, you little shit'. Door closed.

No, I don't really do Halloween.

[Gandalf]

But I didn't answer the question. Yes, they do it here, but it is mainly just Kindy kids drawing pumpkins and making masks and things. Nobody knocks on doors or anything like that though. Like Christmas it is not really a big deal.

[Master]

Took my kids out yesterday for Halloween. Youngest one made a mask and had a costume on. They got a lot sweets and had some fun.