It's my favourite holiday - there's no expectations besides lots of Good Fun and lots of chocolate! Who doesn't like a holiday that's all about chocolate? So... what are your plans?
This year I'm warming up by co-hosting an Ugly Sweater Party tomorrow night. Next weekend there's a few Halloween parties to choose from, and on Halloween proper my boyfriend is having a 'traditional' Halloween party that will involve bobbing for apples and pumpkin carving contests with mini-pumpkins. I think I'll reprise my aviatrix/Amerlia Earhart costume since I'm kind of lazy, and it looked fantastic last year. Anyone else dressing up and acting silly?
It's only recently that Halloween has becoming a big thing over here - been imported from the States.
I remember going to see ET in the cinema as a kid (aged 8 ) and being baffled by the idea of people going out trick or treating. It just wasn't the done thing especially given that Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night is only a few days later.
Now, well we will get people going out trick or treating, but it's mainly little kids. Some people have parties, I know my cousin is planning one for her boys because she doesn't want them out wandering the streets, and her friends feel the same about their kids, so they'll have one big party and know where they are and what they are doing.
It's pretty much regarded as an Americanism here, too, and not much followed.
I'll be at home giving out treats to children with enough energy to climb all of those stairs to my apartment!
I was wondering how it worked around here but in the complex newsletter we were given a special doorknob hanger to place outside if we wish to participate. I guess this is especially important with all of the different cultures living within this complex.
Quote from: "Jane"It's pretty much regarded as an Americanism here, too, and not much followed.
Do you do Bonfire Night on the 5th of November then?
My favorite part of Halloween is going to the stores Nov. 1 and buying for cheap all the leftover candy.
Quote from: "emma"Do you do Bonfire Night on the 5th of November then?
We have Guy Fawkes same night as you, but no bonfires or Guy. Just fireworks.
We're going to have a Halloween party for the kids in town on Nov. 3rd so I'll be helping out with that. Yeah, that's about it. No real celebration of Halloween here, I'm afraid. Though nice CUTE Halloween decorations are everywhere :P That's basically the point of Halloween - one more excuse to buy cute stuff.
Quote from: "Eimi"That's basically the point of Halloween - one more excuse to buy cute stuff.
LOL - how Japanese. ;)
And I did know that it was a fairly north American holiday, but I had no idea that people were starting to trick or treat in Britian. Hopefully it doesn't turn into a mall trick-or-treat thing over there too, which seems to be the way it's going here. The point of Halloween is that the kids have a night to themselves where they get to run around like hooligans in the dark, and the whole community watches out for them from behind the curtains. It's so FUN as a kid to be able to do that and escape from parental supervision for a while.
Quote from: "Jane"Quote from: "emma"Do you do Bonfire Night on the 5th of November then?
We have Guy Fawkes same night as you, but no bonfires or Guy. Just fireworks.
Completely off topic, but until I watched V For Vendetta, I had never heard of Guy Fawkes! :jg:
/off topic
I LOVE Halloween! (though I do hate that it's on a wednesday! Boo! Hiss! Halloween should always be on a weekend darn it! :jg:) I'm gonna go tour some Haunted Houses this weekend, there's supposed to be some really good ones around Little Rock.
Remember remeber the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot
Actually it appears that I will be attending a Halloween celebration -- a fall celebration/curriculum night with children invited to wear their Halloween costumes. Of course, since over half of the children in my center are immigrants and the families know little of the holiday, it could be very strange.
Our Halloweens always get a little weird, since they started regulating trick or treating until there isn't any point to it anymore (ten and under and only while it is still light out? Please...). But our plans are to hand out candy for the trick or treaters, and play one of those How to Host a Murder games. Fun!
Quote from: "Rochelle"Our Halloweens always get a little weird, since they started regulating trick or treating until there isn't any point to it anymore (ten and under and only while it is still light out? Please!
WHOA! Who in the world did that??? And just who is going to ID the kids? That would really suck. Go to a door and say "Trick or Treat" and be told "No ID no candy!" :geek: "Violators will be shot!"
Quote from: "Rochelle"Our Halloweens always get a little weird, since they started regulating trick or treating until there isn't any point to it anymore (ten and under and only while it is still light out? Please...). But our plans are to hand out candy for the trick or treaters, and play one of those How to Host a Murder games. Fun!
WHAT?!?!?! That TOTALLY DESTROYS THE ESSENCE OF HALLOWEEN!!! What a silly thing to have done - it sounds paranoia influenced. Oooo! Twelve year olds running around after dark! Woo! Scary! *snort* That makes me so sad, that people feel the need to regulate Halloween.
But those 'How to Host a Murder' games are WAY fun. :P
I love Halloween!
My daughter dressed up as Hannah Montana this year. I know, I tried to talk her out of it, but she was determined.
My husband wore a shirt that made him look like he had tatoos all over his body, and a mullet wig (he shaves his head so people aren't used to seeing him with hair.).
I am a witch every year. Each year I buy something new for the outfit.
I buy a ton of candy to pass out and my parents come over to give it while we take the munchkin out Trick-or-Treating. Too much fun.
Ok, for the completely ignorant among us (or maybe it's just me.)
What's the reference to Nov 5? And who is Guy Fawkes?
:sign3:
Quote from: "Vanessa"What's the reference to Nov 5? And who is Guy Fawkes?
He was part of the Gunpowder Plot that tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the UK on 5 November ... 1605.
They're not over it yet. :laughing5:
Guy Fawkes Night (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night). It's a part of history, we take it personally. In fact, the project manager I work with went to the same school as Guy Fawkes!
Was that when youre burning Guy Fawkes dolls on bonfire? You're right, Jane, it's been over 400 years and they aren't over it yet.
Last year I celebrated Guy Fawkes with my boyfriend and his friends. We went and built a snowman, then put a bunch of firecrackers in it and set it off. Much danger and hilarity ensued. :)
.... and it would have been smarter to NOT do it in a residential park, especially since we don't celebrate Guy Fawkes in this part of Canada. :P One of the girls lives in a building kitty-corner and I guess the landlord there is STILL talking about us, and wondering who the hooligans were.
Quote from: "Yvonne"... especially since we don't celebrate Guy Fawkes in this part of Canada.
I thought there was some restriction on buying / setting off fireworks in Canada?