Halloween

[majomull]

What do the rest of you do for Halloween? Do you dress up?Decorate your domicile-or somebody elses? Favorite candy to give out or take in?

I get to take my daughter (7 yrs old) and a few of her friends around the neighborhoods this year. Its nice to break out one of my old Ren-Fair costumes and dress up. Its also fun escorting the little ones around with a 54 inch Claymore strapped to my back.
We save the good chocolate bars for the area kids and dish out the crappy lollipops and Dots to the interloping ghosts and goblins.

[Dotsie]

Wherever I've lived there doesn't seem to be much trick or treating, I think parents only take them to houses they know. We'll hang up a pumpkin outside & buy some sweets in though (ones I like, just in case ).

When I've got some sticky midgets of my own, I'll dress them up and parade them around town like a proud mummy

[Tonyblack]

Drat! I spent ages writing a post and Internet Explorer went down before I got to post it.

I have spent several Halloweens in Tucson, Arizona and was most surprised at how much it is celebrated over there. Especially as it is based on the European and very ancient pagan festival of Samhain - which is basically a harvest festival and celebration of the dead.

Being so near to the Mexican border, Tucson also celebrates Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which takes place the day after Halloween. That loud shirt that Rob is wearing in the picture posted recently is typical of a Mexican Day of the Dead shirt.

[Broccolee]

A few years back I talked my neighbours into having a Halloween barbeque.They liked it so much that we now do it regularly together with any other neighbours who like to join.We have a fire and roast sausages,last year I made a green jelly with jelly worms in it which succeded in looking so revolting that it won the halloween most revolting loooking dish award but although it tasted great noone wantd to eat it because it was too revolting to eat (the worms went all slippery in the jelly).
The kids dress up themselves,they´re supposed to try and make something up.Last year Joel dressed up as a mad doctor and Ced as his monster.That was rather funny,too.
After the eats,the kids go tricks or treating in the neighbourhood in a gang and then play outside in the dark and come to warm up at the fire and stuff themselves with sweets.When the fire burns out,we drag them back inside and plonk them in a hot bath and then bed.
Us grownups sometimes have a little mulled wine then because we can be irresponsible.

[spideyGirl]

Always carve a pumpkin, get the scary ornaments out and then get lad dressed up to go out into town for Fright Night

Have never done the trick or treating thing, just doesn't sit right with us.

[michelanCello]

Dunno, but Sjoerd will be here!

When I've got some sticky midgets of my own, I'll dress them up and parade them around town like a proud mummy

[jaznbonnie]

I loved Halloween as a kid and when my daughter was little. We would carve a pumpkin every year and and baked the seeds for snacks. When Munch was little we lived next to two other apartment complexes and all the parents would take the kiddies around. Usually amassed a couple of bags of candy which we metered out to avoid the sugar rush. Several years ago we lived in the little town of St. Helena, CA and one of the neighbors poured a glass of wine for each of the parents that accompanied the kids. The last few years I have dressed up for Halloween when it fell on a work day as it will this year. Also, a team for our office will be participating in a 5K Run/Walk in costume benefiting the Tug McGraw Org. charity on October 27th.

[Bouncy Castle]

Have never done the trick or treating thing, just doesn't sit right with us.

For 51-and-a-bit weeks of the year, parents all round the world tell their children to keep away from strangers, then................. one cold, dark, night.............. they tell them to accept sweets from strangers.

Bloody madness.

[Broccolee]

Talk of responsible consequent parenting.

[RSoak]

Yeah...Halloween's OK. If you like costumes and making fun stuff and such.

[ChristianBecker]

It's not something typically done in Germany. It was picked up some years ago but it's really not as if it was widespread. Never seen anyone tricking and treating around here.

[CrysaniaMajere]

No trick or treat here, but in recent years it has become an excuse for those adults who think the traditional carnival is only for children to have one more party in the year

[Broccolee]

Well,you can always come over here,Christian,we´ll trick AND treat you.

[Bouncy Castle]

Now there's an offer!!

[Selkie]

Halloween is a community thing here. My kids are too old now, but when they are preschool and primary age all the families in the village organise a night (or 2) during the October break to go "guising". All the children dress up, often with masks, and we start off down at the bottom of the village and go house to house visiting. The children enter the houses whooping and making scarey noises (no door knocking - just straight in) and then plonk themselves down in the sitting room and just make themselves at home. The householders have to guess who all the kids are in their costumes - sometimes they need clues. Then the children all get a small sweetie and some money goes into a jar which then goes towards the community party. There is an unwritten rule that if the outside lights are off then we don't visit that house.

Then around Bonfire night there is a party down at the village hall with a "neepy lantern" competition. These days it's just as likely to be a pumpkin as they are easier to carve One year we even used a melon! The hall is decorated by the kids with artwork they made during youth club and the money raised during the guising goes towards the fireworks, food etc. There is a lovely cross section of people at the party - from babies to grannies - and everyone is invited.