Gerry Attrick
Lincolnshire Mountain Rescue Consultant
You are not alone though......a mate of mine from Hull lives in Leicester. 
Halloween commercialism why ?
- Thread starter ventoux50
- Start date
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Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
Strange customs imported from the States? Only if you let them believe it's that way round!!!!! The trick or treating is theirs, but back in the 60s and 70s we as a family used to celebrate Hallowe'en, which is every bit as English/British as racing green......
November 1st is All Saints Day, a Christian festival to celebrate the lives and deeds of all the saints. The night before All Saints Day is All Hallows Eve, and because All Saints Day is such a powerfully good day, custom has it that all the evil creatures of the world flee. Thus they are not in their normal hiding places, but abroad throughout the night, and of course most likely to be seen by the mortal populace.
In order to scare them away from our houses, we light Jack-O-Lanterns, hang witching balls and boughs of Ash in our windows and doorways.
Traditionally a great night for parties with autumnal style festivities such as apple bobbing, chestnut roasting and ghost stories.
Before pumpkins were as easy to come by as they are now, we used to carve large swedes, and if you think a carved pumpkin is labour of love, old swedes were a level up! They smell pretty peculiar with a candle stuck in side them as well!
We used to live in a 16th Century farmhouse with quirky staircases and tiny windows, and the fields surrounding the house were lined with woodland on one side, and a very ancient churchyard on the other. An optical illusion caused by some aircraft warning lights on the church made one of the gargoyles on the tower appear to pace backwards and forwards, so you can imagine some of the "ghost hunts" we had with various of our friends being reduced to quivering wrecks. Add to that my Mother's taste for horror storytelling, and you can imagine that a few toddlers dressed in plastic capes make it all look a bit amateurish these days.
God I sound old, but American tradition imported for commercial gain? Bollocks!
November 1st is All Saints Day, a Christian festival to celebrate the lives and deeds of all the saints. The night before All Saints Day is All Hallows Eve, and because All Saints Day is such a powerfully good day, custom has it that all the evil creatures of the world flee. Thus they are not in their normal hiding places, but abroad throughout the night, and of course most likely to be seen by the mortal populace.
In order to scare them away from our houses, we light Jack-O-Lanterns, hang witching balls and boughs of Ash in our windows and doorways.
Traditionally a great night for parties with autumnal style festivities such as apple bobbing, chestnut roasting and ghost stories.
Before pumpkins were as easy to come by as they are now, we used to carve large swedes, and if you think a carved pumpkin is labour of love, old swedes were a level up! They smell pretty peculiar with a candle stuck in side them as well!
We used to live in a 16th Century farmhouse with quirky staircases and tiny windows, and the fields surrounding the house were lined with woodland on one side, and a very ancient churchyard on the other. An optical illusion caused by some aircraft warning lights on the church made one of the gargoyles on the tower appear to pace backwards and forwards, so you can imagine some of the "ghost hunts" we had with various of our friends being reduced to quivering wrecks. Add to that my Mother's taste for horror storytelling, and you can imagine that a few toddlers dressed in plastic capes make it all look a bit amateurish these days.
God I sound old, but American tradition imported for commercial gain? Bollocks!
TRICKS round your houses!
anyway, its nothing to do with americans, it far far far predates them... okay so we forgot it perhaps, but whilst we didnt go round going 'trick of treat' we used to go on halloween processions with lanterns and some people in costume in the 70's...
another knock... put wolf mask on...
and two happy kids with sweets,,,,,, managed to scare the life out of a 4 year old earlier on ,,,, so have toned down the GROWL!!!!!!
anyway, its nothing to do with americans, it far far far predates them... okay so we forgot it perhaps, but whilst we didnt go round going 'trick of treat' we used to go on halloween processions with lanterns and some people in costume in the 70's...
another knock... put wolf mask on...
and two happy kids with sweets,,,,,, managed to scare the life out of a 4 year old earlier on ,,,, so have toned down the GROWL!!!!!!
OP
OP
ventoux50
Active Member
- Location
- Top of a big hill.
Thanks Cubist - informative reply and yes I also remember apple bobbing and family / neighbour parties of a low key nature - but I agree with others re the imported US of A commercialism of it now-a-days.
Maz
Guru
I was speaking to a Polish friend and he was telling me that in Poland on Oct 31, it's customary to visit the graves of family relatives and to remember their passing.
There's no fun and frivolity, it's all very sombre.
Hover Fly
He, him, his
- Location
- Besides the lake, beneath the trees
Ditto in France, elderly family are visited on 31 October, graves the next day, but the cities are starting to see the USAnian influence.
all saints day innit.. though it would be 1st november, not 31st oct...
silly xtians stealing the dates for pagan 'end of summer' festivals.. tsk tsk..
still, if you look at wiki, the uk had guising and souling before america... tbh i think the biggest 'advert' for trick or treat was ET ! its certainly after watching that that we changed from just going round wanting apples and toffee with our lanterns to saying 'trick or treat' and wanting sweets
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
Hallowe'en or guising, as it was more usually known, for me was dressing up in some weird costume and memorising a song, poem or 'joke' and going out into the night with a turnip lantern. At each house we visited the householder would attempt to identify the guiser, who when identified was expected to sing, recite or tell a joke in return for a small gift, usually monkey nuts or fruit. At some houses visited there might be apples floating in a basin full of water on the floor and the guiser was required to lift out an apple using only his/her teeth.
Tricking the householder in any way was just not on the agenda, and if hallowe'en fell on a Sunday there was no guising.
Tricking the householder in any way was just not on the agenda, and if hallowe'en fell on a Sunday there was no guising.
Over The Hill
Guru
- Location
- Ridden off into the sunset
As has been mentioned above - no, All Saints day was an attempt by Chritians to hijack pagan festivals as they did with Christmas. It was thought to be the end of the year (or the start of the new) with the natural world going into hibernation or dying off.
Odd how it is accepted that Chritianity goes back into the mists of time in the UK, it has really only been here for around 1400 years.
Is it not like any festival, you do what you want with it. Some may go to church and have an all hallows service, others a pagan ceremony, others again a chance to dress up or buy stuff.
Dito Christmas, St Valentines Day Easter.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Hallowe'en or guising, as it was more usually known, for me was dressing up in some weird costume and memorising a song, poem or 'joke' and going out into the night with a turnip lantern. At each house we visited the householder would attempt to identify the guiser, who when identified was expected to sing, recite or tell a joke in return for a small gift, usually monkey nuts or fruit. At some houses visited there might be apples floating in a basin full of water on the floor and the guiser was required to lift out an apple using only his/her teeth.
Tricking the householder in any way was just not on the agenda, and if hallowe'en fell on a Sunday there was no guising.
I was really envious of the Scots and their guising. I was introduced to the activity by Our Wullie in the late sixties in the Sunday Post or his annual and he seemed to have a lot more fun at Halloween than I did with my small swede exuding that cloying aroma of scorched vegetable matter. Mind you bonfire night was only around the corner and that was far more enjoyable than Halloween ever could be.
