Trick or Treat

[spadetownboy]

mscraw, just to fill you in hallow,een is not another americanism,its actually a celebration of an old celtic pagan festival and was around long before mr colombus was even a twinkle in his parents eyes. its has always been very widely celebrated in ireland and calling on houses has always been a tradition as long as i can remember, as gerry points out it is great fun espicially back home as we know how to enjoy it. you dont get none of the bah humbug attitude you get over here pumpkin or no pumpkin all houses are fair game and all will have a little something for the kids. so lighten up you miserable gits and get the haribo in for the kids, cans and single fags for the older ones.

[bagpuss78]

The only time i ever went trick or treating i was about 15, me and a couple of friends went round houses in forest hill, we didn't wants sweets we wanted beer money! (well...cider really) we didn't do too badly either. The good people

of forest hill were quite generous or really wanted to get rid of us!!:-S

The only thing that annoys me about trick or treating is when you are sat in the pub and a little kid comes in asking for money and you can see their parent stood outside egging them on, the used to happen alot in the CPT.

[Mscrawthew]

spadetownboy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> lighten up you miserable gits and get the haribo

> in for the kids, cans and single fags for the

> older ones.

:)) >:D<

[JoeChuff]

weren't the "trick or treaters" in the CPT actually on the rob? Maybe not the CPT but that is a common scam, one asks for money while the other nicks everyone's mobiles

[Keef]

No, it was me, I couldn't pay my tab that night.

[Mrs P]

Last year was my first Halloween in ED and I (thankfully) stockpiled sweets in anticipation. Had loads of children (mostly with parents or older sibling) all dressed up and mostly very polite - had to get hubby to get more sweets on his way home! This year I have my pumpkin ready to be carved, I have bags of sweets.... and forgot that I am actually going out on wednesday night... gutted! oh well, lots of chocolate for me!

[AnotherPaul]

Penny for the guy is begging unless the guy is well crafted in which case you're sponsoring art.

[mockney piers]

This conversation piqued my interest and I wandered off on an internet trail of celtdom, only to discover that you're all a bunch of spaniards, no wonder I feel so at home here!!

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1393742006

[katietatie]

bagpuss78 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> The only thing that annoys me about trick or

> treating is when you are sat in the pub and a

> little kid comes in asking for money and you can

> see their parent stood outside egging them on, the

> used to happen alot in the CPT.

I was in the plough last week on two different evenings, and both nights young kids were in there trick or treating without parents. The general consensus from punters was 'you're a week early, come back next week'. The manager asked them nicely to leave both times, but to be honest the kids looked quite embarassed by the whole thing.

[gerry]

Halloween - eve of all hallows - the day before All Saints Day - Catholic holiday - at least that's what I grew up thinking. Even our local priest dressed up to say mass. The teachers dressed up, along with their classes, and prizes were given out to the children who made the most effort with their costumes. If it is a Pagan holiday, then can someone give us a history lesson please!!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Laxative chocolate, its the only way to go.

[Brendan]

The church actually moved all Saints Day sometime in the Middle Ages to coincide with the pagan autumn festivals which in their various forms gave rise to what we now know as Halloween. Although Bonfire Night in England and the old colonies is celebrated very specifically to commemorate the gunpowder plot its traditions of burning guys etc are routed in the same autumn festival traditions.

Easter and Christmas also coincide with older pagan traditions.

[mockney piers]

The church was very good at co-opting pagan festivals into their own celebrations; part of a very good PR machine long before that concept even existed as we think of it.

Halloween is usually associated originally with the Celtic sahmain feast for the dead, but most pagan cultures had a celebration of this ilk at about the time of the autumn equinox, end of the fertile season and the start of winter, such as the roman feast of Dyonisis. Death and life and renewal, all that malarky. The church used whatever it could find wherever it spread it's tentacles.

See also christmas, easter, well pretty much all of them frankly.

[mockney piers]

he he, jinx.

[Brendan]

ha ha. IPS that is.

[mockney piers]

Irish Pony Society?

[*Bob*]

Yes.. the lesson is: If you're a Christian (especially), you might wish to stop and reflect on the utterly random pointlessness of getting all misty-eyed on those 'holiest days of the year'.

[Brendan]

No no. Irish Prison Service. They used to get Samhain off until one year there was some unpleasantness and a fire in Mountjoy Prison.

It?s a union issue now.

[Jennys]

yes, I have one of the police flyers and I shall be using it. I think they are meant to protect the children who might go into a dodgy stranger's house. Anyway old spoilsport that i may be i do not want to get up and answer the door endlessly through the evening nor to have to clean up flour and eggs from my front windows as in previous years.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Irish Pony Society?

You mean the Spanish Riding School in Vienna surely?

[eccentric]

It's Hallowe'en actually!

[TillieTrotter]

I throw a party for my kids and their friends which is always a big success in our house. Starts with a treasure hunt for sweets, teams of two then design and craft their pumpkins, then its spooky story time with each kid having a sound that they must make on the appropriate cue (all done in the dark with torches under their chins) finished by pumpkin judging and fireworks. I love it more than the kids!(tu) And of course there is copious amounts of booze for the parents to consume.

[gerry]

Tillie, you are a star....what fun....you could also have a witches brew where the kids toss slimey worms and spiders (all sweets) into a fruit punch and stir. Have a great party!

[TillieTrotter]

Will give that a try Gerry thanks. As I say, think I enjoy it more than the kids.

[boosboss]

A couple of years ago I house sat on Hallowe'en for some friends that didn't want to lose their status as one of the best houses to visit in Forest Hill. They were on some kind of 'safe or welcome list' put out by one of the schools. Anyway, Dunoon Rd is great for the kids!