the younger siblings have been invited to a halloween party, and never in my upbringing have i been involved in such, nor did my folks endose it. until now though, the folks are all for it... and the kids are excited. Dressing up and all to look like something from a Michael Jackson's thriller video....

Maybe i'm just a senile party pooper... but when a american holiday which originated in europe from the irish and Celtics to celebrate 'SUMMERS END' comes to the southern hemisphere... IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! Particularly when its summer starting and we don't have white xmas's like the northern hemisphere.

Whats the go?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween 

sigh...
rant over, i need a drink.

yep we dont need it here in Aussie

Its another commericalised tradition like Christmas and Easter. The only reason everyone pictures Santa as a fat guy in red and white was because of the Coke ads. Before that he just a Saint in standard garb for the period handing out gifts. Another victory for the Advertising agentcies.

its not a rant Chris, its fact... its just another excuse for shopkeepers to make money out of the gullible public,either that or for people to let their kids out to cadge for free lollies... Not at my house

Count me in with the bah humbug brigade, we live in Australia, we don't need this Americanisation of our culture here, when the kids knock on my door I ask them what is the date for Australia Day or Anzac day or the like, if they answer correctly they get showered in gifts if not then its off ya go. Years ago and against my better judgement (outvoted by the other leaders) I took a bunch of Cub Scouts around on a halloween night door knock, we actualy managed to scare a couple of the older people who opened the door and were not aware of what was going on, so I bought the kids a heap of lollies to share and called it off, they were happie little blokes and the neighbourhood was left in piece. Ausie Ausie Ausie oie oie oie.

I agree with all the above. My 5 year old daughter wants to get dressed up and go trick or treating tonight. That should have read is getting dressed up etc. I have to go tell the neighbors to expect a visit and give them some chocolates so they have something to give.

With that said, we had a Halloween party 7 years ago for our son (then 12), but it was really just a fancy dress party and was a lot of fun. But no trick or treating was to be seen.

Kev

"when the kids knock on my door I ask them what is the date for Australia Day or Anzac day or the like, if they answer correctly they get showered in gifts if not then its off ya go"

Sounds like my dad, he reckons anyone with a sothern cross tat or sticker on their car should be able to name the stars in the crioss.

Hi

Its actually very big in the UK, so its not actually American.

Steve

I don't see what the big fuss is about. Why don't we stop celebrating christmas while we are at it. It is just the church ripping off the pagan's celebration of the winter solstice to make converting them easier. It is more than likely that Jesus wasn't born on the 25th of December. Let's get rid of easter as well. It is just a celebration of the Anglo saxon goddess Eostre. If people want an excuse to celebrate and have fun lets let them do it....

We don't need imported this or that?
Funny to hear on a import forum.

Oh ok. I guess then we don't need German cars or Chinese computers.

And I certainly not expect to hear of Cal-lookers, or Scat components etc... Bloody americanisms.

I have to take back what I have said. If people want to have fun, they should and I agree with Dave. I am just a cranky old Grinch. There should be more laughter in life and I need to join in and stop being a shit head. Even my Daughter asks why am I cranky all the time.

Go Halloween and any other fun occasions.

Kev

I can take it or leave it really.
The kids went to a few good Halloween parties in the UK when we lived there, but i do agree that it makes more sense there....cold winters evening etc! Just doesn't sit right here!
Having said that, we are doing a pumpkin for the garden...but wont be doing the trick or treat thing

nah .....BRING IT ON!!

Gives me a chance to get rid of the hash cookies and coke sherberts

here kiddes, kiddes kiddes

Of course the kids know what it is about - LOLLIES - what else.

I must say, I have met some females who I reckon would fall int the category of 'Witches". lol

Nope, I don't take my coments back, but give me a chance to turn the music up and dance (well I think it's dancing, the mises disagrees ) the night away, then invite me over, Hey Bizarre, do you do mail order on the hash cookies and coke sherberts?

Just to clear up it evolved from the Celtic festival of Samhain which was basically a celebration of the end of summer. The celts believed that at this time the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead was particularly thin. This allowed both good and evil spirits to enter the world. Out of superstition the dressed in scary outfits to scare off the evil spirits. For those of you more visual i quite like this guys take on it

http://www.commissionedcomic.com/?p=1825 

Pointless tradition to make kids smile and get them fat but even still we don't need it here in Australia! I admit i did trick or treat when i was younger but our suburb was very tight knit and everyone joined in but these days it is not so big. Tonight i have no lollies waiting to be handed out so when they come knocking they wont be receiving anything from me except a "sorry this is Australia not America, I dont support Americanism"

personally i dont see the point and have never celebrated it either and i dont feel like having my house egged..... drinking sounds like a plan... lol im gonna sit in the window and throw water bombs at anyone that approaches

yea maybe i'm just jealous of everyones fun, i missed out when i was littler. I like your idea though Polak!

With all the kids walking the street though this evening, hopefully their folks are keepin a good eye on em'. Which i doubt seeing the people around my area.... Dennis Fergusen is probably going to have a ball...

Sick joke... but in all honesty, true. hes not to far from here either...

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Bookwus - October 31st, 2009 at 10:13 PM

Hiya All,

Just a perspective from Stateside............

Almost none of the holidays celebrated here are celebrated today with any real regard for the reasons for their creation. For most Americans it is simply a day off work, a day to overeat or overdrink, or a day to cut loose and have a great time. But, I'm thinking, that's not an entirely bad thing. We need a chance to blow off a little steam every once in a while. Ever notice how most holidays are pretty evenly scheduled throughout the year?

In any event, the holidays any culture celebrates should have some original meaning to those doing the celebrating. Here in Oregon we find ourselves celebrating Cinco de Mayo more and more each year as the Latino population in this state grows. If y'all down in Oz had a growing American population I could understand the Halloween business. Otherwise it doesn't seem to make much sense to me for the reasons given above in this thread.

One thing I'd really like to see is how everybody in Oz celebrates Christmas, a traditional winter holiday in the dead of summer.

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amazeer - October 31st, 2009 at 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bookwus One thing I'd really like to see is how everybody in Oz celebrates Christmas, a traditional winter holiday in the dead of summer.

as a throw back to british heritage my family (and plenty of others) celebrate with hot roast dinners in 30 degree heat and high humidity with fans on high. Pretty silly really. more sensible families do seafood, prawns n stuff.

as a kid, every present under our tree came from santa and everything was wrapped individually. there were no stockings. But in my wifes family all the good things came from mum n dad, and santa brought cheap plastic and lollies junk which went in the stocking. Santa used to bring me bikes n stuff, but gave my wife a bag of lollies. I dont know whats "normal". My kid gets the latter, despite my protests during the early years.

My sister and I used to turn our house upside down looking for presents before christmas and we never found any, To this day my mum wont tell me how she did it. She still insists santa is real. He's stopped bringing me presents though.

I dont think an average aussie christmas would be too different to an american christmas. Only difference is that we sweat more.

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DaveCarter - October 31st, 2009 at 11:28 PM

We usually do both. Seafood from about ten in the morning on with a huge roast of every type of meat you can think of for a really late lunch and then dinner. Kind of an all day graze. Good fun i reckon

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colonel mustard - October 31st, 2009 at 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DaveCarterIt is more than likely that Jesus wasn't born on the 25th of December. Let's get rid of easter as well. It is just a celebration of the Anglo saxon goddess Eostre.

don't want to say you're right or wrong, but to my knowledge, you're right, He wasn't.

&, Easter is a celebration of Christ's resurection..

Where they occur yearly at the date/day that it happened years ago.... thats an interesting issue...

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beetleboyjeff - November 1st, 2009 at 01:10 AM

Christmas time when I was a kid consisted of a hot roast turkey dinner in the middle of the day, but in more recent years, we have had a picnic or BBQ at the river, or sometimes at the beach. We even had it on the top of a mountain one year. It certainly is a lot more fun getting out of the house on these lazy summer days.

We get to have a 2nd bite at Christmast dinner (pun intended) with a 'Christmas in July" dinner with one or several orgainisations (with no fixed date, you can have several goes at it lol). OUr VW Club used to have a weekend away every year to somewhere cold (often Dorrigo, but later on, Uralla) for a Christams in July dinner.

Works great I reckon.

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DaveCarter - November 1st, 2009 at 06:18 AM

Easter was christianised by the church to ease the the transition of in to the christian religion. The old holidays and celebrations became new ones. I'm not saying it is a bad thing. It is just what happened and if people want to celebrate these days, for whatever reason, then good for them

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squizy - November 1st, 2009 at 07:39 AM

Let he who has never worn his baseball cap backwards cast the first stone.

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