Some of the Halloween merchandise now available is quite remarkable. It's amazing that this occasion on October 31st each year, has become so popular and so commercial! Our local grocery store has a full Halloween display of candy, chocolate and other such spooky "goodies" greeting you at the entrance.
I bought a pack of four chocolate lollipops with haunted mansions emblazoned across the wrappers to see if I could taste the fear! I have to confess, I was disappointed to find they were sub standard, rather tasteless and certainly not scary!
On the high street, things get even more manic with store fronts draped in cobwebs and giant spiders, ghoulish faces and full, life size, remote controlled witches! One particular superstore had a guy controlling two of these electronic, life size witches, well, one was a witch and the other was some kind of "face ripper" creature! Tasteful! Parents and kids alike were marvelling with "ooohs" and "ahhhs" as these machines moved and contorted in true horror movie style.
Of course, if you wanted to purchase the pasty pair, you can kiss most of your weekly wage goodbye! Long since has Christmas been commercialised to near death and now Halloween (to some, a disturbing event) is officially mainstream.
When I was a kid, Halloween was not "celebrated" in UK schools, or at least not at the ones I attended (these were not religious schools either) and the only thing that made me aware that Halloween even existed was my dad bringing in a couple of turnips (a much smaller but nonetheless effective, pumpkin substitute) he had grown in the garden and carving them out to make jack-o-lanterns. Perhaps the most adventurous that trick or treat evening ever got for us, was dipping our heads into a washing bowl of cold water and trying to pull out an apple with our teeth!
That was it! That was Halloween as I remember it from childhood days. A far cry, I am sure you will agree from the razzmatazz and circus of our modern day incarnation. Halloween remains a controversial subject amongst many, due to its pagan origins and its association with darker tones such as all the "horror" elements that seem to be prevalent in current trick or treat parties and events.
Writing this article actually makes me sound old but I am not that old just yet! Halloween has changed dramatically since I was kid, perhaps 20 or 25 years ago and the pace is still gathering. Each year, the stores' displays are more extravagant than the last; parents are spending more and more money on Halloween products for the kids (and more frequently, themselves!). No wonder we are all broke before Christmas kicks off on November 1st !
What childhood memories do you have of Halloween and trick or treat? How much do you think it's changed and is it something you embrace and enjoy or could quite easily do without?
I love Halloween Julian. I remember as a child running from house to house with my sisters and a group of cousins. Everyone dressed like a fat old man or a fat old woman, it was easy, and cheap! It's unfortunate for parents of young children now because there is more pressure to purchase expensive costumes. I never fell into that trap with my own children, just like we didn't fall into the 'name brand' trap every other day of the year. I still dress up Halloween night and sit still on the porch and jump out as people arrive. Once the trick-or-treaters are done for the night my husband and I make the rounds to friends, seeking 'treats'. :) Halloween parties are the best, you can dress as you like and be someone different for a night. Halloween like very other occassion is what you make it. :)
Hi Brianna, thanks for your thoughts on Halloween. I guess you are looking forward to next week then!? I think, as I mentioned in my other Halloween article, its the "horror" aspects of halloween that disturb me, especially when kids are encouraged to dress as axe murderers' and the like. I think that side of it should be moderated more strictly but as you say, "Halloween like very other occassion is what you make it". Very true. Thanks again, Julian
Thanks for the look at Halloween in the UK. I've often wondered if other countries "celebrate" it but not been curious enough to look into it.
As a kid, I loved it. But it was different then, after all I'm 57 now. It was quieter and more community oriented. The emphasis wasn't on fancy costumes or how much candy you could accumulate. We made our costumes and it was fun to be Annie Oakley for the night or Sleeping Beauty or just a black cat with pipe cleaner ears.
The pagan roots have never bothered me and I think turnip jack-o-lanterns sound like a load of fun. But we don't even give out candy anymore. Because there are so few kids where we live and because the houses are so spread out, I used to put together paper sandwich bags full of all sorts of goodies. Can't afford to do that anymore and all the commotion scares the life out of our cat.
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