OMG - Halloween !
Hi fellow life choice members,
I have just been to the shops and unfortunately I saw many displays of the Halloween crap. I personally can't stand anything to do with this, I don't care if it's origins are British or American, in MY opinion it's not an Australian custom and as such I really resent it.
Further, I am totally annoyed at parents who dress their children in these ridiculous costumes and have them walk the streets goi g to neighbors homes, uninvited seeking sweets etc.
What do others think... How can this Halloween fiasco be stopped.
Thanks for your comments, I agree with your reflections and have similar childhood memories.
In relation to Christmas I also have a love/hate relationship with this day. My annoyance is primarily the over the top commercialism - I can't stand the hype in shops, loud carols blaring in shopping complexes.
I love Halloween. Always have, always will. It's what you make it really, doesn't have to be what popular culture tells you it should be. It's fun!
If you replace all the fun with fear, life will lose all meaning.
Hi cranky
Was a bit puzzled with the reference to replacing fun with fear...nevertheless am happy for you and your lovely family and hope you have a good time. Cheers. Cindy
I should have explained that better, cindylou, everything we once held dear and thought of with excitement and fun as kids is now tinged with fear...
Stranger danger, fireworks blowing up, Christmas disappearing on religious grounds ,The Easter festivals unrecognised , even the Australian events are scrutinised prior to being celebrated in case they offend...
But Thankyou, we are in the process of finding our perfect pumpkin ,and a large round candle..
Almost time to start hollowing out...But I am to be given a reprieve this year, my son is home with us and he has offered to do the hard yakka.....:)
I love Going over to Sydney for Halloween too, all the children in the street my sons family live in are really into Halloween, they love the dress up of selves and the house. The only moment of anxiety is when my son kneels on the floor with the Pumkin gripped between his knees to chop into it, I just have a bit of a nightmare in case the knife slips....
I can never remember having anything to do with Halloween as a child, even when my children were growing up, still nothing, and this was in the early 60's. Cracker night was a no no when we were youngsters. my Dad thought of it as a waste of money. I suppose coming from another Country had something to do with it. Christmas was such a thrill for us, only one present each, but terrific food. I can remember going to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and singing Carols all the way home. Gee, I miss those days. Mum and Dad let us stay up for New Years Eve to welcome in the New Year, and them crying a lot, I think they missed all their old friends. Now with my Husband no more and the boys in other relationships Christmas is getting quieter and quieter. But, I still have all those good memories, which some poor people never had.
CindyLou - I don't think Halloween will ever be stopped as the retailers
make too much profit out of it.
Enjoyed reading your post Hola, especially the mention of receiving one present each. I think unfortunately the retailers have successfully altered family practices so that children get so much, there are items promoted as 'stocking fillers' which are cheaper small gifts, so that it appears, depending upon family's financial means, some kids get loads of gifts. I not think this is good or the child ?
While on the line of thought - gift giving in general is way over the top (another topic I think).
The biggest modern day problem of all time Cindylou..
"Mummy,daddy can I have ?.."
"Yes dear..."..
All year round.
Totally agree 'cranky', and then society / people wonder why young people have a sense of entitlement.
I was sent an email yesterday which explained Kids of Today in general.
Those born before 1946 are called The Greatest Generation.
1946- 1964 are called Baby Boomers.
1965- 1979 are called Generation X
1980 - 2010 are called Generation Y.
Why Y - you May Ask?
Y- Should I get a job?
Y- Should I leave home and find my own place?
Y- Should I get a car when I can borrow yours?
Y- Should I clean up my room?
Y- Should I wash and iron my own clothes?
Y- Should I buy my own food?
Just thought you may all want to know why.
.
So true Hola, The generation "Y" are also known as the "echo boomers" basically because they are born to the baby boomers..
and you can now see the other reason...
as you said ..." Why, Why, Whyyyyyyyyyyy......"
HOLA...that's so funny...love it!
Contrary to what most of us think...many of the customs associated with halloween did not originate in the US...but in Scotland and Ireland...
Trick or treating was carried over from Scottish tradition and comes from the practice of ‘guising’, or appearing in disguise. As it developed in Scotland in particular.. young adults in costume went door to door on the evening of October 31 to entertain by singing songs.. telling stories.. or performing tricks and playing pranks in return for something sweet...
In Ireland.. small lanterns were created by hollowing out a turnip or a beet and placing a candle inside which to light the way as people ventured through the night. When the Irish came to America.. they found the pumpkin,.. native to North America and much larger than the turnip and adopted it as a replacement.
Thats very interesting Thea...but I just wish some bright spark would come up with an idea for hollowing out pumpkins..
It kills my shoulders..
It just looks so lovely though when the candle flames are flickering through the smiling face holes.. :)
I can't tell what nationality it is, It's just an Aussie pumpkin..lol
CRANKY - I was watching Utube on how to hollow out pumpkins and she said to use an ice cream scoop to get the seeds out. Maybe this tip could be a little easier on your shoulders. It's worth a look.
Thanks Hola, but they seem to be making the pumpkins tougher, or I'm getting weaker...
Just as well I'm not consigned to hollowing out Cinderella's coach , She would have lost the prince,well and truly..lolol
Yes Thea you are correct, it originated in Scotland, a pagan ritual, original purpose was to scare away the bad spirits by dressing in scary costumes......
for many thousands of years Halloween or Samhain, as it was known by the Celtic peoples, represented the end of summer. it was an important event in the Pagan world.
then came christianity and in the 800s AD, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festivals. Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November as "All Saints Day," honoring saints and martyrs. He also decreed October 31 as "All Hallows Eve", that eventually became Hallow'een.
you can read a full description and history of Halloween here .....
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/samhain-history.htm
and i agree with you Thea, i hate all the modern commercial, tacky exploitation of this ancient tradition.
It's always the way Kika...how traditions and customs get watered down. Wish the commercial barons would leave some traditions alone...
Another in a long line of examples of Christian syncretism
Adam and Eve certainly were real
Are you making a random statement Pixapd...or are you speaking to someone in particular?
May I ask...if Adam and Eve were real..do you think they were white?
Hi Thea,
I believe the mention if Adam and Eve follows on from a previous posting in this topic. My concern re the topic discussions is how somehow the discussion goes off in a direction such as the religious element of Haloween. For myself, I don't particularly care about this aspect of the topic, my grief with this event relates to the way Australian society has embraced Haloween. I have nothing against U.S., however I really am frustrated by how it appears Some Australians copy overseas practices such as Haloween. Another exmple if copying behaviours (I'm going off topic !!!) is the way some young peopke wear baseball caps backwards
Hello Cindylou...thank you for explaining...
Regarding Halloween...to tell you the truth although I hate seeing many traditions fall by the wayside...it seems there's very little one can do and I decided a while back to just go with the flow.
My feeling is... too many parents give in to their children when they're quite young...so later on it becomes a mammoth task to change those very behaviours they've encouraged when the child is impressionable.
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Oh my PIXAPD,
With all due respect, I don't think it's very nice to name call others, I had to look the word 'reprobate' up as its not part of my conversational vocabulary (I knew it wouldn't be nice)
Anyhow, definition is basically someone having lost all sense of duty, depraved...".
Not nice, Our fellow your life choice members are not this I am sure...perhaps they may not agree with your principles or beliefs, however name calling itself if really off.
I really do not believe its appropriate to preach at every given opportunity - in itself it is offensive.
I know an Adam and an Eve
You are right CindyLou about the baseball caps. I hate seeing this on the young ones. I remember watching Dr. Phil on T.V. one day and he said if the young ones wear the caps on back to front they can never expect to go forward in their lives. Even the young ones trying to talk like the Black Americans with the hand gentures, makes me cringe.
What about the 'high fives'.
Everyone seems to do it - boring.
The baseball caps or the high fives don't matter in the least. It's the person inside surely that's important???
Agree abdolutely Banjo, however it's what's behind the high fives and baseball caps that is concerning to me. If, perhaps some Australians are inadvertently / unconsciously copying other countries (U.S.) practices, then wats next, we already have increasing obesity and crazy politicians (though we can't trump Trump). Our U.S. neighbors have a high murder rate per capita, they have extremes,eg mega wealthy and huge poverty, excesses plus plus plus for some, dreadful health system (in my opinion).
So, do we really want to blindly follow this path. I think not.
Bike racks above the trouser waistline get to me ...
Hitch em'up guys...
It's deplorable..
Now I've really gone off topic...:(
Parents spend a good deal of time telling children not to accept lollies from strangers, not to talk to people they don't know and not to accept lifts in the same circumstances. But beacause it's halloween we disregard these measures and actually encourage our children to knock on strangers doors and beg for food,
It's not our custom it is just a money making scheme put out there by the major retailers to get us to spend money with them.
I refuse to participate in any way. Bah Humbug! Sorry wrong holiday reference.
Thanks for your comments, totally agree 'ex PS' its a money making scheme all for the mighty dollar and parents are sucked in. Go to any big store like reject shop after this crappy event and you will see this junk being sold off for 50c etc.
Like you I refuse to participate - luckily I don't live in a residential area and don't have uninvited visitors - even religious nutters don't bother trying to call upon me.
People have got to make their money one way or the other, and it's up to us if we "get sucked in" or not. Anyway if you live in such a secluded spot, what's the problem?
It's not really MY problem as such, rather it's my irritation at the whole Halliween crap ( as mentioned in my original chit chat ) The crap in the shops and just the whole event. Last year I was visiting a family member in Sydney, she had recently had surgery and was recovering at home, doorbell sporadically going off... Just doesn't sit well with me.
Can't "knock" in my area of Melbourne unless there is a "Black Balloon" tied to the letter-box or front fence! To let people/kids know you are "participating" in Halloween ..... great idea....... started only last year....... schools apparently put out "flyers" asking households etc. - interesting concept - worked!! :-)
Did you know about the homosexual ghosts that tried to put the willies up each other?
You're back foxy goodie.
lol - well thank you Campbell! :-) Would guess "some" are not as happy? Poor "nasty loonies" have had no-one to bully or sledge lately! lol lol They already have "run" the rest of the nice "posters" off from YLC! Sad! But - "revenge is sweet" - I do hope - they will return!!! :-)
I was actually thinking how pleasant and entertaining it has been over the past week or so, No disputes, no rude comments and a pleasure to come in through the door...
not to mention the interesting and uninterrupted posts and topics..
Just as a seniors site should be...It's great.
Some are so lucky (?)...they don't have to go looking for a costume...I've already got mine...
I went to shops agan yesterday and saw more of the Haloween expensive crap, anyhow, given my absolute non interest in this event, I have just googled the actual date 31 October.... Omg over a whole month more.
Thinking about this topic as we've discussed it here it's been good fun reading the contributions, however I feel this event will ultimately die a natural death. Time will tell. Maybe a post Halloween further discussion ?
Think a lot of this stuff is pretty recent and can't recall my own kids - and kids of my generation - making any big deal of Halloween.
Vaguely remember 'All Saints Day' and 'All Souls Day' having some religious significance as a catholic school kid but even then don't recall it being a big deal...just sort of bundled in with the blur of other stuff like rosaries, benedictions, confessions, holy days of obligations etc. etc. etc.
Think my only memory of it came through American TV programs.
Don't even think Father's Day, Mother's Day were a big deal when I was a kid and can only recall Australia Day as being something to do with the end of school holidays and the return to school and nothing like the over-the-top boganfest it has become in recent years.
Remember Cracker Nights as a young child but it seemed to have dropped off by about the mid-60s....and Christmas and Easter were noticed but Christmas more than Easter....New Year barely noticed until I was late-ish teenager....
Continue to have a 'love and really hate relationship' with Christmas but these days strive for minimisation on that front as best I can.