Trick or Treat? How about piss off?

[Rowan]

I know its a tradition in the United States, but that doesn't mean that your opinions should always be for it... or should it? But thats another thread.

In Australia, Halloween to me should be as celebrated as thanksgiving (that means not at all). Luckily my dog barks like mad whenever someone knocks on the door, that way they just walk off instead of hanging around for 3 minutes waiting for someone to answer the door. Its not an Australian tradition for one. I think its pretty anoyying that kids come knocking on doors expecting people to give them lollies and candy in their lame costumes. If you had to do this, even at the age of 18, would it kill you to think of something more original than a zombie nurse? To me its a day plagued with cliche's and anoyying little children walking around with their fat-ass parents who probably take a cut of their profits. So few people do it here which makes the ones that do seem all the more awkward. Even though the majority of people on the forum are from the United States, my question is still directed toward them also. Do you open the doors to trick or treaters? Do you give them expired candy? Have you suffered an 'egging' because you didnt give candy? Do you have anything relevant to say in reguards to the topic?

[Aerif]

Time for one of the many cultural lessons I seem to carry around in the back of my head. Seriously why is Scotland so different that I can do this everytime?

'Guising' is the Scottish variant of 'Trick-or-treating', originating sometime before the 19th Century. Children go door-to-door in 'guises, and have to sing a song or recite a joke or story in order to entertain their hosts, to recieve a prize of apples or nuts. None of your auto-treat pish.

As you can imagine with all of the American programmes on television, 'guising has basically been replaced with 'trick-or-treating' which is just plain lazy. Also I'm not giving out my sweets to random children.

So yeah, it's an American tradition that's pushing out a celtic tradition.

Also my priest (who incidentally isn't a great priest...) last year suggested that instead of children dressing up as Disney Princesses (most lazy costume ever... just take it out the packet), or as vampires - they should instead dress as Saints or other prominent religious figures. I don't know what he was thinking - it all sounds a bit like one of those crazy churches that America has so many of.

[Lily]

My door only got knocked on twice last night, i just ignore it. Like I do every year. I went trick or treasting as a kid, and i dont hink we ever just stood there and went trick or treat, it was all that singing and bollocks

[Cereal~Killer]

Ah come on. They're just kids. I gave out candy last night. I'll admit that it kind of bugs me, mostly since my dogs bark like crazy at every stranger, but I did it anyway.

[Unknown Entity]

I don't understand what's wrong with Halloween taking place in other parts of the world. No one has to take part in it if they don't want to. You may as well condemn other traditions from around the world with that mentality.

I don't mind Halloween. It's a bit of fun, and is the only day a year where it's acceptable to knock on someone's door and ask for treats (or tricks). Only two groups of kids knocked on the door this Halloween, but we didn't even have candy to give them this year (usually, we'd get some multipack candy to give out). I went trick or treat a few times, and always came home with a sizeable bounty to be proud of.

[SOLDIER #819]

Children go door-to-door in 'guises, and have to sing a song or recite a joke or story in order to entertain their hosts, to recieve a prize of apples or nuts.

That sounds amazing. Have you ever had a story or joke that was any good?

America should embrace this tradition so that we can teach children early on the beauty of our give-and-take capitalist society.

[Rowan]

I don't understand what's wrong with Halloween taking place in other parts of the world. No one has to take part in it if they don't want to. You may as well condemn other traditions from around the world with that mentality.

Im not 'condemning' your tradition happening in the united states. Im simply finding it anoyying that people would practice it here for the chance to get free candy. As stated, why not celebrate thanksgiving in australia if you're going to celebrate halloween? They dont, they just want hand outs. Also how unsafe is it if kids go out without their parents knocking on strangers doors? Any drug dealer/pedophille etc could be living there. Its only my opinion. Thanks for sharing yours, although screw you for trying to dismantle my 'mentality'.

[Rocky]

A story once upon a time ago when I was like 15 or so, I was in an elevator with my mom and a couple of other girls I've never met before but they looked attractive and around my age. This was like a month before holloween, but for some reason my mom asked me quite loudly what I was going to be for holoween that year, even though I didnt go trick or treating since like after the 5th grade. I wanted to end my life in that elevator rather quickly and still shudder at that memory.


anyways, October 31st is great when you're younger because of all the candy you eat, and it's great when you're older because of all the candy you see

[Unknown Entity]

Im not 'condemning' your tradition happening in the united states. Im simply finding it anoyying that people would practice it here for the chance to get free candy. As stated, why not celebrate thanksgiving in australia if you're going to celebrate halloween? They dont, they just want hand outs. Also how unsafe is it if kids go out without their parents knocking on strangers doors? Any drug dealer/pedophille etc could be living there. Its only my opinion. Thanks for sharing yours, although screw you for trying to dismantle my 'mentality'.

I like how you refer to American's as "they". I'm also not American, and it's not my tradition.

I just don't see what's annoying about free candy besides a toothache, or kids hyped up on a sugar rush. While I agree letting kids wonder out to knock on people's doors is dangerous for them, most parents won't let their kids wonder too far from home, and restrict them to a certain community. Good parents would go with their kids until they're older anyway (we've had a few parents and their kids at our door). I've heard of more kids going missing any other day of the year, so don't make Halloween out to be the big bad guy. =P

[Xanatos]

Not quite as US Halloween, but something similar has always been huge here where I live. It was fun being part of it as a kid, thus I don't see why other kids shouldn't go through same experience I did. I'm bit old to do trick or treat, but I do make sure we have enough candies to share, and unlike in some parts where kids just stand and wait for their candy here they sing, crack a joke, pull a prank, mess around, it's kinda fun to watch and be part of it.

Also, you have to eat all of your candy by the end of the day since we usually fast the day after that. Lot of kids end up being sick that day, still awesome though.

[Rowan]

I like how you refer to American's as "they"

As I would refer to a 'Ben' a 'he' or an 'Alisyn' a 'she' as I would refer to them as 'them' or 'they'. If someone takes offence, well thats just too bad. You could also cut the bull and say that you just dont like how I refer to them as 'they', although I really dont care what you think, just keep to my thread and get off my back.

[Dodie16]

I love Halloween, but I suppose if it was something that wasn't so ingrained into my culture (or whatever), I might feel differently about it. Then again, I enjoy it whenever kids can go out and have fun. They grow up so fast, you know. Good for them to be able to experience things that can give them fond memories, and will be with them for a lifetime. ^^

[Maridia]

I've talked to a couple people who were foreign and hate being bothered on Halloween . My solution for them is the same as Americans who aren't participating and giving out candy. Shut off your front lights off. Kind of an unspoken rule, if the lights not on don't bother them. Aside from that though even I say give the kids their day. Or night rather. It's all in good fun.

[motscroises]

I always enjoy giving out candy, some of the kid's costumes are really creative and funny. Then again, kids can only trick or treat for an hour in this city so maybe I'd like it less if it was going on all night.

[Firefly]

Halloween where I live is pretty epic and also a very irritable night. I live in a small town and every Halloween,all of the high school-ers,jr.high-ers,and college kids take over the town and egg every car in sight. Heck,the cops just sit by and watch,I swear. This year we( the 'eggers' ) even went as far as getting like 10 haybales setting them in the middle of a busy road and setting them on fire to roast marshmallows . Pretty crazy night,even though I spent half of it getting candy

[Rowan]

Halloween where I live is pretty epic and also a very irritable night. I live in a small town and every Halloween,all of the high school-ers,jr.high-ers,and college kids take over the town and egg every car in sight. Heck,the cops just sit by and watch,I swear. This year we( the 'eggers' ) even went as far as getting like 10 haybales setting them in the middle of a busy road and setting them on fire to roast marshmallows . Pretty crazy night,even though I spent half of it getting candy

Im not sure if you realise, but eggs acidity eats through car paint and can causes thousands of dollars worth of damage. When you spoil a spot of paint on a car, you cant just pain over the damaged part, the whole part needs to be painted. To get a whole car re-sprayed properly can cost upwards of $4000. You might think its a joke and its funny, but its just an example of the ignorance that comes with such poxy traditions like this.

[OceanEyes28]

As I would refer to a 'Ben' a 'he' or an 'Alisyn' a 'she' as I would refer to them as 'them' or 'they'.

From now on, every time you say "she," I'm assuming you're talking about me.


I enjoyed trick-or-treating as a kid, and don't mind handing out fun-sized Snickers to kids now (assuming I'm even home on Halloween night... I'm usually not). But I'm one of them.

[Rowan]

Everyone, I dont think they understand.
If the conversation has become aware that I'm reffering to Alisyn, I may then represent her by saying 'she'. Its called context. Im right.

[Alpha]

It irritates me. It had been growing, but now it seems to be dying. We only got two groups on Halloween.

We don't answer the door, but we also go to no lengths to hide the fact that we're home. It's not our (cultural) tradition. I don't like the idea of children going to people's homes and demanding lollies.

Altough it is kind of a tradition here, in the same sense Christmas and Easter are. Remember Halloween = All Hallow's Eve = All Saint's Day Eve. Or was it all Souls Day Eve. Can't remember. I went for a bike ride instead of Mass.

Still, it's something that seems normal on my TV, but a slavish imitation on my doorstep.

[OceanEyes28]

Everyone, I dont think they understand.
If the conversation has become aware that I'm reffering to Alisyn, I may then represent her by saying 'she'. Its called context. Im right.

I wasn't trying to make a point, I'm just vain.

[che]

Why do people care so much about the smallest things?

[Alpha]

Why do children dress up in mass-produced costumes, come to my door, demand mass-produced candy, and look upset when I send them on their way with a potato?

They do it because they saw it on TV.

They're upset because I gave them a potato.

[che]

I wish I could dress up and come to your door and receive potatoes. That'd be ****in awesome.

[Aerif]

Halloween itself seems to be a rather sinister/intimidating thing to me, the whole 'give me candy or I will disproportionally vandalise your home and valuables' is sort of sickening to me.

We've not had a guiser in years, and recieved only one knock on the door on Monday night. It was ignored. It was basically pitch black, freezing and raining on Halloween night and any parents letting kids out in conditions like that need their heads examined.

You'd almost feel bad for them, but it's tradition in this part of Scotland for schools to hold Halloween Discos (yes, we don't call them dances unless they're fancy... and with dinner), and the kids in primary school also get to spend their Halloween afternoon having a party in their class in full costume in most cases.

[Firefly]

Im not sure if you realise, but eggs acidity eats through car paint and can causes thousands of dollars worth of damage. When you spoil a spot of paint on a car, you cant just pain over the damaged part, the whole part needs to be painted. To get a whole car re-sprayed properly can cost upwards of $4000. You might think its a joke and its funny, but its just an example of the ignorance that comes with such poxy traditions like this.

I was expecting this,but what you don't understand is...everyone knows where 'we'(us eggers) are at. We are only allowed on two roads to not get in trouble,one kindly busy road and one completely dead road. Plus,people drive by in their cars saying," EGG ME!". It's been a tradition for about 30 years to egg on Halloween where I live.

[Rowan]

I was expecting this,but what you don't understand is...everyone knows where 'we'(us eggers) are at. We are only allowed on two roads to not get in trouble,one kindly busy road and one completely dead road. Plus,people drive by in their cars saying," EGG ME!". It's been a tradition for about 30 years to egg on Halloween where I live.

I sincerely doubt mischief can be contained with even the tinest sliver of control. Its like letting a bunch of criminals loose after telling them they have to come back to their cells the next day. Maybe its regional differences that make me wonder why in the world anyone would want their car egged on purpose, but assuming they exist, I think they would be a very small margin of people. they would not care about their car and would require a fetish for eggs being thrown at them whilst they are inside their car. I remember 'muck up' day at my old school. It was 'contained' to one section of the school but panned outward. 2 teachers cars were flipped and a classroom was set on fire. I guess its not really relevant. If someone eggs my car ill sue them for damages

[Unknown Entity]

Im not sure if you realise, but eggs acidity eats through car paint and can causes thousands of dollars worth of damage. When you spoil a spot of paint on a car, you cant just pain over the damaged part, the whole part needs to be painted. To get a whole car re-sprayed properly can cost upwards of $4000. You might think its a joke and its funny, but its just an example of the ignorance that comes with such poxy traditions like this.

Actually... it comes from poxy, ignorant people. Not because of a tradition. It's not tradition to egg someone's car if they don't get candy on Halloween. Hate to piss on your bubbles, mate, but I'm right.

Halloween itself seems to be a rather sinister/intimidating thing to me, the whole 'give me candy or I will disproportionally vandalise your home and valuables' is sort of sickening to me.

I'm also under the belief that when a trick or treat-er asks you "Trick or treat?", they're asking you for a trick or a treat. You either give the candy or give them a trick (like scare them shitless with a mask before they can even ask). Maybe it's different in other places. Wiki calls it an "idle threat", and I've heard of it going that way, but then the question makes no sense as it becomes a demand.

Most kids I know play by the nicer version.

[Rowan]

Actually... it comes from poxy, ignorant people. Not because of a tradition. It's not tradition to egg someone's car if they don't get candy on Halloween. Hate to piss on your bubbles, mate, but I'm right.

I would have said that, but I didnt want to openly admit to 'firefly' as being a poxy ignorant person because that would be hurtful and against the rules of TFF, surely such an intelligent moderator like yourself would be aware that you just admitted to that? I also think you should stop trying to 'piss on my bubbles'. And dont call me mate. Not every Australian is your mate, certainly not me anyway.

[che]

Let's be real here. It's not the people who are ignorant, it's the ****ing eggs that are the poison of society.

[Unknown Entity]

I would have said that, but I didnt want to openly admit to 'firefly' as being a poxy ignorant person because that would be hurtful and against the rules of TFF, surely such an intelligent moderator like yourself would be aware that you just admitted to that? I also think you should stop trying to 'piss on my bubbles'.

Your words, not mine.
You may as well have just said it now!

Let's be real here. It's not the people who are ignorant, it's the ****ing eggs that are the poison of society.

They give food poisoning too, it seems. My tummy isn't being very forgiving of the omelette I made.