Take part in study on PFAS 'forever chemicals' in eggs

[patsylabrador]

I like celebrating Halloween. There are aspects of it I don't like, particularly trick or treating, but I do like the history & ancient beliefs behind it.

That said, did you know that if you soak popping corn in red food colour and then pop it, it comes out looking blood spattered. Planning to watch Insidious on Halloween itself so son is putting me through a strict horror training programme. We started with a vampire movie last night called '30 days of Night', it was horrific but very watchable with a moving end. I enjoyed it actually.

OH always creeps out and bangs on the windows which was funny and scary the first time he did it about 15 years ago but we all have to pretend now. I usually make a full size witch for the hall and it's head usually falls off by 31st, any suggestions for a witch who keeps her head would be gratefully received.

If anyone else has fun on Halloween, please tell me what you do and any decoration ideas.

Edited October 10, 2011 by Guest

[UKMARCH]

We enjoy it too but as our girls are still quite young nothing too scary! We make dinner sausage and mash into spiders and the girls get together with some friends and dress up and play games. We go to neighbours to trick or treat but last year we went with friends around their close where their neighbours get into the spirit of things in a huge way. One house had loads of big models in the front garden, a grave, full size witch and zombie and loud spooky sounds playing. When the children went to the door to ring the zombie leapt out and made them all jump (it was the dad in disguise) I thought my youngest may have wet herself but she managed to keep it together!

[Cinnamon]

We like it too.

We live in a small village,so don't really get any trick or treaters,apart from next doors children,& that is fine.

I generally carve a pumpkin & have it lit in the porch,but that is about it,apart from candy corn - I LOVE candy corn.

My daughters are a bit old for the kiddie elements of it,but often go to more adult parties.

 

There is some really nice hallow e'en bunting at work I have my eye on too.

[snowberry]

I've been trying to upload a couple of pics of my pumpkins, but photobucket is being very silly the last few days!

[Olly]

Loathe it. We never celebrated it when I was a child, and I really don't like the massive growth in 'trick or treat' which seems to be an excuse for local teenagers to behave badly. I accept that it has historic origins, but it's another 'Hallmark Card day' as far as I'm concerned - an excuse for shops to push all sorts of garishly-coloured merchandise. I expect I might feel differently if I had childen, but I don't.

 

I'll be indoors with the lights turned out, and not answering the doorbell.

[chickencam]

I'm with Olly on this one I'm afraid. It is just another excuse for the shops to be filled with cheap and nasty tat that children pester for. I have shied away from it as much as I can over the years that my children have been growing up. My OH has let them dress up and visit the immediate neighbours, the lady across the roas is YD's godmother and she would have been diappointed it they hadn't turned up for their apple and packet of out of date ready salted crisps

 

We do carve a pumpkin because they enjoy doing it and I can use most of it to make soup and we do grow them so it costs nothing.

[LolaLayla]

I dislike it too. As a child growing up in England I did not celebrate Halloween it was Guy Fawkes day that you got geared up for. When I moved to Scotland I found it was the reverse and children dressed up to go 'guising'. They would go dressed up in groups to peoples houses and say "the sky is blue the grass is green please may I have my Halloween". They would then have to say a poem or sing a song to get the sweets, toffee apples or whatever the homeowner had for them. It was all fun and there was no "trick or treat" which I think possibly is an American influence. Now that my children are older and do not go out at Halloween I am afraid I switch off my lights to as I do not know the children who turn up at the door.

[patsylabrador]

I know people hate it but try not to step on my buzz. When my kids were little we used to make special food and do craft and history lessons on it, I incorporated it into maths and English lessons and we all had a very cosy time. Now they're adults we watch spooky films and still make food like rocky road. The commercialism can just be ignored just like at Christmas & Easter.

[Egluntyne]

I'm with Olly. I've had my car covered in silly string and my house daubed with flour and eggs once too often I'm afraid.

[Space Chick]

I always put a pumpkin in the window and get funsize bars for the local kids... although last year we didn't have any trick or treaters, and the year before it was just teenagers in cheap masks

 

Both OH and I dressed up as vampires last year too to scare the children, complete with red contact lenses... what a waste of time that was

[laurmurf]

I ADORE halloween and all the tat that comes with it!

 

it probably has roots in me being a Yank but i just love throwing myself into the spirit of it all. Carved pumpkins, dressing up, spider webs and creepy door hangings - the lot. It's so disappointing when we don't get anyone coming to the door

[Chucky Mama]

I hate it especially trick or treating. I banned my children from doing it for many years and have only allowed them to do it for the last 2-3 - still hate it though.

[keyhole kate]

YD's birthday is Halloween we used to celebrate in a big way when she was younger the house was decorated to the max as well as the obligitory themed party of course. My mum used to have a house in the USA so I still have fab USA decorations, I always carve a pumpkin and buy sweets for trick or treeters but they seem to get less each year YD is 19 this year so will probably only do a carved pumpkin. One year I dressed in full length witch costume with full latex mask and sat in my porch in a rocking chair jumping up when the trick or treaters took a sweet from the cauldron on my lap I didn't half frighten the trick or treaters and the parents that year I just see it as a bit of harmless fun

[Looney]

We don't usually do anything major for Halloween although my son is beginning to take more notice of it (he's 3 and a half). Last year we carved a pumpkin and my mum has kindly grown some pumpkins down at her allotment this year so we have a whopper and three average sized ones to choose from! The problem is I look at a pumpkin and think yum yum so not sure how many will survive til Halloween.....I made squash muffins the other week and the recipe works just as well with pumpkin too....anyhow I digress

 

I usually buy some little sweets for any trick or treaters but only leave the hall light on til a reasonable time as I don't want late callers waking up the children!

[Willow]

Being Irish descent we always 'celebrated' Halloween when I was a child although no one else did as we lived in England. We have very civilised trick or treaters as local convention is it's only the young children and they are only allowed to houses with a lit pumpkin outside. I have lots of cheap tat decorations from Asda etc and love decorating the house and seeing the kids. We are a little off the main track so don't get many trick or treaters

 

We often have a halloween party with pumpkin soups, freshly baked bread and wine, must get around to thinking about that soon

[Plum]

I'm with Olly. I've had my car covered in silly string and my house daubed with flour and eggs once too often I'm afraid.

 

Must be a Yorkshire thing. When I lived in South Hiendley kids covered my car in flour. It had been raining and got in the window mechanism bah humbug. I turn the lights out and say no thank you. OH puts a bowl of water under the letterbox - not that we have ever got a firework through the letterbox.

[Yorkshire Pudding]

It's a busy time for us Yorkshire Omleteers - I like Halloween and it's quite civilised here, lots of local homes and businesses join in but those not displaying pumpkins are left alone.

 

We then have mischief night, then bonfire night to follow - all good fun but I know from friends and colleagues that not all of the fun is innocent and at times there's a fine line between 'mischief' and 'criminal damage'.

[Tutti Frutti]

It's like Marmite!

 

Another one who enjoys it! Around here, kids only knock if the house is decorated so we put the pumpkin out, dangle a green rubber hand out of the letterbox but... this year, I fancy having a go at making some concrete hands (fill up rubber gloves with cement???? Dunno!) and have them coming out of the ground by the front door

[PurpleTree]

It's a busy time for us Yorkshire Omleteers - I like Halloween and it's quite civilised here, lots of local homes and businesses join in but those not displaying pumpkins are left alone.

 

We then have mischief night, then bonfire night to follow - all good fun but I know from friends and colleagues that not all of the fun is innocent and at times there's a fine line between 'mischief' and 'criminal damage'.

 

My husband's from Yorkshire & he couldn't believe I'd never heard of Mischief Night, he thought everybody had it. Is it the night before Bonfire Night? Can't remember now. I think it is just a Yorkshire thing though, isn't it?

 

We don't really do Halloween, although now the boys are getting older I might try & do something. I won't open the door though as I've heard of too many bad things happening to people.

[Mrs Potts]

I'm with Patsy on this one - love Halloween!

 

We are in a village of cul de sacs and lots of trick or treating here. If you have a carved lit pumpkin somewhere out front, everyone knows who is game (or not) so obviously we have pumpkins and candles out front.

 

We always treat, but they have to choose from two buckets, one of which is filled with chocolate bars in gloop (cold soup, baked beans or jelly) and the other just with treats. If the teenages turn up, it's nice to have a look at them and try and guess who they are (most of them we know from babies). If the little ones turn up, then the parents have to do it - strange how many times everyone manages to get the gloop bucket ... YD loves going out dressed up at the age of 15, along with various mates. This year I will vary it a bit - probably apple bobbing for the teenagers.

 

After Halloween, I start feeling comfortable about mentioning Christmas and know that the winter solstice and lighter nights are on their way.

 

Hate always hated fireworks and Guy Fawkes' burning, though, so never go to that.

[craftyhunnypie]

At our other house, we always put a pumpkin out & hung stuff in the trees. I always bought in some chocolates or sweets. Some times we would get children knocking, but last year me & hubby had to eat the choccies. Oh what a shame!

Don't think I'll encourage it here at this house. Whether we will get anyone daring to come up the track - I doubt it, but you never know. Don't know any of the children in the village.

Emma.x

[Goosey Lucy]

Hop Tu Naa here (pronounced Hop Choo Nay)

 

I have the day off so will make something interesting for dinner, YS will be going to a Hop Tu Naa party organised by the school PTA, ES thinks he's too cool to go. All the Primary school kids will be there so the chance of anyone coming Trick or Treating will be quite low. I'll probably let both boys carve pumpkins outside during the Half Term holiday as the mess they can make is quite staggering!

[Sammiboo]

we like halloween. We dont make too much fuss. carve a pumpkin and sweets for the trick or treaters.

 

pumpkin OH carved last year

 

[LuckyChickenLover-]

pumpkin OH carved last year

 

Wow Samiboo that's amazing!

 

I like Halloween, but only because it's my birthday. I'm usually too busy stuffing myself full of cake to go trick or treating!

[Tutti Frutti]

We bought a cheap sign from Lidl today, the green one for £1.29