Halloween ??

[Dorasmum]

How do you feel about halloween? Personally I am not happy for my kids to want to dress up as witches and dead people, but DD has been asking me when it starts and what is it. Not to mention the fact that it's an american thing, and this is not america so why should we celebrate.

Any thoughts? Any issues with it or do you like the idea?

Oh and not to mention the whole premise of "give me candy or I'll throw eggs at your house" Hardly teaching impressionable kids a good ideal is it.

It's just come up today because DD gets the National Geographic kids mag sent- subscription gift from her grandma, and this weeks issue had lots about halloween.

Em

[emd]

Nobody does Halloween in my suburb, so my kids won't be doing it either.

I did it once as a child. I was in a locked-down hospital ward for two months covering Halloween. It was a mixed ward with half a dozen kids and the rest adults, and we were all going a bit bonkers from lack of social activity (no contact with the outside world). So I made up little cards that the adults could give the kids for an extra apple or something at dinnertime (food was strictly controlled by the hospital) and we kids all dressed up and made up a song. Then we went trick or treating: knocked on each adult's door and sang our song, and hoped they'd give us a card. The adults were wonderful: they'd made little surprise gifts to give us as they knew the hospital wouldn't let us have extra food anyway. Plaited bracelets made from embroidery cottons, cards with hand-drawn colourful pictures etc. It was a wonderful night.

[Marguerite]

That sounds really special Emma. Something to break up the monotony of two months in lock down would have been welcome by everyone.

Not to mention the fact that it's an american thing, and this is not america so why should we celebrate.

A northern hemisphere, Autumn harvest thing. Not just America.

We kind of follow the lead of our neighbours. If we live in an area where children trick or treat then I make sure we have some things for Halloween evening and the girls will play dress ups and greet our visitors.

I like living in the northern hemisphere when it comes to seasonal things like halloween and easter. They feel like they belong, if that makes sense.

[Dorasmum]

Sorry, maybe I have a too negative picture of it from DH. To be honest i don't know the actual origins of it. Maybe in recent times it's progressed too far away from that? and become all about scaring and skeletons? or is that all I've noticed of it.

Em

[Marguerite]

I would have to google it to confirm, but I think that all the scary stuff was to ward off evil spirits.

[learnermum]

I've been thinking about this too. though DS is too young to know what it is.
My parents sent him a parcel this morning with glow in the dark skeletons and a frankenstein mask, oh and smarties! but thats another issue!

I grew up in Scotland where halloween is quite a big event! Clubs and schools have parties and you go round to your neighbours like trick or treating but we would call it guysing (sp?). There was no Tricking involved, you had to perform to get treats, like say a poem or joke or do a dance that sort of thing.
It was quite fun, making costumes and thinking up something to perform.

Living here, no one seems to 'do' halloween so even if we wanted to it wouldn't be the same. In a way I feel DS will miss out on that fun, but on the other hand I wasn't sure
how i felt about it. I suppose it's kind of like christmas when your not religious, does that make sense! Mmmm, I've lost myself, brain not working sorry!

[emmalee]

We don't trick or treat or anything like that ( my squids are too young for that). But last year I had some kids come to my door so I'll have to make sure I have some treats.

My husband and I are pagan so we will do some sort of ritual or atleast observe it. Hallowe'en comes from the pagan festival Samhain. My understanding of it is that that is the day of the year when the veil between the living an the dead is at it's thinnest. But it didn't start as a 'spooky' thing it was more that people used that day to see their loved ones that had passed on. The dead would return to see the living. I think that is where the dressing up as skeletons came from. But i didn't think it was to ward off the evil spirits because they wanted to see the dead. It was also used to honour the dead. Could be wrong but that is my understanding. Also just another thing - in the southern hemisphere samhain is in May and Oct 31 is Beltain, so if you wanted to be technical Hallowe'en would be in May, Tell those trick or treaters to come back in 6 months

[emd]

My family are Catholic, and All Souls Day (Halloween) was a feast day (ie required to go to church). But the commercial version of Halloween that I see on American TV shows doesn't inspire me to want to import the tradition. The Scottish version, however, sounds like fun.

[Craig&Kel]

Originally Posted by emmalee

Also just another thing - in the southern hemisphere samhain is in May and Oct 31 is Beltain, so if you wanted to be technical Hallowe'en would be in May, Tell those trick or treaters to come back in 6 months

I agree. Go celebrate new life and the fertilty of the earth.

[peanut2007]

Personally the idea of trick or treating doesnt appeal to me, it contridicts everything i try and teach the rug rats.
How is it that for 354 days of the year you try and instill stranger danger and not to take candy of strangers then dress them up and send them out to peoples houses???
like i said not my cup of tea however the 3 older rugrats are doing activities at kindy based on the theme and thats fine i wont however be taking them out.
JMHO
if we did however live somewhere where it was celebrated abit more i would consider that without the door knocking