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[UncleUB]

Once again its that time of year when we are terrorised by commercialism.Old people frightened that if they don't give the kids money (yes money as kids aren't interested in sweets,just hard cash) something nasty will happen to them.I blame yet again the parents.I know of kids being driven round estates by mini bus,they then swarm all over the streets getting what they can then off to somewhere else.Don't get me wrong we always give sweets to the 'little ones' when they come calling,usually just after tea.Its later in the evening when the'mercenaries'come.At that point we will not answer the door but usually spend most of the evening keeping an eye on our garden and car.
We then get on to the point of pumpkins.Thousands sold each halloween,thousands dumped in the bin the next morning.We are all told how much food we are wasting and how much rubbish we dump,but when It comes down to profit no one is bothered.Think about the starving people in the world all those pumpkins could feed.I suppose we should thank the good old USA for bestowing this on us.
Ah well soon be over then we can look forward to bonfire night. 

[roseway]

I believe that in the US it's a much more gentle bit of community fun, but in the UK it's become a form of extortion. When I lived in North London I had a lighted firework dropped through my letterbox after I didn't answer the door one Halloween evening. Thankfully, people are less violent out here in the sticks.

[fudgem]

I believe that in the US it's a much more gentle bit of community fun, but in the UK it's become a form of extortion. When I lived in North London I had a lighted firework dropped through my letterbox after I didn't answer the door one Halloween evening. Thankfully, people are less violent out here in the sticks.

so if you'd just happened to have gone out for the evening, you'd have had no house to come home to

If I caught one of these little vandals the full weight of the law would fall on them (my law, not the namby pamby creature we have now)

[Floydoid]

I agree entirely UB... what pees me off is that they have taken a sacred pagan festival (more correctly called Samhain) and turned it into legalised terrorism.

[guest]

We never have any problems - we have a bag of sweets for the young kids and the older ones don't come round now after I pointed out how childish they looked I let them pick some sweets but commented that "in my day" we wouldn't have been seen dead going around at Halloween when we were 13+ (which is true). Most of them looked embarrassed and haven't been back.

The neighbours do get egged etc. We don't

The place we lived before had the usual teenage muppets in bin bags mumbling "trickrtreat" for weeks before Halloween. I had a different method of dealing with them 

PS - not making light of people starving etc but have any of you tried eating pumpkin? It is (IMHO) slightly worse than eating brussels sprouts that have been boiled into mush :vomit:

[Oh Snap.]

I like Halloween. It's a bit of fun as far as I'm concerned.
I don't go trick or treating anymore, because I will freely admit I am a *little* bit too old for that.
However, I do get dressed up and go to a bar or something with my friends.

[UncleUB]

Well I,m glad its not just me who feels the same about halloween,as for Oh snap saying <its just a bit of fun>Its not much fun for the terrified old person frightened to death that something is going to happen to them if they don,t cough up.
Rizla, I don,t know what your methods were for dealing with these teenage muppets as you call them but well done.As for the pumpkin I have never eaten it myself but I love butternut squash which is the same family.Cut it into chunks,bit of olive oil,get some chilli flakes and fennel seeds,smash em up and sprinkle over the squash then roast in the oven-----delish.

[guest]

My "method" was to point out that we can ALL "play tricks". I caught one of the little (16+) scroats under our car so I pointed out (while pushing his face into the gravel) that a neat "trick" would be to see how much of his hand I could ram up the exhaust pipe. By the time the skin on his fingers were red-raw he was prepared to admit that trying to cut someone's brake lines wasn't so funny. I did give serious consideration to getting the exhaust up to operating temperature and then ramming his hand into it but thought better of it.

I got the usual threats of "I'll get my dad on you" to which I always reply "bring it on". They never do as their dad is invariably some moron who can't get off his backside and when he can finds it easier to hit his kids than someone who stands in front of him and says "game on". It was a bad area and I make no apologies for my behaviour.

Around here then if you treat kids like kids (and teenagers like little kids) then it all works out OK.

Anyone aware of old people living nearby could perhaps enquire if they'd like a little company at this time of year. If offered the right way I'm sure it would be welcomed.

[Floydoid]

Some interesting reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween

In the United States, Halloween has become the sixth most profitable holiday (after Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentines Day, Easter, and Father's Day).

According to this site the Halloween business is worth $5 billion per annum to the American economy: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/halloween/spending.asp

[roseway]

>> However, I do get dressed up and go to a bar or something with my friends.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that of course. You're just having a party, not frightening other people.

[guest]

Yeah Floydoid the "holiday season" (AKA shop till you drop) begins 30 Oct in the USA. No Guy Fawkes night but Thanksgiving (AKA major shopping splurge) is around the corner and that goes all the way to "XMAS". Shopping ALL the way....

Despite the fireworks I prefer the diversity here (this past week has been the start of Diwali), then we have Halloween, Guy Fawkes and then the inevitable (and I'm sorry to say damn annoying) Christmas run-up.

[Floydoid]

I wish we had diwali here, but we don't have a sizeable Indian community in this city.

[guest]

I doubt you would Floydoid. We have fireworks every night ALL over Leicester for a month or so (Diwali then Guy Fawkes, then the remaining fireworks sold off cheap).

It is frankly a monumental PITA, however its very much like Christmas in terms of "happiness" for Hindus (and they don't get as drunk as "Christians" do) so it is bearable - and if you go to the "Golden Mile" on Melton Rd when the lights are turned on it is a wonderful party - its on a par with Hogmanay in Edinburgh (really!).

I just wish that Hindus would be a bit more careful with the candles at Diwali - every year in Leicester there are at least 5 homes gutted by fire due to the candles left burning and some old dear always ends up burned to death

Me - I prefer the way Halloween was when I was young in Scotland. Guising was fun for all. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7067804.stm - some of the comments there say the same

[dave.m]

Got this off another forum but.........

Does It Apply To You?

Ten reasons why you are too old to go Trick or Treating.

10. You get winded from knocking on the door.
 
9. You have to have another kid chew the candy for you.
 
8. You ask for high fiber candy only.
 
7. When someone drops a candy bar in your bag, you lose your balance and fall over.
 
6. People say: "Great Boris Karloff Mask," And you're not wearing a mask.
 
5. When the door opens you yell, "Trick or ." - And can't remember the rest.
 
4. By the end of the night, you have a bag full of restraining orders.
 
3. You have to carefully choose a costume that won't dislodge your hairpiece.
 
2. You're the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker.
 
And the number one reason Seniors should not go Trick Or Treating...
*
*
*
1. You keep having to go home to use the bathroom. 

dave   

[UncleUB]

Just to reply to my earlier post,last night was very quiet.We got quite a few little un,s with their mums up to about 6.30 then nothing.Her indoors kept telling me off for eating the kiddes sweets.In the last week we had our living room window 'egged' four times.We phoned the police tuesday about this.Last night About 5.30 2 police officers knocked on the door.One male pc,one wpc sargeant.We told them what had been going off.They said they new who was doing it,but as he was under 10 there was not much they could do.I asked where he lived so I could go and chuck eggs at their windows.The officers just looked at me, slightly grinned then went.Ah well bring on the fireworks.