HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

[VAisForEagleLovers]

No, I'm glad you did. I had no idea that it wasn't still celebrated there. Here, as with most holidays, it's all about the commercial aspect. Which I guess explains why it has survived here. Oh, and the chocolate...

[sodascouts]

I had to teach tonight until 10:00pm, but I came in costume! I dressed as Calypso from The Odyssey.

Here's a photo of me with my two good friends Cicely (the Green Latern) and DiAnne (Angela Davis):

[zeldabjr]

love it Soda!...was teaching more fun in costume?

[sodascouts]

No, not really - but at least I felt like the holiday didn't just pass me by!

[TimothyBFan]

Love it Soda!!

[Prettymaid]

Great picture! Glad you posted it!

[UK TimFan]

We only had one knock on the door last night. We got off lightly. Perhaps people have finally got the message that Halloween is an American custom, not Australian. I suppose this sounds pompous but it is only in the last few years that it has started to be promoted. I even saw Halloween stuff in England two years ago. I couldn't believe it (though it apparently started in Scotland).

We didn't get any callers either. Probably because we don't have any children (living at home). When our two were young (and Halloween just beginning to 'emerge' in general, in England at least) the kids usually only knocked on the doors of friends' houses, or at least the doors in the street where they (the knockers) lived. I can't speak for other countries but many parents in the UK are very safety conscious about the kids and won't usually let them stray far on dark evenings.

It's an Irish festival too and may have originated here. Tomorrow is November the 1st celebrated as 'All saints Day'. That was the old Celtic festival of remembering the dead called Samhain which ran through November. Anyway Hallowe'en or 'all hallows (saints) eve' was the day prior to 'Samhain'
The idea of dressing up was to disguise yourself from the evil spirits that were allegedly wreaking havoc prior to the assists day. So I think it was originall Celtic and moved with irish and Scottish people when they emigrated

I didn't know about the Celtic connection.
Wikipedia agrees that it probably went to America with Irish and Scottish emigrants.

So it's a Anglo custom, not an American one. I'm surprised more Australians don't celebrate it, then, since so many Australians descend from the English and I imagine many of their customs are derived from the English. Am I right, FP?

ETA: I realize the Irish, Scottish, and English are different peoples but I figured this custom spread across the isles.

Australians associate it with America. It was not celebrated for most of my life. My husband is English & it was not celebrated there when he was growing up.
I shouldn't have said anything....

I would have said that Halloween wasn't 'celebrated' (I use the term very loosely!) in England until about the last twenty years - and that's only come in through the commercial aspect of it. There are many English people who disagree with the whole 'witches/spooky' aspect of Halloween. (There is a mainly-hidden religious side.) And if you asked most English people I'm sure that they would say Halloween is American in origin.
The majority of the first settlers in Australia were English (as opposed to British which includes the Scots, Irish and Welsh) which is probably why Halloween wasn't celebrated there until fairly recently either.

English people attach far more importance to Bonfire Night on 5th November, when they commemorate the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder_Plot

[Glennsallnighter]

Australians associate it with America. It was not celebrated for most of my life. My husband is English & it was not celebrated there when he was growing up.

I shouldn't have said anything....

You should have said it FP. Its discussions and debates like this that make the Border interesting!

I guess there IS a historical basis for Hallowe'en which appears to have originated in Ancient Rome - Possible associated with Christianity? And it then spread across the world.

When I was a kid we used dress up alright but costumes tended to be homemade, though we bought (horrible plastic) masks. Homes did NOT put up decorations but there was always a Halloween supper. Firewoeks became common with bonfires in the mid 80s where I loved.

It was also more common for kids 'trick or treating' to say 'Help the Hallowe'en Party'. And it was more common to get nuts and apples whereas now it all sweets!

[Brooke]

Thanks for sharing your pic, Soda! Very cute!

I had two trick or treaters, family I had told to come by if they could! We live in the country and our kids are grown with no kids yet, so we don't ever have many. I enjoy them and do some decorating anyway, for me, I guess! Our little town nearby was full of kids going door to door. We had good weather for it too.

I enjoyed reading the history and discussion from you all as well! Thanks!

[pueblo47]

"I didn't know about the Celtic connection.
Wikipedia agrees that it probably went to America with Irish and Scottish emigrants."

"The majority of the first settlers in Australia were English (as opposed to British which includes the Scots, Irish and Welsh) which is probably why Halloween wasn't celebrated there until fairly recently either."



This is an interesting explanation. Don't know what I thought but never realized the term British also included Scots, Irish, and Welsh. Also makes sense that the Scottish customs would emerge here, especially in the mountain regions where they mostly settled.