Halloween
Sep 27th 2011, 5:15 am
#31
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Halloween
Awesome! Can't beat good ol' Vincent!
Back in my late teens/early 20s I was sharing an apartment with a friend in hairdressing college. We "borrowed" some of his mannequin heads, painted red around the necks, and stuck them on sticks all around my mom's house. That and a giant rubber tarantula on a string that would fall on the kids at the front door.
The neighbors up the road had the dry ice cauldron, light show, and the adults dressed up as well...and the spooky music.
As for Thanksgiving...I miss it as much as Christmas really. I was back in Canada at this time last year...eating Mac apples (no, not the computer for those of you not in the know), bison smokies, and real pumpkin pie (not the less than Aussie version that I have to make with Kent pumpkins).
Mmm...big turkey dinner washed down with Growers Cider...okay, now I'm homesick...
Back in my late teens/early 20s I was sharing an apartment with a friend in hairdressing college. We "borrowed" some of his mannequin heads, painted red around the necks, and stuck them on sticks all around my mom's house. That and a giant rubber tarantula on a string that would fall on the kids at the front door.
The neighbors up the road had the dry ice cauldron, light show, and the adults dressed up as well...and the spooky music.
As for Thanksgiving...I miss it as much as Christmas really. I was back in Canada at this time last year...eating Mac apples (no, not the computer for those of you not in the know), bison smokies, and real pumpkin pie (not the less than Aussie version that I have to make with Kent pumpkins).
Mmm...big turkey dinner washed down with Growers Cider...okay, now I'm homesick...
Back in the UK the 31st October was known as Mischief Night when I was a kid (er...a LONG time agao) and we did pumpkin lanterns and cherry knocking and putting fireworks through peoples letterboxes, oh what fun!!
Then it died but it has started coming back again more of the American trick or treat way, with elaborate costumes and Card Shop parapernalia, hence people disliking it because of the commercial aspects of what is not really a known celebration.
Sep 27th 2011, 5:44 am
#32
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Posts: 1,612
Re: Halloween
so what is Halloween about then?
Back in the UK the 31st October was known as Mischief Night when I was a kid (er...a LONG time agao) and we did pumpkin lanterns and cherry knocking and putting fireworks through peoples letterboxes, oh what fun!!
Then it died but it has started coming back again more of the American trick or treat way, with elaborate costumes and Card Shop parapernalia, hence people disliking it because of the commercial aspects of what is not really a known celebration.
Back in the UK the 31st October was known as Mischief Night when I was a kid (er...a LONG time agao) and we did pumpkin lanterns and cherry knocking and putting fireworks through peoples letterboxes, oh what fun!!
Then it died but it has started coming back again more of the American trick or treat way, with elaborate costumes and Card Shop parapernalia, hence people disliking it because of the commercial aspects of what is not really a known celebration.
For parents, well, it's about the kids, right? Decorating the house, carving the pumpkin, handing out treats, baking, even dressing up. There's quite a few folks who have got the "I'm still a kid at heart" motto when it comes to the holiday and they do amazing haunted houses and host great parties.
People can cry "commercialization" of any holiday and they usually do. Easter cards. Plush bunnies. Christmas OTT craziness--the most overly commercial holiday of all. It's the spirit of it, right? The Hallowe'en before we moved away, my four year-old daughter and I were making little tissue ghosts to hang in our birch tree in the front yard. That was more meaningful that buying a string of lights from the shop and we remember the fun we had hanging them up and playing in the crunchy leaves afterwards.
Last edited by Japonica; Sep 27th 2011 at 5:47 am.
Sep 27th 2011, 11:48 am
#33
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,814
Re: Halloween
http://www.witchology.com/contents/o...en/samhain.php
Its a traditional Pagan holy day and Witches' Sabbath.
Its a traditional Pagan holy day and Witches' Sabbath.
Sep 27th 2011, 12:47 pm
#34
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Posts: 1,612
Re: Halloween
http://www.witchology.com/contents/o...en/samhain.php
Its a traditional Pagan holy day and Witches' Sabbath.
Its a traditional Pagan holy day and Witches' Sabbath.
Sep 27th 2011, 11:31 pm
#35
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Halloween
What is it about? Canadian perspective...for kids, dressing up in costumes, getting candy, watching scary movies, parties. Being "scared," whatever that entails. What I remember from the Hallowe'en of my childhood, way back when, was the fun of going through the neighborhood with my brother and buddies after dark, seeing all the candles and decorations, and just having the freedom to go from block to block, before the era of helicopter parenting (obviously we were about seven or eight before turned loose on our own). Our primary school also used to let us dress in costumes on the day and they'd often pile us all into the gymnasium to watch Walt Disney's the Headless Horseman and eat popcorn balls.
For parents, well, it's about the kids, right? Decorating the house, carving the pumpkin, handing out treats, baking, even dressing up. There's quite a few folks who have got the "I'm still a kid at heart" motto when it comes to the holiday and they do amazing haunted houses and host great parties.
People can cry "commercialization" of any holiday and they usually do. Easter cards. Plush bunnies. Christmas OTT craziness--the most overly commercial holiday of all. It's the spirit of it, right? The Hallowe'en before we moved away, my four year-old daughter and I were making little tissue ghosts to hang in our birch tree in the front yard. That was more meaningful that buying a string of lights from the shop and we remember the fun we had hanging them up and playing in the crunchy leaves afterwards.
For parents, well, it's about the kids, right? Decorating the house, carving the pumpkin, handing out treats, baking, even dressing up. There's quite a few folks who have got the "I'm still a kid at heart" motto when it comes to the holiday and they do amazing haunted houses and host great parties.
People can cry "commercialization" of any holiday and they usually do. Easter cards. Plush bunnies. Christmas OTT craziness--the most overly commercial holiday of all. It's the spirit of it, right? The Hallowe'en before we moved away, my four year-old daughter and I were making little tissue ghosts to hang in our birch tree in the front yard. That was more meaningful that buying a string of lights from the shop and we remember the fun we had hanging them up and playing in the crunchy leaves afterwards.
Sep 27th 2011, 11:32 pm
#36
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Halloween
http://www.witchology.com/contents/o...en/samhain.php
Its a traditional Pagan holy day and Witches' Sabbath.
Its a traditional Pagan holy day and Witches' Sabbath.
Sep 28th 2011, 12:25 am
#38
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Halloween
Maybe Ned Kelly Day might be more appropriate...kids can walk around with buckets on their head and eat raw dingo meat for treats!
Sep 28th 2011, 12:32 am
#39
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Brisvegas
Posts: 5,461
Re: Halloween
I'd be all for that. Wild Boys is my new favourite show and has the hottest bushrangers, makes my day.
Sep 28th 2011, 12:37 am
#40
Mostly Harmless
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Semi-rural wonderworld, Brisbane
Posts: 15,109
Sep 28th 2011, 2:35 am
#41
Still alive
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,994
Re: Halloween
Well, clearly you do or you wouldn't have quoted Japonica's post regarding the Canadian perspective on it. Oh, and the OP is in Canada asking whether Hallowe'en in Australia will be similar TO CANADA
Sep 28th 2011, 4:04 am
#42
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Posts: 1,612
Re: Halloween
We currently live in Canada and are moving to Brisbane in a few weeks.
In Canada Halloween is a big deal. I just wondered if it was in Australia.
In Canada Halloween is a big deal. I just wondered if it was in Australia.
Bah humbug.
well who gives a crap about Canada???
Last edited by Japonica; Sep 28th 2011 at 4:09 am.
Sep 28th 2011, 5:34 am
#43
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Burns Beach and loving it!
Posts: 830
Re: Halloween
We had a great time trick or treating in the "American area" of Singapore - whole streets are closed down and hundreds of kids are wandering around in fancy dress.
And I've learned something new, or maybe I was just woefully ignorant; it'd never occurred to me that Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving.
And I've learned something new, or maybe I was just woefully ignorant; it'd never occurred to me that Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving.
Sep 28th 2011, 5:42 am
#44
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Posts: 1,612
Re: Halloween
We had a great time trick or treating in the "American area" of Singapore - whole streets are closed down and hundreds of kids are wandering around in fancy dress.
And I've learned something new, or maybe I was just woefully ignorant; it'd never occurred to me that Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving.
And I've learned something new, or maybe I was just woefully ignorant; it'd never occurred to me that Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving.
Yeah, but in October, not November. Nice long holiday weekend too with stat holiday.
Sep 28th 2011, 7:14 am
#45
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Halloween
Yeah, not many points to paddyo for missing that little detail in the OP...
Wait for it...we're going to have some sage advice and a comparative analysis of Hallowe'en in the two countries from experts who have never been to Canada (perhaps aside from a two week jaunt through the Rockies, if we give them credit) and who couldn't be arsed about learning anything about other traditions or letting kids have fun. It's going to be scintillating...just wait...it goes like this...
Bah humbug.
That was profound. I bet the OP appreciates the insight.
Wait for it...we're going to have some sage advice and a comparative analysis of Hallowe'en in the two countries from experts who have never been to Canada (perhaps aside from a two week jaunt through the Rockies, if we give them credit) and who couldn't be arsed about learning anything about other traditions or letting kids have fun. It's going to be scintillating...just wait...it goes like this...
Bah humbug.
That was profound. I bet the OP appreciates the insight.