The Bloke

[QUOTE=Seasider;8060866]I don't understand this 'Halloween is American" thing. QUOTE]

Back in the '60s/'70s, few, if any people in Australia, especially in country areas, knew the Britain celebrated Halloween as well - I didn't for one. All we knew is that Halloween/Trick or Treat was an American thing from tv shows and movies. Remember, the internet and multiculturalism were either not around (internet) or in it's infancy (multiculturalism or even country tv). Just about everyone knew that Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot was British, so firecracker night was our way of doing the Guy Fawkes celebrations.

BadgeIsBack

I thought it was an American habit, and only just hitting Brit waters in recent years - as in 10, even 20. We didn't do it was I when a kid 30 years ago.

I would have guessed it was much more of a Australian thing - as Australia picks up some US habits. We've had more trick or treaters here than in the UK.

The Bloke

Might be because your area is full of expats?

BadgeIsBack

Hardly any around here! They tend to head down the hill some 10k away. And even then I don't meet many.

Rainydaze

[QUOTE My kids have eaten the 3 bags of crap I bought for the trick or treaters. .[/QUOTE]

Snap! OH did the same thing with the 3 bags of crap we bought for the trick or treaters

Rainydaze

I LOVED all the old stuff like that. We also had to bob for silver coins, and try to take a bite from an apple suspended with balor twine usually (farming background ) and every year all the girls fought over the Brack cake with the ring in it to see who'd be getting married in the coming year. Halloween stems from the celtic new year after all. Fireworks were a bit of an issue in Northern Ireland though

Kooky.

Me too. Was it known as John Turner (pronounced Tuenner in North Yorkshire)?

moneypenny20

For the first two Halloweens we saw no one, on acreage and it's a long long dark road so don't expect anyone. Got two young girls last night, no idea where they came from, didn't recognise them but luckily first born had some feral lollies she was going to throw out so she gave them to the girls instead

Didn't see any adults so I was a bit concerned but I assume they got home safely

jad n rich

We saw loads, as we were visiting in a housing estate, but not one had a costume just boardshorts and t'ees and got any lollies.

Really really disappointing, especially as I have seen halloween done properly in canada, decorated houses, kids in costume, leaves on the ground made the bloody hand over ya lollies from kids in shorts and tees quite bizzare, not to mention rude.

comet555

That's too bad. All of our kids were dressed up for the most part, or in the very least had a mask.

I suppose you can't expect too much while it's catching on though. I didn't even take our kids around because I thought there would be no houses to trick or treat at. But it seems as though there was a few down our street.

Japonica

Yeah, the neighbor who threw the party left a leaflet in the mailboxes of the surrounding houses and asked if they'd be interested in having kids come to the door and she got 5 replies.

I guess as well that Aussies don't know yet about the "unspoken agreement" that if you want kids to come over, you decorate the house, do up a jack o' lantern etc. as a sign that you're participating. Kids back home usually know to leave undecorated houses/houses with the lights off alone.

James516

It's a horrid night, and I'd be tempted to call social services if I had small children knocking on my door after dark begging for food. Its a rare example of US culture making its way to the UK long before Australia.

ABCDiamond

I recall the first time I received a trick or treat visit, in the UK, sometime either mid 80's or mid 90's, and I didn't have a clue what they were on about, so they threw eggs at me.

My view on this is now clouded by that event.

The original British version of Halloween was very different, in that kids were supposed to sing a song, do a card trick or something in exchange for food. No threats were made, but even that died out many years ago. The threat part is definitely an American thing.

moneypenny20

Long may that last. I think it's one of the most pointless daft things to 'celebrate' and the longer Aus stays ignorant of any so called rules of the day the better. It should have stayed in North America like Thanksgiving.

BadgeIsBack

That's just it - Halloween was done in the UK - I was just under the impression that the Trick or Treat (ie. threat) was orginally wholly US. But that is probably Hollywood.

Interesting how varied the responses are on this - whether it is Australia/British. No fights yet of course!

And of course, there was Knock Down Ginger in the UK...