What a daft thing this Halloween trick and treat is. Getting children to go round to houses and cajole strangers into giving them sweets, when all year round they are told not to accept them from people they don't know.
How to avoid answering the doorbell is to get yourself a brace of bichons who launch themselves at the door and then sound like the Very Large Dogs that they think they are. Children just run away.
I'm not such a killjoy though. Look here and you will see a beautiful Jackie Lawson card
35 comments:
FF, of course, it was your darling Bichons that I was thinking of the other day in my post - You are a big part of my blog-circle of friends, mon amie! I like your Hallowe'en ritual :) Take care x
Your'e right FF...it doesn't make sense although they do get excited about it. We always have loads of sweets ready for them courtesy of MIL, but this year I fancy choosing the 'trick'to see if they are prepared.
I agree, and it always annoys me. It is an american import, not an English tradition. I do get a supply in as I get a lot of calls though and they are generally small and have a parent with them. Any teenagers will be disappointed with the offer of a couple of haribo!
Not many kids come to knock on my door as I live on the street where majority of the residents are young professionals. The only thing I like about Halloween is dressing up and getting silly (if the drinks involved)! I see you like South Pacific! I love it too. You should listen to the programme "In Tune" on Radio 3 on this week Monday special, Barbara Cook sang (live) a song from that musical. Mind you, she's 82 and her voice is still in top form. Those amazing high notes she hits!
But in term of Halloween, I'd like to dress up as the snow Queen and sing Bali Ha'i may call you, any night...in high pitched voice while I answer the doors for Trick or Treat! I can imagine I will be frightfully scary!
Oh, dear, you are a humbug. One of my favorite things was passing out candy to all the local kids all decked out in their adorable costumes.
When we moved to the manor 21 years ago, I missed the passing out of candy terribly, since we weren't in a neighborhood and had no trick or treaters. We did, however, drive our costumed kiddos to a nearby neighborhood every year to gather some treats.
we are not up and prepared with it in the uk....we play at it...silly consumerism gone barmy...int he states and canada I get, l did it, played the game as a child and was in the thrall....
if we are going to copy the states why not take thanksgiving in all its glory and gratefullness...a much more sensible and thankful celebration.
Can't stand trick or treat or Halloween or any of that clap trap - commercial rubbish the lot of it.
Killjoy? Absolutely and proud of it. I'm much the same with mothers day (though I go along with it) father's day (I don't) and now the newly introduced to the UK, grandparent's day!
Save me.
Hmmmn! I'm a bit on the fence over this one. Halloween is American and so is Thankgiving so thanks but no...Guy Fawkes now, he was ours and there are time I wish he had succeeded in blowing up the now, rather tainted Houses of Parliament. So let's keep his memory alive with all the fun of Bonfire night. Just keep the dogs and cats indoors.
May I borrow your pack for the 31st? I loathe the greed and consumerism behind Hallowe'en and think it is appalling stupidity. And if that makes me a killjoy I don't care!
I don't like Halloween at all. Its a stupid American thing and overshadows Guy Fawkes night. But the kids do - thats the trouble.
I'm just gonna get pissed on saturday xxx
I have no issue with young kids doing their Trick or Treat tho I certainly don't like it when teenagers aggressively want stuff.
But all of that is changing. Halloween is no longer about small kids and their bag of candy. No, adults have co-opted the event and now it has become adult costume parties instead. Also, due to parent paranoia, fewer kiddies are going door to door - and when they do it is often when the sun is still out.
I think it depends on the year with me regarding how I feel about Halloween. I'm getting into the festivities this time around because it's our first time having trick-or-treaters. (Apparently our new neighborhood is full of young children.) Check in with me again next year and we'll see how I liked it ... :)
Am going to go hide somewhere deep in the blogosphere on the 31st... away from all possible disturbances...
:-D
I have to hide in the house with the lights out, because I'm never prepared and once you've opened the door once it becomes a barrage with aggressive teenagers joining in and I get frit.
AWONI - aw, I feel like I've known you forever - in a good way of course.
Ken - when we first arrived here I used to keep a bowl of sweets by the door for the kids, but I found myself eating them the whole day
CA - I love those lurid pink Haribo sweets - they look like jellies but are more substantial. Yes, I have a very unsophisticated sweet tooth.
ASD - I think people might find it odd to see you dressed as the Snow Queen although I think it would make a fabulous fashion statement.
As for musicals - I love those old show tunes, I grew up on them.
willow - much as I love the USA and you lot that live there I do think this trick and treat thing should never have crossed the pond. It's not an English or European tradition - well Walpurgis Night is/was but no sweets went with that.
fff - I agree with you about wanting to adopt Thanksgiving. I was with my Canadin branch of the family one Thanksgiving and it was the most marvellous family meal imaginable. I couldn't eat for 36 hours afterwards.
Mark - yay it's not just me then. I think if I had kids I might not have become so curmudgeonly though.
Moannie - I don't miss Guy Fawkes day either. Jeez, I sound like such a misery - I'm not really though, honest
Steve - hurrah, another killjoy speaks out
Jen - I'm with you, sister
Bill - daylight cadging for sweets is just wrong - Imagine if someone dressed up as a witch to answer the door - that probably would send the kids screaming in terror
ContemTroub - you'll love it this year because it will be a novelty - you mark my words :)
Owen - yes, just pretend you are out - works for me
Lulu - I used to sit in the dark when we lived in Hampshire and Mr FF was away.
We sort of like Halloween since it is a big deal in the US!!
I am hosting a party at the dog park tomorrow morning for such stalwarts as Gomez and Benny and Knut....must bake cup cakes now for the humans....
Thankfully some of these things pass us by, living up our unadopted, unlit country lane and I don't feel that I am missing out.
Borrowing a rottweiler for the occasion.
I share your view of Hallowe'en and love your solution. The card was fabulous. Intriguing and even a bit scary. The dog reminds me of our new one.
We don't celebrate Hallowe'en in Turkey thank goodness! Unfortunately I'm here in England for it this year.
Am I the only one who remembers the time in the UK when we had never heard of Halloween? Or is it because I have a selective memory in my old age?
Of course it was introduced by the Americans wasn't it? One of many things they passed on to us that in my opinion we could well do without.
Nice solution !! Great to read !!
My daughter likes dressing up as a witch and, with some friends, going trick or treating locally - but accompanied by my wife. I hate all this nonsense but keep a bowl of sweets to give out to kids when they come aknocking.
Love the Jackie Lawson card, thanks!
Oh I love dressing up and going with my kids looking for treats. Of course, we only go to the people we know, and usually end up staying at one of the neighborhood parties. That way everyone has fun inside where it's warm and cozy. Kids binge on sweets, adults on food and drink, and soon after midnight we all walk to our various homes in a large group. So fun!
FF, Halloween has always been big in Scotland, how I loved to wake up full of excitement on the 31st of October, we would knock on doors, and recieve lots of goodies, nobody refused, and money, oh the joy of going home, tipping out my heavy plastic bag, and seeing how much money I had, and how many sweeties were there, oh and of course fruit, nuts, it kept me going for quite a few months.
So Halloween means a lot to me, very fond memories, and tonight I shall have lots of goodies and monies for my neighbours kids.
Hello ff. Yes I am the same person that worked at BLG all those years ago. I can be contacted at thenightjack at hotmail dot co dot uk. Also on facebook. Regards Richard.
Halloween is very low-key over here. The weird thing is that kids dress up as the witches of Easter and go trick or treating ... an old Swedish Easter tradition!
ewix - oh I would so love to go to a doggy party in the park. The French that I live amongst would faint at the though. Some of our neighbours still talk about the day I tried to find out if there were puppy socialisation classes around here!
cheshire wife - I didn't realise you were really in the back of beyond - not even marked out by a proper road - how great to be so secluded
flyintheweb - I bet our two bichons would make more excitable noise than a rotty.
Ian (I much prefer to call you that) - like minds and all that :)
Ayak - I also don't remember Halloween happening when I was a young English schoolgirl although I do remember bobbing for apples at some school fete or other - maybe it was completely unrelated.
UR - hello there and thank you very much
Dumdad - I bet you can't really dampen your little princess's enthusiasm for her witching hour activities, however much you - in your English heart - would like to
Angie - oh your sort of Halloween evening sounds so much fun. Much better than roaming round the cold streets finding stroppy people with their noisy dogs
Ann - I never realised the Scots celebrated All Hallow's Eve. I think it is meant to be the night that spirits roam with a foot between both worlds. It's really a pagan festival and I love that you love it.
JackNight - how nice to see you here. I will be in touch shortly
Ladyfi - my, that does sound odd - an Easter witch tradition.
My dear, hope all is well. I'm thinking of you. I need to get back to the library (after last week's disgrace) to find out how you are when I become a bit more presentable.
From not quite the back of beyond. There is a challenge waiting for you at my blog. I hope that you will rise to it!
Deeply jealous of the amount of comments you get! lol
Had a bit of a rubbish Halloween evening which culminated in a decision making process that made me question my life, who my true friends are (?) and my working life and what I want and how to go forward in my work ambitions. Perhaps it was meant to be FF.
By complete suprise, I am also playing a Danish chef (Kim) in a theatre production of David Eldridge's Festen next week and am refusing to declare the event until it's over due to a personal superstition and wariness that it could go belly up if I tell certain friends about the very sudden and short notice casting five days prior to the first night! Scary yet exciting - oddly close to the themes of Hallows' even.
We did indeed celebrate Halloween FF, not as commercial as it is now, but very well celebrated.
Halloween parties," Dooking for apples", you had to bite apples floating in a basin of water, that was actually great fun believe it or not, or treacle scones hanging from pieces of string, now that was messy, toffee apples, potato's wrapped in foil, baked in the bonfires.
We cut faces out of turnips, now that took some doing as you can imagine, and placed a candle inside the turnip, by the time the night was over, some of the turnip had cooked, Halloween bonfires where witches were burned, I am afraid they used to do such a thing in Scotland, Halloween is a very important festival in Scotland, many an enjoyable Halloween guising was spent
ASD - I'm still stunned by your surly library staff. What a way to treat a customer!
cheshire wife - hope to get to it very soon :)
Phil - sounds like you had a Eureka moment regarding Your Journey Through Life. I've had a couple of them - scary and usually a catalyst for extreme change in one's life - best of luck matey. Likewise with your latest role - break both legs and all that
Ann - oh it all sounds so much fun. I wish I'd grown up in Ecosse now.
LOL I do so agree with this! Then I sit down and check all the candy for razor blades of needle pricks!
Hope you don't mind a new follower:)
modernmom - razor blades? needle pricks? Goodness - would people be so absolutely words fail me awful?
As for following me - whoever follows me follows um, again, words fail me
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