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[Tina C]

I am not great on this sort of stuff but I am under the impression that Halloween is a mish mash of all sorts of belief systems - including Celtic new year and a Druid day of sacrifice. I understand that 'the church' later stepped in with All Hallows in a bid to make the transition from Pagan religion to Christianity easier, by adopting some traditional feasts.

 

In the same way that Christmas and Easter have become 'corrupted' Halloween has become a celebration somewhat separated from its origins.

 

I am happy to join in and sample many different celebrations (including Diwali and the Christingle service at church for example) as I believe they help foster an awareness and tolerance of other peope's beliefs and traditions.

 

I also celebrate Christmas and Easter and I make sure that Layla is aware of why, even though I do not regard myself as a Christian. Layla lives in a predominantly Christian society and she needs to make her own decicions about what to believe in, as well as understand why some of her friends go to one church and others go to another and some do not go at all (not necessarily becuase they have no releigious beliefs).

 

I hope I have not offended anyone and I am happy to be told I am wrong in joining in while not believing.

 

I think you have just opened up another great omlet debate Ginette!

[chickencam]

Our children dress up and usually just go to our immediate neighbours. The people accross the road from us are my youngest daughter's God -parents and very devout church goers, but she loves having the children over and always gives them an apple and some sweets then takes a phoro of them.

[Rhapsody]

All Hallows day used to be in May until Pope Gregory the 3rd or 4th moved it to stamp over the Samhain festival. Samhain means November and was traditionally a harvest celebration and also the New Year. Winter is long and cold and dark, its nice to have a celebration to begin with!

Hope you all have a great day I will be lighting my bonfire on the hill tonight and doing some star gazing weather permitting, Brightest Blessings to all the lovely Omlet folk,

Your friendly Neighbourhood Witch

Rhapsody x

[Ziggy]

I am happy to join in and sample many different celebrations (including Diwali and the Christingle service at church for example) as I believe they help foster an awareness and tolerance of other peope's beliefs and traditions.

 

I hope I have not offended anyone and I am happy to be told I am wrong in joining in while not believing.

 

I agree with this Tina. I myself am an atheist, my best friends are a Muslim and a Hindu, my kids go to a COE church (there was no other choice locally), my family is Catholic and my husband's family is god knows what (no pun intended ), even he can't remember quite what each member of his family would describe themselves as, though some are quite religious. On principle, I join in all the celebrations of all these people around me, because I care for them and am happy to understand/learn about/tolerate/be with them and show my affection to them on all their special days.

 

We started 'celebrating' Halloween in my house cause we didn't seem to have any other excuse (being a-religious) to invite everybody on a yearly basis for a big get together, and we simply love the whole pumkin carving, bonfire thing, it's a lovely warm way to start winter... We see no spirituality in it though, so it's really just an excuse for a party and for gathering many friends under our roof. Practically, Halloween is just a day to dress up and for kids to have fun, I don't think many people know or remember the origins of it, or give any significance to them...

[Guest]

My very vague understanding is that on the night before All Saints Day (November 1st) tradition has it that all the evil spirits come out after dark and cause havoc and nasty things to happen.

 

Whilst I don't believe that actually happens I can't see anything in that to celebrate, especially with children. Why would anyone want to associate their precious children with something so unpleasant?

 

I can understand having carved and lit pumpkins to ward off evil spirits, but pretending to be an evil spirit seems to me to be going a bit far.

[Rhapsody]

You are so right Ginette, its a shame when things get trivialised/commercialised in this way, a bit like Easter being made into a festival of chocolate or Xmas into an eating and consumerism competition. All Saints day came long after Samhain though, and as I said used to be in May!

[ubereglu]

The most halloweeny thing I do is to carve a pumpkin and that's it. We don't open the door to trick or treaters and don't go trick or treating.

[Poached Egg Paul]

I have never really gone overboard dressing up etc but like to do carving and when I was young Mum would always do a few games like apple bobbing and we'd have some nice food.

 

This year I have not got round to doing a pumpkin but will still do candles. I have always left food out for any spirits passing through.

 

I normally bury an apple or two but been a bit rushed today so they are going to have to make do with some bread and a bowl of raspberries on the back steps! Hope that will be ok !!!

[FORENSICA]

We have a windows sales person coming over in about 10 minutes which prevents me from switching all the lights and hide from all the kids.

Its not really my thing the Halloween, we don't celebrate it where I am from

[Rona]

I got some sweets today and it took me ages to find some that I will be able to resist

 

Just had one group of about 5 or 6 young girls turn up at 6pm and - apart from ringing the doorbell loudly twice - they were very well dressed up (very glam little witches) and behaved very nicely, taking just one treat each from the offered bowl and saying thank you.

[ubereglu]

We didn't have any trick or treaters at ALL!!!

[little cluckers]

My daughter scares really easily (overactive imagination just like me!) so halloween is usually a literal nightmare for us! Last year we let her dress up and took her trick or treating with her friends (at her request)- she insisted that she enjoyed it but had several nightmare-full nights after- poor little love, she's 6 now and all her friends are so into it but she can't even watch scooby doo without demanding we change the channel.

This year we went back to just carving pumpkins and welcoming other trick-or-treaters.

[Snowy]

Well, we've had a brilliant evening! We put on a magic show with clown (not a scary clown! ) followed by an X factor talent competition for the kids. They had a fantastic time and really threw themselves into the competition! There were about 80 primary age children - all gone home very tired and happy with tons of sweets and balloons

 

Just a shame when they go out onto the street there were huge gangs of teenagers blocking the road and letting off fireworks in the carpark, 2 police cars and 4 foot police patrolling the streets And this is a small village.

[tenzin]

I took my maid and kids to a party this evening , we played the bobbing apple game .

It was a nice treat for my maid to have the night off

[Guest]

There were about 80 primary age children - all gone home very tired and happy with tons of sweets and balloons

 

80

[Louise]

We never get anybody coming to the door either there aren't any about or I am the strange 'cat woman' down the road they are all scared off

 

Me and mum watched 'The Ring' though last night I am not spooked by creepy films but she was a tad uneasy with it

[Snowy]

In the church Ginette, not my house!

 

And after my earlier post about never having the house egged as we are off the beaten path - last night we got tomatoed instead!!! All over the front of my newly decorated porch. I'll be waiting with a hosepipe next year if that's how they are going to play it.

 

I don't mind people celebrating halloween or anything else they want to celebrate but when it descends to this it infuriates me. Parents going round with littlies trick or treating is one thing, but what happens when the littlies decide they are old enough to go out alone? Personally I'd rather they didn't get into it in the first place.

 

*rant over*

[Ziggy]

There were about 80 primary age children - all gone home very tired and happy with tons of sweets and balloons

 

80

 

 

I thought the same... 80?????

[Guest]

In the church Ginette, not my house!

 

And after my earlier post about never having the house egged as we are off the beaten path - last night we got tomatoed instead!!! All over the front of my newly decorated porch. I'll be waiting with a hosepipe next year if that's how they are going to play it.

 

I don't mind people celebrating halloween or anything else they want to celebrate but when it descends to this it infuriates me. Parents going round with littlies trick or treating is one thing, but what happens when the littlies decide they are old enough to go out alone? Personally I'd rather they didn't get into it in the first place.

 

*rant over*

 

You're absolutely right about that. We didn't get any knocks on the door, but when I went out at 6pm my car had ketchup squirted all over it. Apparently the vinegar content will damage the paintwork, not that the teenagers know that. We didn't get egged either, but usually do. And we live in a nice neighbourhood

 

Relieved to hear you didn't invite 80 children round to play!

[Helly Welly]

Our area is not a good area so i'm afraid i put a sign in the window saying "no trick or treat". It was respected which actually surprised me a little bit. We get more hassle on every other night of the year.

 

We had our own interpretation of a Samhain party. We had a fire in the back garden and ate sausage buns, roasted carrots, ginger cookies and drank warm ribena. We had some sparklers and hung apples on strings which we had to eat with no hands. We don't do Halloween but we didn't want Abi to feel left out so we came up with this instead.

 

Christmas is Yuletide in our house. We have a Yule log, decorate with holly, ivy etc and have come up with a few family traditions. We are atheists but again, don't want to miss out on the fun. Abi doesn't believe in Santa either, so we needed a few family traditions to replace Santa.

[Cate in NZ]

We were completely miserable and went out, quite deliberately for a pizza last night. Managed to avoid the whole Halloween thing, and had a good evening anyway