i love halloween! even when i was 17 i still dressed up and went trick or treating! we never vandalized, so maybe it's just you brits that have that problem. i want to get my three yo a princess costume cause we tell her she's a pretty pretty princess, and the newborn, i'm not sure. maybe there will be something at walmart for her. i usually do a witch. and after juat having a baby wearing all black isn't a bad idea, slims the waist y'know! i have so much fun with and decorating, everything!!!! pumpkins and candles and black cats (even tho my gray and white one is scary enough!) witches and all sorts of fun!!!! oh it's so exciting! and candy, all that chocolate!!!! ahhhh...i can't wait. thanks for reminding me it's so soon!

No Saz, we have always celebrated it - as an old pagan festival it has a long history in these isles ;) I have happy childhood memories of going trick or treating with my mates dressed up as a ghost or somesuch, and apple-bobbing, carving out faces in pumpkins etc.

What's it about KT Ong?
It's Samhain - the old pagan New Year, when the 'veil' between this world and the next is thin and spirits of the dead can come back to feast with their loved ones still in this world. At least that's the origins of the festival. Candles in carved out turnips and cabbage stalks (and when settlers went to the US they used native squashes and pumpkins instead) were set alongside pathways and in windows to light the way home for good spirits, and to ward off evil ones. Places were set at the dinner table for all members of the family, living or dead. It was a time to celebrate a 'reunion' with loved ones long gone and to strengthen bonds with those still living. Similar to the 'Day of the Dead' festival in Mexico, which has similar origins, and like Halloween is now a mix of pagan tradtion and modern Christian belief.

Some of those traditions survive, and Christians have their own take on the modern festival of Halloween involving saints and somesuch, sorry that's not a good answer but hopefully someone who knows anything about Christianity will come and explain that bit of it!

As far as what happens at Halloween these days? Kids dress up and go door to door demanding money/sweets with menaces - they say 'trick or treat' and you have to give them sweets unless you want to end up with dogshit through your letterbox.

[ 10-01-2002, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: Epona ]

by scaring the kids away from my door same as last time [img]tongue.gif[/img] - I make an excellent scythe-wielding wraith ;)

I love Halloween. Why? The parties. Heh, as soon as I hit 16 they started rolling in. Sometimes its a proper one, and sometimes its just damn funny, with a few people apple bobbing and getting totally soaked. Saz, here (England) we celebrate both. I prefer bonfire night though [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]
I don't get many trick or treaters around here. Mainly cos I live in London ;) :D Not many 8 year olds wandering around.

Hehe! I have a Balinese (sp?) Rangda mask - I put that on one year and watched the kiddies scream and run....

Halloween is my favorite holiday. When I'm luck and it falls on or near a weekend, I find a costume party, or even better a masquerade, to go to. I must admit the munchkin-brigades annoy me, but as I currently live in a downtown high-rise, that won't be an issue this year.

Epona summed it up rather well, I loved celebrating by watching old corny monster movies, and new ones, reading something from Steven King, like Cycle of the Werewolf, and generally spooky things like that (maybe I'll play werewolf: the apocalypse this year to celebrate)

<font color="#ff3399">Yeah I thought Epona was quite eloquent...right up to that last little bit [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

Not just England, Scotland too.

We have a Danish version of Halloween, it's in February I believe. Instead of dressing up and going out to beg for candy, kids here in Denmark dress up and smash barrels filled with candy. Some do, anyway.

In ancient days it was a tradition where there was a black cat inside of the barrel. And then once the barrel had been smashed the poor creature would run off, then the barrelsmashers would hunt it and kill it with whatever they had been bashing the barrel with. Apparently it was good to kill such a bad-omened creature.

I'd prefer the american version, honestly. Sounds like so much more fun.... And like you'd get much more candy, too!