Halloween

[photn]

the problem is that Halloween or All hollows Eve is basically advertised in all of the Yanks 90's movies *shudder*. personally i dont have a problem with it. just tell the kids to go away or say no sorry. i dont hate it cause its american. i just dont do it cause im a lazy **** who likes to keep there mony. ohh that and theres about 15 ppl that live in my street. semi rural living. but still. i never did it cuasei was brought up to know that it is an american tradition and Aus doesnt support of take part in it. and i thought it was rude to go up to ppl and ask them for lollies.

what i find funny is that ppl will give lollies or money to children but when you pass a bum on the street you ignore him/her and think there dirty and a drugo. if i have any loose change on me my i always give it to them as i walk past. now dont give me this argument that they will use it on drugs and alchahol, cause its not like no one else uses the money they have on drugs or alchahol. now im not saying that everyone is a cold hearted pr!ck. but there are those ppl out there that would rather spend $200 or whatever on lollies for random healthy/wealthy childeren yet wont spare any loose change for homeless ppl that barely get food.

just my rant...... :

[XA Coupsta]

Originally Posted by red_october

The only ones that benefit from this are the shops selling lollies and dodgy costumes, and dentists.

Ummm - how about the kids?!

Look I too wouldnt have believed it until I saw it last night with my own eyes. Maybe its a novelty value too Im aware of that.

But the happiness of the kids is what its all about. The simple things in life huh - scoring some free lollies - you remember that?! Remember how it feels?!! Im not gonna take that away.


You make some very good comments on identity of our nation, etc, etc.

I reckon we could go for more discussion on that (unsure it probably should be in a new thread).

But what is our identity? Look at some recent current events - even just whats been on this forum.

Halloween - heavily bagged out as 'american' and unsupported
Steve Irwin/South Park - people not happy with cartoonists taking the satirical brush to one of our dearly respected

So then what are we? What do we stand for? Are we turning into a bunch of whinging sooks about things being 'american' for example, or 'they cant do that to steve irwin'.

Im just using the forum as a microcosm of our society - there are other massive issues of similar vein but I cant see those being discussed without the thread being locked anyway.

Hell - this ones probably on the way to locked now......

For the record I believe we are a confused nation who is in very real danger of losing that identity (whatever that may be!). I think we are losing our way in trying to be respectful and perhaps too multicultural and everythings all mixed up now - we've lost what being an Aussie is.

Now multiculturalism isnt going away. Ever. So surely we can continue being multicultural AND keep our Aussie values/traditions and beliefs without fear of being offensive or unfair to other cultures?!

I dont see that balance. I see us as being too sensitive on particular issues where we dont have to be (broad statement).

[HLC]

i had some come up. i said 'trick'.

they all looked at me clueless and i shut the door and walked off.

they have no idea. they are just reciting crap.



that being said. im going to a halloween party on saturday dressing up as this character.

[red_october]

But the happiness of the kids is what its all about. The simple things in life huh - scoring some free lollies - you remember that?! Remember how it feels?!! Im not gonna take that away.

Sure, for a kid getting something free is a great feeling, but why limit it to just that one particular day? It's not that I don't like to treat kids with lollies or whatever, I'm no scrooge, I have 2 kids of my own.

[T_Terror]

Wow so many bitter people on here! Why??

The kids would love it cause its an adventure, when i was a kid (less than 10 years ago!) we would play out in the streets and go around on our own all the time. OMFG THE KIDS ARE OUT ROAMING THE STREETS!

I had a bunch of kids come past but i didnt know that it was haloween so i thought my girlfriend had come so when my bell rang i ran to the door, flung it open and yelled HEY BABYY in my underwear! Needless to say, the kids left with no candy...

Next time im gonna get some friends and some scary masks and jump out from bushes scaring kids. Who cares if it came from America or Ireland or whatever. Get into the spirit and have some fun.

[max]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

Halloween is HUGE in Alice Springs.... We set up out the front of the house, lanterns, pumkins, get together with the neigbours, drink Jimmy Boags and wine,send the kids off in their costumes to collect "candy". We gave away about $80 worth and the kids got about $20 worth in return. But what the hell. We all had fun.

I dont believe in it, but it is fun.

Sounds like you also have a scarce commodity up there too mate... a sense of COMMUNITY.

[AMT]

What a load of crap i agree with the sane people that say it's another way for the little buggers to get free stuff......go to the U.S if you want free lollies......

[Genghis]

Originally Posted by knighto42

...loss of the sense of community in peoples local areas. I would have thought this type of thing was a great way for people to get some of that back.

...handing out a couple of bucks worth of lollies one night a year is a pretty small if it goes some way to bringing the idea of a nieghborhood back into society.

You know, I voted No on this one. Then I read the posts and I was pretty much siding with the majority.

But, when I read knighto42's post and I think I may have swung my opinion to the other side. Halloween, for what it's worth in Australia, does have a small amount of community and festive spirit and I do see the local kids in a new light. i.e. not the annoying little mongrels that yahoo for most of the year.

Yes, the retailers make a packet on it. But, for the most part, the kids put in the effort and my wife gets a kick out of it.

Love it or Hate it, Halloween is probably only going to get bigger each year so I think we're stuck with it.

[Van D]

I'm so filling 'candy' with laxitives next year..

I don't really mind, when I was younger I wished Australia did it all out like the US, but grew out of it. If it makes the kids happy, it's ok.

[red_october]

I think it's a point of something fun for the kids versus a change in the way we live, ie following a US tradition.

I don't disagree that it is fun for the kids, but it's changing the way we live here in Oz. All thanks to the media and those who are influenced by them.

In 10 years we'll be celebrating the 4th of July.

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by Feathers

In my neighbourhood you'd be more likely to get bashed, or have your property vandlised for not giving them anything, and a "trick" would be a molotov through your window.

Thats going stright to my signiture :evilking:

[Sledgehammer]

Good reason for a party????

[Van D]

^^Yup.

I also agree with the community point.. To outback jack - sounds like somewhere i'd want to live. Sure halloween is mainly American (it is celebrated in other countries guys..), but so is a LOT of things here nowadays..

This country lost most of it's 'identity' quite a while ago IMO. Sure, there's still a bit of 'aussie' in most of us, but if you want to start complaining now, too late I say, learn to except it.. It's not like most of you made any effort against similar things in the past.. In fact, most embrace the latest American craze's.. Car industry example? 300c, no? It's a big engined, big sized car with an American look to it. The majority of people creamed their pants over it and couldn't wait to 'bling' them up and get their hands on one..

Meh.

[b2tf]

Got em here too, I'd give anything for them to come back though - i was prepared. Chocolate laxatives are a wonderful thing.

So who's doing the tricks now? :

[XR6TickfordBoy]

Kids are only doin it cos its an opportunity for free lollies! When I have kids and if they ask "dad can we go trick or treating?" bang im immigrating them to America, they can go live on the streets of La!!

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by knighto42

Any parent who would drive their kid to another suburb to get better lollies for halloween has their prioities pretty seriously out of whack and I think you'd be hard pressed to find anybody that screwed up. I agree you need to draw a line somewhere though.

This is one aspect of halloween that annoys me as well. We live in the golf course estate here in Alice. There is only one road in (Stevens Road). Every halloween you see up to 20 cars parked there with a parent reading a magazine or listening to the radio while their kids do the rounds of the estate. That irks me to pieces. :

[LTDHO]

I'm sick to death on how American some Australians want to be.

Why?

I vote no to halloween, most Aussies don't know which date it's on. Kids just think its a way to get freebys or to vandal.

[knighto42]

I know this has already been pointed out, but again:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

A common misconception in Australia and in New Zealand is that Halloween is an American tradition when in fact it was brought to the United States by Irish immigrants who had practiced the festival in their own land for at least the previous 3000 years

[paule11]

6:10 Still sunny here in Townsville have not seen any trick or treaters at all

[dredd_xr6]

had about 5 groups of kids come thru.. gave most of them the chocolate in the house i dont like.. hmmm.. brings up the question of parents allowing kids to take the risk of eating food that may have been in someones pantry for 3 years.

+ parents should atleast tell their kids to say thankyou when some stranger gives them free chocolate...

[Quasi]

I voted no. Although I know more about the whole tradition of it than most I still don't think it is a part of our lifestyle....despite our European heritage.

I have no problem with kids having a good time, and a few giggles, but we don't officialy celebrate it, and that shouldn't change.

[AUXRVIII]

A bit of fun for the kids, also a bit of exercise for them when being chased by grumpy people.
BTW I handed over a packet of frozen rissoles, why should the kids have all of the fun?

[dredd_xr6]

Originally Posted by AUXRVIII

A bit of fun for the kids, also a bit of exercise for them when being chased by grumpy people.
BTW I handed over a packet of frozen rissoles, why should the kids have all of the fun?

frozen rissoles lol gold!! i was considering giving them a peanut each...but its just not in my nature.

[sfr rob]

I tend to answer the door naked this time of year, keeps the kids away, but attracts some "different" people.

[Geez Louise]

We spend a lot of time telling kids...don't take lollies from strangers....OH Sorry Billy...Cept on Halloween....puleease!!
Who knows what people are handing out! There are definately sickos out there!

[asusdragon]

well just had some ppl knock then i decided not to answer the door best idea i think. i will just pretend i not home tonight lol

[Powdered Toast Man]

Luckily I'm not home till about 8:00 on Wedsneday and my housemate works Wed nights, so nobody would've been home when the little booger machines came looking for handouts.

Never got into the Halloween thing, I'm not even sure what it's about? I know the South Americans have a night of the dead celebration or something, but I don't even think that's the 31st of October.

[gz1]

Originally Posted by knighto42

I know this has already been pointed out, but again:

[/color]

Originally Posted by Wikipedia
A common misconception in Australia and in New Zealand is that Halloween is an American tradition when in fact it was brought to the United States by Irish immigrants who had practiced the festival in their own land for at least the previous 3000 years

At least the Irish were smart enough to stop it.

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by sfr rob

I tend to answer the door naked this time of year, keeps the kids away, but attracts some "different" people.

I thought I was the only one. It works a treat if their parents are present because the chikdren WON'T be coming back again.

FF

[TheSneakiness]

If someone knocks on my door I'm running downstairs armed with a knife. That's Halloween for ya, psycho residents.

Lucky I only saw one mob when I was getting pizza for dinner.