"Penny for the Guy" not Trick or Treat in my childhood

The Spanish kids in our village come round with a letter asking if they can come back later for trick or treat.

Just a matter of time before the little gobshites start posting their demands on the internet.

Our village is really small and still in the dark ages I am surprised they did it at all!! I actually thought it quite respectful to check that you didn't mind them coming round!

I am with you on that, respectful and showing that the parents are taking responsibility for any annoyance that their child could be causing other members of the community.

I looked out of the window at 10.15 because I heard childrens voices. Six young lads (about 10 years old) were walking down the middle of the road, each had a very small (looked almost empty) carrier in one hand and a white paper bag in the other. They were busy eating what was in the paper bag so I presume that it was a bocadillo, none of them knocked on any doors. At the bottom of the road they met up with 3 slightly older children who live in our street, they compared booty and chatted for a few minutes and then parted. One of the three was dressed as a nun , could not really work out what the other two were dressed as but it did mean that I did eventually manage to throw out some sweets.

Rosemary

Halloween or All Hallows Eve existed long before All Saints Day.

The Italian Pope (can't remember which one) invented All Saints Day to fall on November 1st to try and stop the Pagans from celebrating their harvest festival on the 31st.

Italians all go to the gravestones of loved ones today too. Officially known as All Saints Day it's also called 'Il giorno dei morti' .... the day of the dead.
It's a national holiday too - no work or school today.

Sorry you are correct, I should have typed Halloween is a shortening of all hallows eve the day before all saints day. Sorry about that, a senior moment.

Graham

You don't have to apologise to me ............. I spend some time each October teaching the Italians that Halloween was not a party invented by Americans but rather, it has deep seated roots which their Pope tried in vain to wipe out. I like telling them that bit

It was actually not so manic here last night as it has been in previous years (think we got 8 or 9 calls in all) and was obvious that the kids weren't as dressed up as they normally are. Another sign of "la crisis", parents don't have the money to spend on non-essentials.

No way am I going to finish off the Chupa Chups, just the smell of them makes me feel sick! The leftover sweets will get dished out today, to whoever is passing.

Another sign of the crisis is that the Chupa Chups factory in Asturias is moving to China

Back in the mist of my mind we did not trick nor treat nor penny for the guy in my childhood in our wee village. We dooked for apples and got messy biting treacle scones hanging from the pulley.

My kids went guisin' having learnt a song/dance/poetry or a string of jokes and went round their friends parents houses only. They had to do something to earn their treat not just stand there and ask for it ! Some of them put on quite a show. I remember one girl singing to us, really good she was.

Bonfire night was a village/family affair with food and fireworks.

Last night in the area of all my local bars/ shops it was a steady stream of dresed up children of all ages. Some bore no resemblance to spooky things although bizarre

I am amazed at some of the ages that got dressed up (almost 20yrs some I saw and know), even more amazing were the fabulous costumes and make up they had, off they went in their cars, to where I don´t know.

Nobody knocked on the doors here though.

Is it a holiday yesterday and today? Loads of cars in our village and bars full at the mo.

Holiday today, a lot of people go to the cemetaries to visit their departed.

HI, I am from the posh part of Newcastle (Scotswood Elswick and Benwell) and have to admit I've never heard of it.

....and here's me thinking that all the posh baggers live ap at Gorsforth.

In any event that probably explains it, either that or you're not so long in the tooth as me.
Guising was certainly a common thing around all the pit villages in my neck of the woods, but there again maybe it was all different for all you posh city types.