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Umm it is a real shame when you spend all day having a children's party for the little ones, hand out over ?50 of sweets to lovely kids trick or treating who have made an effort dressing up and are really enjoying themselves. Only to have some nasty scumbags smash and break your stain glass window with such force that they break the leading and follow through with eggs just because I had to taken an hour to put 4 children to bed and had turned the lights out. Really.... Just horrid!
Tibbs - that's really horrible for you, as you say they really are "nasty scumbags".... Don't suppose you got a look at any of them, or were they all wearing 'scream' masks? Luckily this year we've only had lovely children knock at the door, although last year some kids grabbed handfuls of sweets then squirted shaving foam in my face... Then again there were the DC and A boys who said "errrrr, we're not allowed sweets and we're allergic to nuts... godeneee cash?"

In Scotland it's called Guising. Have to say a poem, joke for a small return of sweets, coppers or a satsuma. Is trick or treat not a USA thing?




tallulah71 Wrote:

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

> Trick or treat is traditionally a celtic thing.

> And one would normally have had to do a 'trick' to

> get the treat...throwing eggs, or knocking on

> doors just to grab sweets is boring and tedious

> for everyone.

We had our neighbors in our flat and pooled all our sweets of sweets, had a few well behaved treaters, when it suddenly stopped I went out to see if the candle had gone out in the pumpkin only to find it and the lantern our neighbor put out had been booted across the front garden. Makes me not want to bother next year.

johnki Wrote:

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

> Quick warning that there's a group of four, one

> young girl and three in scream masks that seem to

> think its ok to throw eggs at your door when you

> don't have anything to give them. They

> unfortunately seem to have scarpered before I

> could return the favour


Just wondering if anyone on here recognises that description as their little cherubs? If so I trust you'll have a word, then send them back to the houses they attacked with a brush and bucket...and yes, that does include mine.

Trick or Treat is a US import. We exported Hallowe'en and it came back as 'trick or treat'. In some parts of the UK Hallowe'en (which means the evening of the saints - followed by All Souls Day, Nov 1st) was called Mischief Night when neighbours played pranks on one another, that's where the 'trick' element came from. Hallowe'en is the Christian name for pagan Celtic 'Samhain' which marked the end of summer and the beginning of the Celtic new year - parallel is Diwali, the Hindu new year which occurs at around this time as well.


O1

I think trick or treat (or guising) was originally a Scottish and Irish export, not a US import.


O1kric Wrote:

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

> Trick or Treat is a US import. We exported

> Hallowe'en and it came back as 'trick or treat'.

> In some parts of the UK Hallowe'en (which means

> the evening of the saints - followed by All Souls

> Day, Nov 1st) was called Mischief Night when

> neighbours played pranks on one another, that's

> where the 'trick' element came from. Hallowe'en is

> the Christian name for pagan Celtic 'Samhain'

> which marked the end of summer and the beginning

> of the Celtic new year - parallel is Diwali, the

> Hindu new year which occurs at around this time as

> well.

>

> O1

Thanks. As stated, the custom of Hallowe'en is actually Celtic Samhain; since all of Britain was originally Celtic it is extremely likely that Samhain (variousl spellings) was practised all over Britain and indeed Ireland, mindful also of Wales and Cornwall - so to call it a Scottish or Irish export seems a little awkward to me. The practise of Hallowe'en was dying out in England until the US Trick or Treat custom - which is a cultural mutation - caught on here several decades ago.


The spooky nature of May Eve was once universally regarded in this context, a custom which seems to have fallen out of favour on both sides of the Atlantic I notice. Mind you, if the supermarkets get wind of it they will no doubt start selling fancy May Eve kits to boost their sales figures.


O1

I have to say I don't think the point of trick or treating is to "pick a street". It shouts rude to me...who has the best sweets, gives money etc. Why not just get in the car and drive to Chelsea and go round there? The idea is you go round to your neighbours...who you are meant to know and do some form of entertainment in return for a treat! If it is about having the Halloween experience then create your own. Don't rely on others, that you don't know, to do it for you!

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