Halloween - did any kids come to your front door ?

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by Enchilada

As adults, we have the important responsibility towards the next generation. Who we are and what we think define us as Australians, Our identity must be continued else all we come is another just sub-set of another foreign country.

I sincerely question the degree which we accept influences beyond our shores. For the younger generation, who are often so impressionable, I find they think American culture and lifestyle is better than our own, when in truth is American culture and lifestyle is just different.

After reading so of the responses here, obviously some see this duty as trivial, but in my view, passing on our own cultural values is what makes us unique.

The easy path is to just accept everything thrown your way is OK. The really hard part is to know when to take a stand say this is who I am and how my society is or will be.

Believe in the wattle and the country we live in, not superficial nonsense dreamt up in some foreign place that has little do with us.

Comment : I might be a cranky ol' bugger, but I'd rather be that than to see my culture be absorbed by another.*
Recommend , if you haven't seen it, the two movies brilliant photographic masterpieces Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi, meaning to the Hopi Indians Life Out of Balance and Life in Transformation, respectively. These films speaks volumes about destruction of cultures and the evils of societies when they are being wholly consumed.

Hey where do you live? I'd love to egg you next year.

"Believe in the wattle" OMG That's your cultural fall back?

How 'bout respecting the 50,000 years worth of culture already existant here, prior to our invasion. I would assume by your patriotic nature, your ancestors arrived on the first convict ships, as mine? What specific Australiana cultures have they developed, that we can be proud of / celebrate? That is apart from "the wattle" .

[renormalised (Carl)]

Enchilada....lighten up!!!!

Might come as a great surprise to you but "Halloween" is loosely based on an ancient seasonal festival that for some 70% of our population is a part of our cultural history....ever heard of Samhain. I'd go into the particulars of the rites associated with Samhain but I'd doubt you'd be interested.

[renormalised (Carl)]

Originally Posted by Enchilada

Yes I have heard of that. It is Celtic, and we dealt with that in detail in the previous Halloween thread in IIS. This thread is about kids knocking on your door for Halloween, and what to do about it.

However, you point still validates mine. Australians are not necessarily Celtic, even though past of it ancestry come from there. As a Nation, which continues to forge its own identity, and we needs to develop it own traditions and celebrations unique to us. Importing them is just being lazy.

As to "lighten up", I agree 99%! (… but I still have to deal with those pesky kids knocking at my door.)

What to do about kids trick or treating???....give them lollies

Or scare the bejeezes out of them

As for Australians not being Celtic or having links as such...53% of our population can claim Irish ancestry and then you have whatever percentage has Scottish, English and Welsh...not bad for a country of 22 million.

[leon]

We are Australian guys, I turn them away, there is enough American junk on Telly, why support this stupid crap.

Leon

[matt]

Yes....we are Australian, but that doesn't mean we have to be so insular as to be xenophobic.

There is absolutely no reason to believe that by celebrating things like Halloween that our own traditions are going to be 'swamped' or completely wiped from the calendar.

Honestly, why is it that whenever we have these sorts of discussions we always end up with some all-or-nothing line of logic which dictates that any recognition of the traditions and values of another culture will come at the expense of our own!!

Are our own traditions so fragile...that to welcome others will see our own dissipate on the breeze like confetti? Are we really that delicate?

Honestly....

[leon]

Matt, no mate we are not delicate to other traditions, and i, as probably you, welcome all traditions, of all nations, I am not against any particular day off, or special day for any culture, but it seems that the U.S rules in what happens, even to our dollar value.

And you know what, they, the States are not that good at it.

We don't celebrate any other countries special day, so why America.

Leon

[matt]

Originally Posted by leon

We don't celebrate any other countries special day, so why America.

Leon

Leon...

You're kidding, right?

'Australians' celebrate all sorts of days throughout the year which are 'foreign' in origin. And it's not as if Halloween has become an Aussie public holiday or anything.

I'm not sure what to say about the comment about the US dollar. Its impact is felt throughout the world and is a reflection of their economic power, notwithstanding the GFC!

I guess that's the way it is when you historically are one of the world's economic powerhouses.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Enchilada,

I take it you don't have very many friends. What, with the charming and holier-than-thou attitude.

Grow up.

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by Octane

I take it you don't have very many friends. What, with the charming and holier-than-thou attitude.

I don't like the idea Halloween, plain and simple. I have strong feelings about it, and it seems other people do too.

If that means I "don't have very many friends." So be it.

Bless you, Octane!

[Calibos (Keith)]

Someone mentioned Thanksgiving. I have to agree. Some guys here are making out that Aussies celebrating Halloween is akin to them celebrating the Colonisation of North America. Halloween isn't an American Special Day. Its an Irish Special Day that was imported to America by Irish immigrants and over commercialised in the last 40 years by Americans in the main. With so much Irish ancestry in Aussie blood why is it 'foreign' for aussies to celebrate it too.

At the risk of this veering into religious territory, I note that one poster mentioned berating the parents and telling them they should be ashamed at celebrating a 'Pagan' festival. Sounds like something an evangelical Christian would say. Ironic that Evangelical Christianity is an import to Australia from.....the good 'ol U.S of A

[multiweb (Marc)]

for god sake guys, listen to yourselves! We're talking about kids having a ball knocking on doors for lollies once a year. No more no less. And you carry on about attacks on your culture? You're full of it. The kids are more mature than you are.

[Ian Robinson]

Originally Posted by leon

Matt, no mate we are not delicate to other traditions, and i, as probably you, welcome all traditions, of all nations, I am not against any particular day off, or special day for any culture, but it seems that the U.S rules in what happens, even to our dollar value.

And you know what, they, the States are not that good at it.

We don't celebrate any other countries special day, so why America.

Leon

Well me matey, I remember when I was a kiddy in infants and primary school being taught the maypole dance .... that was in the 1960s.
I remember cracker night , 1960s and 1970s.
I've gone to and celebrated Octoberfest (that's a german tradition).
Been to greek weddings and muslim weddings.
I also remember mum and dad taking the family to Sydney to watch and join in the celebrating of the chinese new year when I was kid.

Heck I took up American Square Dancing when I discovered there were lots of teenage girls doing it when I was about 14 yo, and I also did ballroom and latin dance (same reasons) and took up highland dancing too as I fancied a girl who also did that. None of the above make me any less australian than someone who followed this or that code of football and cricket (neither of which I've ever been much interested in). I still do the square dancing (though I've had a break from it since my local caller retired and closed down my favourite club a couple of years ago) and my masters' (lectures at night) got in the way.

My parents are of highland / norse (MacDonald on mum's side) and anglo-saxon on dad's side decent.

Takes hundreds of years to develop a unique culture , if you exclude aboriginal culture , we haven't haven't had sufficient time to do this.

Really when it comes down to it, what traditions that are celebrated here are strictly Australian (if you exclude aboriginal traditions) ?

Hallowene is just a fun day and evening , and a good excuse to have a party and to act silly and even get dressed up if that takes your fancy which happens to have ancient celtic origins , just like easter and xmas , and many other christian festivals (for those who happen to be practicing christians or believers). No harm in it apart for the kids (and parents) having a sugar high, risking a bit of tooth decay or putting a pound or two on).

[mac (Matt)]

Interesting to read the strong opinions on both sides. This implies to me that there is no obvious right or wrong standpoint in the situation.

For what it's worth, I prefer not to celebrate Halloween in New Zealand, since we have the pleasure of celebrating the British festival of Guy Fawkes on the 5th of November every year. Perhaps if Halloween were at a different time of year, I would consider it.

[Calibos (Keith)]

If anyone has a right to complain about Halloween its the English. Its starting to get as big as Guy Fawkes Night over there. As an Irish guy in Ireland, even I can see that, that must annoy some English people. In that case, a foreign tradition is starting to supplant a local one. However if there is no supplanting going on I don't see the problem. ie. if historically the Ausies didn't celebrate anything between OCT 31st and NOV 5th, well then why not celebrate, one or the other or both. In the case of NZ, if they already celebrate Guy Fawkes, I might understand some grumbling if everyone started celebrating Halloween instead.

However, even if I was one of those people who were a little miffed at a cherished tradition being supplanted, I still wouldn't be grumpy 'ol so and so and tell the kids to 'Get orf my land!!'

[hilb]

I have never let my children "celebrate" Halloween, and I have no intention of encouraging others to do so. No lollies at my house ready for other folks' spoiled brats to demand. I know of children knocking on doors with eggs in hand ready to wreak havoc on your front door & windows if you don't satisfy their greedy demands, this with laughing parents in tow!

Insane if you ask me. It is a tradition/celebration that has absolutely no meaning in this country.

I like this story I read the other day -
Today for Halloween, I had to pass out candy to the little kids. When I looked to my neighbor's yard, he just left a bucket full of candy with a sign saying "Please take two" and there was a garbage can right next to it. I saw a little kid laugh and try to take a handful, until my neighbor popped out of the trash can in a mask yelling " I SAID TAKE TWO!" The kid ran away crying. This happened about 18 more times...:-)

[Calibos (Keith)]

Hate to break it to you, but the 'Trick' part of 'Trick or Treat' is an idle threat certainly from the young kids with guardians waiting at the gate. Wow, what a bunch of Curmudgeons!!

[Nightskystargaz (Thomas)]

YES a lot of KIDS did come to my front door, They ran me out of candy.

,

Tom

[seanliddelow (Sean)]

Originally Posted by hilb

I have never let my children "celebrate" Halloween, and I have no intention of encouraging others to do so. No lollies at my house ready for other folks' spoiled brats to demand. I know of children knocking on doors with eggs in hand ready to wreak havoc on your front door & windows if you don't satisfy their greedy demands, this with laughing parents in tow!

Insane if you ask me. It is a tradition/celebration that has absolutely no meaning in this country.

I like this story I read the other day -
Today for Halloween, I had to pass out candy to the little kids. When I looked to my neighbor's yard, he just left a bucket full of candy with a sign saying "Please take two" and there was a garbage can right next to it. I saw a little kid laugh and try to take a handful, until my neighbor popped out of the trash can in a mask yelling " I SAID TAKE TWO!" The kid ran away crying. This happened about 18 more times...:-)

Ha Ha thats classic I love scaring littile kids.

[leon]

OK I stuffed up and spoke before I thought, that has happened before, I apoligise for my neglect in not knowing everything, and will say no more,

Leon

[StevenA (Steven)]

I was always under the notion of Halloween edicate that ran something like: If your porch light is on then I give candy. If it is off then don't bother knocking I do not participate.
Also the Trick part is instead of candy and performed by the tenant not the kids who are out for a fun night. The trick instead of candy.
As for my house on Halloween only 2 kids came and said trick or traet and they put no effort into it. No costume what so ever. Just shorts, Tshirt and runners. Last year was the same too but more kids knocked on the door till about midnight.
I do not let my kids Trick or Treat. I have read about bigger kids bashing smaller ones for the candy. I have hear of abusive adults at doors instead of simple go aways or sorry no Trick and Treating. What is this world coming too. It will be America soon and we will have razor blade inplanted into apples and poisons in cookies and lollies etc. No I tell the kids that Halloween is a commercial rendition of All Hallows Night. If you are curious look it up.