Category: Let's talk
Well today is Halloween, and all across the world kids will be knocking on doors shouting “trick or treat!”. So I was wondering what your opinions are. Personally I think that trick or treating is just demanding money with menaces, considering that a lot of the kids who do it round here are old enough to be in gainful employment by now, and as of the fall of darkness, I shall switch off my doorbell and refuse to open the door to anyone! But what do you all think, were you allowed out trick or treating when you were kids? Or do you think as I do that it’s just glorified begging!
I agree, it's just glorified begging, and I refuse to open my door in the evenings at this time of year. I don't know any of the kids around here, or any of their parents, though I think if I did, I might give, but only because they were people I knew, and knew would be made to apreciate it by their parents.
I think it's probably different in the US, where it is more or less a national tradition, and everyone expects it. It's a bit strange in Australia. We've been americanised to the extent that some kids do do it now, with the dressing up and door-knocking, but nobody's quite sure what the protocol is. Most people, especially the older generation, are surprised to get a mob of costumed kids at their door, are rarely prepared with lollies, and are just not sure about the whole thing.
I used to go trick or treating when I was younger and it was fun.
oh, yeah, trick or treating was a big thing with us when we were younger. I 'don't look at it as begging. I mean if you don't want to give candy then, you turn out your outdoor lights. It gives kids a time to have fun and dress crazy, or in whatever they want! Most kids love it! And myself when i was sited, loved to see all the kids in there cute costumes! I tend to spoil my niece's every chance i get. So I go all out for them. I mean it's a once a year thing, so why not enjoy it? smiles, shea
Yeah I did it as a kid, Like others have said maybe it's just an american thing. but now I don't give out candy I usually just leave my light off as well.
surely that will change now with the married thing coming up!
WEll, I don't think it's a bad thing in the U.S. it's an old tradition, I think it should be refined more to stores and businesses rather than to esidential areas or at least I think residentail communities could e.g. set up a sign banning all trick or treating in the neighbourhood but over-all I think it's a cute tradition. However I don't like it how it's being exported to the rest of the world, it's fun but it just doesn't feel right when e.g. in Iceland you start seeing kids do this, we've never celebrated Halloween until just 4 or 5 years ago and we have a similar day in the spring where kids can do similar things (without the scary customes though) and that is a more Icelandic thing, really same with Valentine's day we have a husband and wife day (one for each) and that can also be applied to boy friend / girl friend and I don't see why we should importa American or well British (in this case Valentine's day was originally British I think) holidays :) you sort of lose your sense of nationality if you start only celebrating the special occasions that you see on tv shows.
Down with the american cultural suffocation! I never thought the Aussies would have let that happen.Last year we were accosted outside Failte by a group of schoolgirls from hell, who said loudly trick or treat! to which, I shook my head in disgust and said. Your getting feck all for imitating yanks, your in Scotland the best country in the feckin world..apart from Ireland.
I think it is alright as one can choose whether to participate or not by using the signification of the porch light being on or not. Also, the vast majority of people going door to door are small children under the watchful eye of their mom an/or dad. There's this sort of unspoken rule which people know it is something you don't do past age 12 or 14 at most.
*gasps* How can you guys think like this? I don't think of trick or treating as begging at all! It's a time when kids can have fun and families show their creative sides! I definetly am giving out candy this year and hope that lots of kids come to my place. When I was younger, I went trick or treating with my family and friends and it was so much fun. Some families decorated their houses in the Halloween style and it was so cool. As a loving older sister, I use to go costume shopping with my younger sybblings and that was lots of fun too! I think Halloween is a great holiday because it makes kids so happy and excited! We all use to take pictures before leaving the house and that was pretty cool. I don't know. I just love having fun with kids and I think that Halloween gives you that perfect opportunity to do so! lol My one regret for being blind is that I can never take my own children and their friends out trick or treating. heheheh But I'll find a way for them to go somehow. lolol
*sexy*
yes i know! it's the only day in the year when you get to do it
So last year it was the politically correct folks complaining about Halloween because it was disruptive to regular class schedules and that some costumes might offend people or alienate them. Now this year, I've heard arguments from the conservative side that Halloween has non-Christian, and therefore entirely evil origins and it encourages begging and other unruly behaviors from kids and adults alike. We can't have any of that, as it risks our souls going to Hell and goes against everything we hold near and dear, like mindless conformity. In an effort to please everybody, I make this proposal. Ban all celebrations of any kind. This not only means Halloween and Christmas and Thanksgiving, but birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, everything. Why? Because whatever traditions you honor and whatever event you celebrate, it will either offend or alienate somebody, else it will be seen as having some kind of dark non-Christian origins or encourage bad and anti-social behavior. And don't get me started on the subject of the Satanic and deadly evils of, *gasp*, commercialism! So, everyone, let every day be like another all year. Let us all just go to school and do our jobs and that's all. We'll be miserable, but we won't risk our souls being damned to the Christian hell or offending or alienating anyone at any time. Why have fun when you can sit quietly and contemplate your fallen and evil nature as a human being, and you should beg and plead to your deities of choice that you be spared punishment merely for being born imperfect. Don't that sound like a blast? So choose, but be careful what you wish for.*evil sarcastic grin*
I think you're never too old to go trick or treating and it's a fun thing to do every Halloween. I'd do it if I had a costume and people to go trick or treating with who could drive me to the good neighborhoods. We don't have many kids here, so no one really celebrates Halloween in this part of town. What I'd love to do if I move to a neighborhood where kids do trick or treat and if I was just a candy hander outer, I'd get those little pinata sized toys and make a cardboard coin and when kids said "trick or treat!" I'd flip and if it was the treat side, they'd get candy and the trick side would be the little toys. I'm a Pagan, so I'm celebrating Samhain, the Pagan New Year tonight. Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween everyone!
I like Halloween as well. I used to do trick-or-treating and wearing/making up my own costume when I was younger. Unfortunately, I don't think people in my neighborhood celecrate it as much, as before there used to be almost every house giving out candy but now only a few (including mine) are doing it. It just feels weird. I'm 23, and I still think it'd be fun to dress up and go trick-or-treating. *smiles* I mean, it's the only day where it's normal for people (adults included) to dress up as whatever/whoever they want and have their houses all decorated scary; it's fun! In fact, it'd be cool if they were to let kids especially, have the next day off since trick-or-treating is normally done at night. I don't see trick-or-treating as any kind of begging; it is expected that that is part of Halloween, to me, it wouldn't be Halloween without hearing groups of costumed people going to houses and being given candy. (Buy the way, Milotica, that sounds like a cool idea with the trick-or-treating thing. *smiles*)
Halloween's a good excuse to watch some good old spooky movies on DVD. Forget the cable channels because they play pretty much nothing but slasher movies. Also, I get to buy myself a favorite bag of candy when I would not splurge so much any other time of the year. I didn't dress up this year, but I was a dementor last year for a Halloween party we had. It helps if you ahve a kid in the house.
Exactly! That's another favorite part, the candy! *smiles*
Y'all can think I'm weird if you must, but at 40 years old, I like an excuse to bring out the kid in me a bit. Helps keep you sane and to not take life so seriously and all that. Halloween and Christmas are a few of my favorite holidays.
Yeah. I love the candy on Halloween, and the opening presents on Christmas (and my birthday) also. I'd also rather receive and buy things that are interesting to me, such as things that make sounds, games, dolls, figurines, and stuff like that. I'm not much into getting clothes or picture frames or stuff like that. I think some children's toys and useful gadgets are more interesting. *smiles*
I even think those LeapPad Things are cool, where you can point the pen to something in the book and it'll read or otherwise indicate what it is. I don't have any myself, but I like looking at them at the store and think that they could build from that and should make maps or other things accessible for blind people using that same idea.
Well if anyone came to me saying Trick Or Treat, I would interpret that as a multiple choice offer, Do I want a trick or a treat, well I can think of enough tricks myself and I love been rewarded so, I'll choose the treat thanks!