BOO!

Shannon

Boo to you too, Shannon. I dislike Halloween for what it has become - people (young and not so young) begging for candy and rarely saying "thanks" - just grabbing and running. Perhaps it is the way that I was raised - in a very large apartment house in NYC. My parents felt that if we (my sister and I) wanted candy, THEY would get it for us. Today with all the potential problems (a county near us has all the registered sex offenders basically under house arrest from 3 PM tomorrow until 6AM the next morning. If people must celebrate, it is a young child's holiday - under supervision - not older youth and adults!!! Halloween has registered as a date here in upstate New York , right up there with New Years Eve and St. Patricks Day as a time when there are many drunken driving "incidents".
Sorry to sound so grumpy, but that is the way it is! Bah humbug!

It really is sad that it isn't safe for the kids these days, in some cases. BUT-the parties have become a lot more fun! More people in my area are having them, both for the kids and supposedly grown-ups. The costumes are fun, too. Can you imagine an adult male in a monk's outfit, with fake fish pinned all over it? He was a "fish friar"! Groan. It was my son.

Tootsiebelle- Yes parties have become the norm these days. I would say I have neices and nephews that have never gone Trick Or Treating as I did as a child. Growing up on Long Island in the early 1960's; I have fond memories of going door to door to see what each neighbor would treat us to. Yes some asked for a trick instead but it all added to the fun. We could walk for blocks unescorted( having been told not to eat ANYTHING until we got home) The scares of the tampering of over the counter medications ended all that. There has been a small resurgence of the fun; but mostly kids are given coupons to redeem at a local fast food restaurant of ice cream store. We also had Ragmuffin parades on Thnaksgiving morning- we would all dress up and best, scariest costume competiotions would be held. My mother has told me that Thansgiving was when she & her siblings would go door to door "begging"- received food itself more often than candy. The older kids would go around after dark creating childish mischief- egg tossing, shaving cream, water ballons,flour bags and chalk; a far cry from what can be considered criminal mischief activities seen today where damage and destruction is often the intent disguised as a Halloween Prank. Drunk drivers only adds to the problem.

Weren't the costumes fun? We created them out of the items we could find, usually from our mother's closet and make-up drawer. I don't know that I ever saw commercial costumes when I was growing up.

It is a shame that Hallowe'en isn't what it used to be. Luckily, Cranbrook is small enough that the kids still can go door-to-door, although not "running free" like we probably all did. Parents escort them up and down the streets keeping a watchful eye.

We do decorate our houses though, so scarecrows, ghosts and witches are hiding in trees and beside bushes, pumpkins are still carved and sit outside with a candle lighting their spooky insides and the crazy lady at the corner plays scarey music with shrieks of horror and has a headless man outside in her garden, she cackles as she answers the door with a handfull of treats.

Ok, the crazy lady is me, I adore Hallowe'en, plus I always accidentally have all sorts of those mini chocolate bars left over....what's not to like?

Shannon

Jo-
I love it! I wish I had thought of that!!!

Toots and Jo, we seem to be on here at the same time, why don't we try and meet in the chat room? I'll go there now and hang out...

Shannon-
I wish I could be a kid at your door-your neighborhood sounds like so much fun (and you do, too!).

TRICK or TREAT! Yes it used to be great fun. I love adult Halloween parties - they are great fun when everyone participates.

Ever since my front door was egged by teenage hooligans years ago, it soured my anticipation of how teenage kids might behave. If you don't get that egg off immediately it sticks like glue and never comes off! I love it when the men at a party dress up as women...bag ladies, glamourous divas, etc. - It's absolutely hilarious. Although, today there is a separate culture for that too!

I just went to a surprise birthday party last week where we all dressed as we would have in the sixties and early seventies. It was something to behold! I can't believe that we actually looked like that, but, oh, what fun! Needless to say, the honoree was completely dumbstruck.

BOO!

Question: Did Halloween originate in old Ireland hundreds of years ago?

Cat's Inheritance- It did originate in Celtic Ireland .It was their New Year Celebration. Do a google search for more detailed info.

Tootsiebelle- A former coworker got married on Halloween- all the guests wore costumes. You should have seen the clergymans' face when he looked into the assembled gathering before him.

Just imagine the wedding pictures!