batman

I am for anything that brings a smile to the face of children.

Bats.

I wish I had claws.

samkydd

I thought Halloween stemmed from Pagan culture, which was more like Sun worship than devil worship. The established church at the time had to steer folk away from Paganism to join the church instead, and so started the rumours about it being devil worship. Once in their clutches they had to knuckle down like good little peasants and work their nuts off to support the clergy and the landed gentry's affluent lifestyle, for fear of ending up in Hell.

Many of the Christian festivals stem from Pagan culture, including Christmas, which originally was half way through the winter months. Food which had been carefully stored and preserved from the harvest was brought out to enjoy as a special treat, which is probably why such things as nuts, dried fruit in cakes and puddings, dates etc and evergreen foliage became part of the traditional Christmas at home!

I'd have preferred a Scalextric or a train set at Christmas, along with a tin of Quality Street and a couple of DVDs but unfortunately in the old days these were pretty scarce!

Trick or Treating I think comes from America, and as I say to anyone who openly embraces the lifestyle of the US of A to the detriment of our own culture, "If it's so fantastic why don't you go and live there, hot diggety!"

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

batman

As I have said several times on this forum Trick or Treating is not American in origin ....

''The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays goes back to the Middle Ages, and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of "souling," when poor folk would go door to door, receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (All Hallows Day). It originated in Ireland, and is still popular there, and in some parts of England, Wales and Scotland.[5] Shakespeare mentions the practice in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593), when Speed accuses his master of "puling [whimpering, whining], like a beggar at Hallowmas."[6]''

.... so I will continue to embrace the culture of The Britsh Isles and Ireland.

Bats.

I wish I had claws.

Wolfgang

At Halloween you often get Satanists and drunk students holding seances or summoning demons, and children are much more exposed these days. Schools don't have daily prayer sessions nowadays as part of its multi-faith appeasement, and also fewer children are being baptised so they have become more 'exposed', and as result I think we are seeing many more cases of demonic possession. Child psychologists have this new term for it: Attention Deficiency Syndrome. But i think it is no coincidence that these so called 'condition' seems to be increasing as we become more godless.

batman

My son suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperacivity Disorder which is a recognised medical condition and has absolutely nothing to do with religion/satanism/bad parenting or any other crap you care to vomit forth.

My son has been baptised and is brought up in a household which practices high moral values. He is also a very caring and loving child. If you wish to continue insulting him and other children who suffer from this extremely difficult condition I suggest you educate yourself first.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bats.

I wish I had claws.

Wolfgang

Have you tried asking priest to carry out exorcism on him?

batman

That sort of comment simply proves what an ignorant tosser you are!

Bats.

I wish I had claws.

samkydd

It is if they come round dressed as Freddie Kruger and Grandpa Munster!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

batman

Bats.

I wish I had claws.

cletus awreetus

I thought it was very good and as a one off, can't really complain!

Steve Crook

The "trick" part is American in origin. What you see now may resemble souling or wassailing, but they didn't have the implied threat that trick or treating does, even in its gentler American version. In some areas of Britain they used to do a "trick FOR treat" where the child (or wassailer) would sing a song or do a dance and then ask for a treat. But there was no threat of a trick if a treat wasn't given. That is the American addition - and now that it's been seen in American TV shows and re-imported in this form (with the help of Asda aka Walmart) the trick part is often quite threatening and nasty.

Steve

Steve Crook

That may be the case in Germany, but in Britain there was no connection with the devil, ghosts or anything similar in the celebration of Halloween. Most of the ghosts and things were added by the Americans.

Halloween in Britain was a pagan end-of-year celebration with bonfires, dancing and drinking. Particularly with wassailing which is a way to give thanks for the year's harvest and to ask for a good harvest next year

Steve

hankoler

Iam for anything where kids can enjoy themselves but against anything where kids have an excuse to cause vandalism.

batman

It may be in your neighbourhood Steve, but around here it's just good family fun.

I do not see why it is such a big deal that what is regarded by most people as harmless fun is vilified so much because it may have an American connection. We all watch American movies, many people eat American food and drink. I love my country and enjoy it's heritage and culture as much as anyone else, I do not see why the fact that I and many others indulge in a bit of ''americanised'' fun once is a year should make us a target for such disdain.

Some people may use it for anti-social reasons, but that happens with many activities, why keep picking on Halloween? Let's have a go at the charity workers have have the audacity to ask for money by putting little envelopes though our doors.

I am now going to open a bottle of Coke, settle down on the sofa and watch a Hollywood movie.

Bats.

I wish I had claws.

Steve Crook

It's not vilified because it's American, although they must take the blame. It's vilified because of the way it's been re-imported and adapted as it's been taken up, especially by teenagers. Until we taught them better, the teenagers round here (suburban SW London) were going up to the houses of little old ladies and demanding a trick or treat. When they didn't get their treat, because the little old ladies didn't know what they were on about, then they'd proceed to egg the house - or perform some other act of vandalism.

And other people have told me about similar happenings in other parts of the country.

Although this year they do seem to be getting the message that it's OK to have their own party if they want to, but that they shouldn't involve people who don't want to play

Steve