Halloween - Do you like it?
@RawBill1 (8531)
Gold Coast, Australia
October 28, 2010 3:34pm CST
It is that time of year again.
Time for my Halloween Rant! 
I hate Halloween, I really do! I do not want to be a scrooge or a party pooper, but the way I see it, Halloween is just another grab by the corporate world for the money of the people. It is mass consumerism gone mad. Everywhere you go, the stores are packed with Halloween costumes, decorations and junk food treats that people are expected to have in their homes to give to children that come scavenging! The corporate world must love the profits from this time of year!
It is not something that I grew up with and has only become popular over the last 20 years or so as we become more Americanised here in Australia. When I was a child, no one went door to door expecting people to give them junk food. I only knew of it through watching American TV shows and films.
I know that the celebration has Celtic origins, but the door to door scavenging that we see here is far removed from those origins. Just like the other mass consumer aimed celebrations of Easter and Christmas these days.
The kids come around expecting treats and when you give them an apple, they just look at you in disbelief. My own children want to go out and participate in this ritual with their friends, but they know that as health conscious parents, we will not allow them to. The last thing I want to put up with is the nasty behaviour that always comes with sugar come downs after eating these chemical laden surprise packets. 
Many years ago, before I was a parent, these kids came expecting treats and when I had nothing for them, they threw eggs at my car! As it was a Saturday night, I did not find this damage until midday Sunday after the eggs had baked onto my car in the hot morning sun! It took a lot of hard work to get that egg off and even then it left stains! 
RANT OVER!
Do you like Halloween? Do you celebrate it in your part of the world?
I hate Halloween, I really do! I do not want to be a scrooge or a party pooper, but the way I see it, Halloween is just another grab by the corporate world for the money of the people. It is mass consumerism gone mad. Everywhere you go, the stores are packed with Halloween costumes, decorations and junk food treats that people are expected to have in their homes to give to children that come scavenging! The corporate world must love the profits from this time of year!
It is not something that I grew up with and has only become popular over the last 20 years or so as we become more Americanised here in Australia. When I was a child, no one went door to door expecting people to give them junk food. I only knew of it through watching American TV shows and films.
I know that the celebration has Celtic origins, but the door to door scavenging that we see here is far removed from those origins. Just like the other mass consumer aimed celebrations of Easter and Christmas these days.
The kids come around expecting treats and when you give them an apple, they just look at you in disbelief. My own children want to go out and participate in this ritual with their friends, but they know that as health conscious parents, we will not allow them to. The last thing I want to put up with is the nasty behaviour that always comes with sugar come downs after eating these chemical laden surprise packets.
Many years ago, before I was a parent, these kids came expecting treats and when I had nothing for them, they threw eggs at my car! As it was a Saturday night, I did not find this damage until midday Sunday after the eggs had baked onto my car in the hot morning sun! It took a lot of hard work to get that egg off and even then it left stains!
RANT OVER!
Do you like Halloween? Do you celebrate it in your part of the world?1 person likes this
20 responses
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
28 Oct 10
Americanization hasn't really caught on down here in South Australia yet. Ever since I was married, all the kids that used to come around have left us alone. I wonder how big it is over in the UK? My wife wants us to dress up & do the whole thing this year to rob everyone in the neighbourhood just before we leave. Sorry for your car, but I just give 'em money & they leave us alone. The little buggers actually did more damage when I paid them to mow my lawn years ago! I see what you mean by mass consumerism gone mad. People's mindsets clearly have to change regarding these things. The word "Holiday" comes from the old expression "holy day", which has always been linked to unnecessary religious festivals. They are just as unholy now as they used to be. So what's the answer? Do we just sit back & boycott it? Do we host platforms to educate parents & children about sugar & property destruction? Do we petition councils to ban it? Do we print flyers? Do we post "this house is not Halloween-friendly" signs out the front? Enough is enough!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
29 Oct 10
I did notice that Adelaide was not as Americanised as the Eastern States, but it is there in smaller doses. It is only a matter of time before the 'evil' 
creeps in!
There is one neighbour here who actually organises a safe and supervised trick or treat outing throughout our block. They are friends of ours, but they have some different thoughts to us when it comes to diet and nutrition obviously. They go around the whole area about two weeks prior to Halloween handing out flyers with balloons attached. If you want your house to participate, then you tie a balloon to your front gate or letterbox. If you don't, then you you keep the balloon and do nothing. They only stop at houses with balloons.
This is good but it does not stop all the other kids from other areas coming through our street and scavenging! I wonder what happened to the apples that we gave some of them a couple of years ago. I bet they did not eat them. I hope they did, but I bet they turned into missiles!
I don't know what the answer is, but all I am planning as usual is to boycott it. Perhaps I could start up a Facebook group against it!
creeps in!
There is one neighbour here who actually organises a safe and supervised trick or treat outing throughout our block. They are friends of ours, but they have some different thoughts to us when it comes to diet and nutrition obviously. They go around the whole area about two weeks prior to Halloween handing out flyers with balloons attached. If you want your house to participate, then you tie a balloon to your front gate or letterbox. If you don't, then you you keep the balloon and do nothing. They only stop at houses with balloons.
This is good but it does not stop all the other kids from other areas coming through our street and scavenging! I wonder what happened to the apples that we gave some of them a couple of years ago. I bet they did not eat them. I hope they did, but I bet they turned into missiles!
I don't know what the answer is, but all I am planning as usual is to boycott it. Perhaps I could start up a Facebook group against it!@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
30 Oct 10
Oh, yeah, I forgot that rAdelaide is the City Of Churches! 
(speaking of churches, I just finished Angels and Demons about an hour ago) Great Book!
Yeah, how many people do think will be changing their profile pictures to Halloween themed photos of themselves over the next few days? 
(speaking of churches, I just finished Angels and Demons about an hour ago) Great Book!
Yeah, how many people do think will be changing their profile pictures to Halloween themed photos of themselves over the next few days? @veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
29 Oct 10
Oh no you don't! Evil gets persecuted down here 
! Our many prolific churches will get together (yeah, like that's ever going to happen!), & rain fire & brimstone down upon them all until the fear has spread sufficiently
.
The balloon idea sounds good. I think we'll also boycott it, but will have to keep my wife on a short leash on the day
. One would think that with the advent of MySpaceBook type stuff that kids would stop doing it. I reckon any that get photographed or videoed would end up there in front of their peer group & that'd be the end of it!
! Our many prolific churches will get together (yeah, like that's ever going to happen!), & rain fire & brimstone down upon them all until the fear has spread sufficiently.
The balloon idea sounds good. I think we'll also boycott it, but will have to keep my wife on a short leash on the day. One would think that with the advent of MySpaceBook type stuff that kids would stop doing it. I reckon any that get photographed or videoed would end up there in front of their peer group & that'd be the end of it!
@rinfour (250)
• Philippines
29 Oct 10
Well, we do celebrate it here but not like how Americans celebrate it. We do not go to parties and dress up in costumes. Instead we go to the cemetery and pray for our deceased relatives. In this respect, I do not hate Halloween. But I am also not fond of the decorations and all the sweets in the systems of the children. .
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Nov 10
Welcome to MyLot Rinfour! 
What country are you from? That sounds interesting what you do there. Very different from what I see most people doing to celebrate this occasion.
What country are you from? That sounds interesting what you do there. Very different from what I see most people doing to celebrate this occasion. @RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
14 Nov 10
That is OK. 
There are a lot of people from the Philippines here. Hopefully you have met some of them already.
It does sound like an interesting ritual that you do over there. Were the crowds big for this ritual?
There are a lot of people from the Philippines here. Hopefully you have met some of them already.
It does sound like an interesting ritual that you do over there. Were the crowds big for this ritual?@rinfour (250)
• Philippines
1 Nov 10
thank you for welcoming me. :)
I'm from the Philippines. We just got home from the memorial park, we prayed the rosary, lit some candles and left flowers. Since it was raining, we didn't stay for too long. It's a pretty serene experience but we have to survive through the heavy traffic. But once inside the memorial park, everything is relatively quiet. :)
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
8 Nov 10
I had no idea this night was celebrated in Australia...I guess it isn't in fact...it's the commercial variety we are experiencing. I don't like the idea of kids going round scavenging. There are too many bad people around these days just waiting for some sort of opportunity to present itself.
Wow! apples??! They're so expensive. If you have to give them something, give them a few peanuts - in the shell. That will be a novelty; sort of a trick and a treat. Muhahahahah.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
13 Nov 10
That's right, is seems that we have embraced the commercial side of Halloween along with what I call the "scavenging side of Halloween" but not the creative and artistic side of it. This is probably just because it has only entered this country in these modern times when most people want everything now and expect maximum reward for as little effort as possible.
We only gave them apples because we had lots of them at the time I think. I can't remember as that happened a couple of years back. We buy them by the box from the markets from time to time, so they are a lot cheaper that way.
Hmmm, peanuts could be interesting! You could find yourself in big trouble if a child has a peanut allergy! Apparently kids are not even allowed to take peanuts to school anymore because of the fear surrounding the peanut! 
Hmmm, peanuts could be interesting! You could find yourself in big trouble if a child has a peanut allergy! Apparently kids are not even allowed to take peanuts to school anymore because of the fear surrounding the peanut! 
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
30 Oct 10
hi rawbill yes and I think you must have mentally tuned into our
dinner conversation my two tablemates had with me. we all said
almost identical words to your rant. we must all be older people
and when i was a kid we just got into mischief on Halloween
and our parents sure stopped that wih some well placed swats
to the butt. As for the sugar highs, I worked in the local library
with the childrens librarian.She was a lovely person with one flaw
she gave her kids at story hour little bags of candy. Can you imagine
twenty kids from five to ten all sugared up and turned loose in a library where on the adult side people of all ages were studying or using laptops . then they hear all the noise and commotion of 20 kids strung up on sugar. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. complaints after complaints. of course the kids loved her.I too do not much like Halloween at all.
@thaMARKER (2503)
• Philippines
30 Oct 10
i don't really give much attention to Halloween ever since. never been to a costume party but i've tried being in the office and Halloween stuff were all over the place. it doesn't really matter to me, with or without Halloween..
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
14 Nov 10
It can be hard not to get caught up in these things when there are heaps of people surrounding us who are into celebrating them. I applaud you for not getting involved in it!
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
29 Oct 10
I am aware that in Australia Halloween has become popular not too long ago and I never participated in Halloween celebrations when I was a kid, it was not heard of! These days it is part of the children’s life in fact my daughter is going to a Halloween disco tonight at her school and it’s already cost me for a costume but she is so excited about it I don’t have the heart to say no. I don’t mind the parties etc. but the door to door thing is a tad annoying. My husband took my daughter trick a treating last year because I didn’t want to do t and she came back with mountains of lollies and biscuits and one of the neighbours even gave her money! What I think is criminal is egging someone’s car or front door, that is just not on!
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
1 Nov 10
I don't usually go because my husband takes my daughter but last night my brother in law offered to take both my girl and his so they both got all dressed up and off they went. My husband, my sister and I stayed behind and had coffee; they were gone for ages and when they came back they had heaps of lollies, biscuits etc., someone even gave them money! I am not so sure I like them scavenging the neighbourhood but they did have lots of fun! Chickens would do a lot more damage I guess and it would be very cruel!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Nov 10
Hi Paula, how did you go with the trick or treating last night? We thankfully had no visitors at all at our door. They were going up and down the street but they went past our house for the first time ever I think. We must have a reputation as health nuts now! 
I was out for most of it as I was up on the Sunshine Coast all day, but I got home in the middle of their "Greed Walk" and my wife said that none had come. That surprised me and I was surprised too that none came later.
Yep, egging is not on. Eggs do damage. Still better that they throw eggs than throwing chickens though I guess!
I was out for most of it as I was up on the Sunshine Coast all day, but I got home in the middle of their "Greed Walk" and my wife said that none had come. That surprised me and I was surprised too that none came later.
Yep, egging is not on. Eggs do damage. Still better that they throw eggs than throwing chickens though I guess! 1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Nov 10
You are probably very lucky to have avoided this so far in your country Zandi. But as with other American infiltrations like the fast food restaurants that are now appearing over there, it is probably only a matter of time before it starts being celebrated.
@jazel_juan (15747)
• Philippines
29 Oct 10
hahahha i do love halloween but it is not that celebrated here in my country. i love watching kids on tv or movies about halloween. How i wish my kids could also participate in trick or treating! Really? u dont get ur kids to join? awww dont be so hard on them , its not everyday they become a kid. at my in law's house they kinda a little halloween party for the kids, my kids and their cousins and we dress them up and give them candies. its not everyday we do give them such treats! i am health conscious but i still let them eat candies..as long as they brush their teeth afterwards and drink plenty of water:D
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
29 Oct 10
I agree that businesses use halloween to fatten up their pockets..and I don't like the door to door stuff much either. By the end of the weekend, my little dogs are going to be very stressed. I do participate in certain festivities. I have most all my life. There are some great alternatives now to take the place of the door to door stuff. The local mall had the managers in every store dress up and give out candy. I liked taking mine there versus to houses. There are activities going on there for children too. There are unsupervised children running around trying to get in on the trick part of the holiday...that's the worst! Eggs and toilet paper are what you have to watch out for in this area.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Nov 10
There are certain parts of the festival that I like. For instance I went to an archery competition yesterday and as it was on Halloween, they decorated the club house and had fake graves in amongst the trees and bats and ghosts hanging from the trees. All of this was home made, no bought stuff, which I liked.
There was also a novelty shoot aside from the official competition in which we had to shoot at pictures of witches on broomsticks, skulls and pumpkins. There was a competition for the best dressed competitor and a few people had gone to a lot of effort to dress up. All home made costumes once again! This was fun and different from what most people do here for Halloween.
There was also a novelty shoot aside from the official competition in which we had to shoot at pictures of witches on broomsticks, skulls and pumpkins. There was a competition for the best dressed competitor and a few people had gone to a lot of effort to dress up. All home made costumes once again! This was fun and different from what most people do here for Halloween. @KingRezz101 (52)
• United States
29 Oct 10
Well yes the big corporte people use Halloween for money but children and maybe some older people may like it still. Also I agree with you and not agree with you. Halloween can be sometimes a dangerous time for some people cause parents think there is some bad candy out there who can hurt people's children and its dark time and scary and all that. I don't agree with you though because Halloween is a fun time for some people.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
14 Nov 10
It can be a fun time and I have nothing against people having fun, but I think there are better ways to have fun that are more positive and healthier for children. I just liked this country better before we stated adopting these Americanised unhealthy habits such as fast food restaurants and Halloween.
If children went out hunting for healthy treats instead and created their own costumes instead of expecting their parents to buy them one, then that would be a different story. 
If children went out hunting for healthy treats instead and created their own costumes instead of expecting their parents to buy them one, then that would be a different story. 
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
30 Oct 10
I have never heard anyone describe scaring others as cute before!
What are you going to dress up as for the party?
What are you going to dress up as for the party? @jennbart (1330)
• Philippines
29 Oct 10
Yes, I like halloween. I actually love it. I love ghost stories that is why I am so into halloween. I love trick or treating and it only comes once a year. I look forward to it. Why not let your kids do the trick or treating but give the candies away to other kids?
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Nov 10
I have never seen anyone telling ghost stories here. That does not seem to have become popular, just the roaming the streets for junk food bit!
How could I let my kids go out and get these sugary nasties and then give them away? My kids do not have that strong a will power! I do not mind my children wanting to dress up if they are prepared to put some time into making costumes, but as most kids here, they are not prepared to put the time and effort into this. Most kids want parents to buy them costumes so they can get the candy.
@EKOBERNIE (264)
• United States
29 Oct 10
Times are hard these days, imagine if there were no holidays. We would all die, at least holiday time people go out and spend money even if they do not want to. If you want to live in better times you have to celebrate the holidays. Your kids don't care if you have money or not they just want theirs masks and go around houses and collect candy.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
14 Nov 10
Times are not that hard here, there are lots of ways to enjoy ourselves.
I do not mind celebrating holiday times that have meaning, but Halloween has no real meaning here in Australia. It has only been embraced as the commercial side of the festival started it here. Then once it started to catch on with a few kids, then others want to follow and eat lots of junk food. I do not mind celebrations, but when they are wholly centred around feeding kids poisonous treats, then I do not want to be involved!
I do not mind celebrating holiday times that have meaning, but Halloween has no real meaning here in Australia. It has only been embraced as the commercial side of the festival started it here. Then once it started to catch on with a few kids, then others want to follow and eat lots of junk food. I do not mind celebrations, but when they are wholly centred around feeding kids poisonous treats, then I do not want to be involved!
@betsuz (57)
• United States
29 Oct 10
I love Halloween. It's one of my favorite holidays because I love to dress up in a costume and I think it's fun to see other people dress up in costumes as well. As for the candy part. I would have to agree that the candy is very bad for kids, but it only comes once a year, let them have some fun. There is nothing wrong with giving out fruit too. If you really can't give out candy or fruit then you can give out a toy like Halloween themed toys, bubbles or stickers.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Nov 10
I agree that we could give out toys, but most of the toys that we would end up giving out would be cheap little novelty things that would end up breaking and end up in landfill polluting the earth.
I do not want to come across all negative about it, but that is the reality of Halloween in these modern times. It contributes to the destruction of the health of children and the planet unfortunately.
We just need to become more aware of the damage that we are doing. 
I do not want to come across all negative about it, but that is the reality of Halloween in these modern times. It contributes to the destruction of the health of children and the planet unfortunately.
We just need to become more aware of the damage that we are doing. @lisasmith (22)
• Canada
29 Oct 10
i love halloween, such a thrill and a rush. i like to scare and attempt to scare myself.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
30 Oct 10
Welcome to MyLot LisaSmith!
I am glad you can get some joy out of the event.
I am glad you can get some joy out of the event. 
@tonyllenium (6252)
• Italy
29 Oct 10
i always saw halloween celebration as really funny and a bit starnge but normally ok so i think i like halloween too!!In reality i come from a country that ahlloween was not celebrated so much and here there is not a big tradition of halloween classics as in other countries...so from some years people uses to celebrate it even if this is not so spread..and so i think there is funny..
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
30 Oct 10
It certainly is a bit strange. That is one thing that is for certain about it!
@maezee (41997)
• United States
28 Oct 10
Well that was immature of the kids to do..Throw eggs at your car..What little ungrateful ****'s! lmao. I don't mind Halloween. I mean, you're absolutely right, it's one of those holidays where it's totally commercialized, no one really knows the real meaning or cares to question, and it's just glutinous as heck, and beyond that - of course corporations are going to try to bank off of us for following traditions that we blindly stick to. BUT! It can still be fun, regardless. I mean, when I dress up, I don't usually go out and buy a $50 costume that Walgreens or Party City or Target is selling, I usually just make something out of scratch. The only real reason why I like Halloween is because it's an excuse to party (as if I need one, lol) and it ends up being a good, albeit, goofy time.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
30 Oct 10
I do see how it can be fun. Just because I do not go for it does not mean that others should not enjoy it. I am glad to hear that you make your own costumes. I guess I would like the event better if everyone did that instead of just spending carelessly.
At least people would be getting creative and using their talents then. Here, it seems like people want to go to as little effort to get maximum reward. In other words, they just buy a costume, then go out door knocking for loads of sugary junk foods. The parties do not seem to be that popular, no one does the pumpkin growing and carving thing that I see on American TV. Those types of pumpkins are not even available here that I have ever seen!
At least people would be getting creative and using their talents then. Here, it seems like people want to go to as little effort to get maximum reward. In other words, they just buy a costume, then go out door knocking for loads of sugary junk foods. The parties do not seem to be that popular, no one does the pumpkin growing and carving thing that I see on American TV. Those types of pumpkins are not even available here that I have ever seen!
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
28 Oct 10
I love halloween. We celebrate it here. It's one of the happiest seasons here. We have fun at costume parties, i go with kids to mess up their trick or treats, we visit the cemetery, etc.. It's so much fun. Too bad you don't have fun during this time of the year.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
29 Oct 10
It is fun I guess if there is a whole culture that has grown up with it and get more involved in it in a social way. From what I see here though, it is just about pillaging the community. The main thing that people do is trick or treat, but I see no people doing tricks. I am not even sure what the trick part of trick or treat entails as all I see is people knocking on doors expecting treats! I never hear of people having costume parties really.
I think I might have to organise my own tricks. Perhaps I could open fire on the kids with a high powered water pistol and yell TRICK when they enter my property!
Is that allowed? 
Is that allowed? 
@Nickfyoung (323)
• Australia
28 Oct 10
You are right. Because the States is super consumerised the retail system has something organized for every month of the year, Mothers day, Fathers day, thanksgiving, Christmas etc. etc.
It is a shame that most of these celebrations are governed by retailers and their drive for profits. Not that that is bad but when I was in retail, these holidays I would avoid. Because what do you do with all that stock left over from each holiday but put it away for a year and end up with a store room full which increases costs.
Anyway, to Halloween, I don't like to glorify some of the evil things that the kids represent by costume and don't think it is good to de-sensitize kids to any aspects of evil.
Just my thoughts.
@asyria51 (2861)
• United States
28 Oct 10
I actually do not mind celebrating it. i live in a relatively calm area, there are not really any pranksters. I know that the meaning of it has been completely changed, but the same is true with every holiday. Part of me thinks that it helps boost the economy so it is not the worst thing in the world.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
30 Oct 10
It helps boost the economy in terms of corporate profits. The retailers make a fortune from Halloween. But I feel the average struggling family are wasting too much money on these novelty events because they automatically feel they have too. They will go out and spend hundreds on costumes, treats and decorations, most likely on their credit cards without even giving it a second thought.
I am glad to hear that you enjoy it and do not have any problems with it.
I am glad to hear that you enjoy it and do not have any problems with it. 