halloween.great. -

***Wil*** · #31 11-01-2008, 10:22 AM

:

Dude, you and I both know that the British have lights at their front doors.

Not really. Some porches have lights, but they’re only good for taking your shoes off, not for use as a status report on your presence/absence/miserliness. Fact is, trick-or-treating here is not so common that you can call any confectionery non-stockist a killjoy. I lived on a suburban street with plenty of families with young children, and we got trick-or-treaters maybe three or four years out of the 19 I was there. Not worth it.

Maybe in parts of the U.S. you can get a neighbourly sensation out of strangers’ children showing up on your doorstep desiring goodies, but on the whole, we don’t. If someone rung on my door and told me, ‘Hi, the school just up the road is organizing a trick-or-treat outing tomorrow evening, would you like to be called upon/will you be here/how do you feel about my quickly installing a light above your door?’ then I’d feel less inclined to be pissed off.

OANST · #32 11-01-2008, 10:27 AM

My problem is not/has never been with people who choose not to participate. My problem is with the idea that those who do are begging little assholes.

Bullet Magnet · #33 11-01-2008, 10:41 AM

I haven't seen house with a porch light in this entire city. I don't think anyone even has a porch, not that anyone here is familiar with that custom anyway. If they want to come, they will come, and there's nothing to do but ignore the rings and knocks or else face them down and turn them away. I admit our Halloween culture is significantly different from your own, as is, apparently, our architecture, and that is why there is significant resistance to the practice of trick-or-treating. I don't expect to ever meet you or your daughter one October evening, and if I ever do find myself resident in the states then I now know to leave the porch light off at night. But American culture is one of the State's biggest exports to Britain, and we're not very good at it.

OANST · #34 11-01-2008, 10:46 AM

You guys do Halloween wrong. WRONG, I SAID.

Bullet Magnet · #35 11-01-2008, 11:17 AM

No, that's like saying Newton did Quantum Physics wrong.

OANST · #36 11-01-2008, 11:18 AM

Are there any specifics that I should know whilst burning my Guy Fawkes effigy?

Bullet Magnet · #37 11-01-2008, 11:31 AM

None that your local fire chief can't tell you.

OANST · #38 11-01-2008, 12:05 PM

Halloween pics.

I think Havok will appreciate the sword/flashlight.

Wings of Fire · #39 11-01-2008, 12:12 PM

OANST, even the most miserly European naysayers couldn't refuse candy to your daughter.

That costume is adorable

and she looks like she means business with that glowstick in the last picture.

Havoc · #40 11-01-2008, 01:31 PM

Wait why would I specifically appreciate the sword? :S

Anyway I think Halloween is a cool holiday, though not my cup of tea. I'd never participate if it would become a real thing over here.

Also you'd expect this to happen in America first...

Lacy Hemsmire · #41 11-01-2008, 01:37 PM

I'm sorry, that's ridiculous to me. Put your kids outside in the dark on a "scary" night then complain when they get scared? Blah. See, when I own my own place I'm going to do that, and probably have the cops called on me. I figure if you don't want your children scared don't let them go outside. Isn't that the point of Halloween.

Oh no, it's all about the candy. e_e

Sorry. Lmao.

Wings of Fire · #42 11-01-2008, 01:40 PM

:

Wait why would I specifically appreciate the sword? :S

Look at the handguard

.

:

Also you'd expect this to happen in America first...

If that happened in America I'd half expect the tennent to try and sue the housing company for making him waste $600, regardless of what that thing that tries to call itself a newspaper states I think the subject under question was that he was breaking the terms of his tennency, the complaints just alerted the landlord.

Bullet Magnet · #43 11-01-2008, 03:05 PM

What is she, OANST? Clearly some form of horseback warrior, but given the disparate element I'm having trouble identifying a single cultural origin (I thought Mongolian at first), and the sword just raises further questions.

Fantasy, perhaps?

OANST · #44 11-02-2008, 09:52 AM

The sword wasn't originally included. She had a different, more realistic sword but she broke it two nights before. My stepdad gave her that because it seconds as a flashlight. As for a cultural origin, it didn't really concern me. The costume is a combination of a few different ones. We just mixed and matched until we got it where she liked it.

Spirrow · #45 11-03-2008, 04:03 PM

*snorts*
Halloween.
How did that even start.
It was wunce a grate tradition.
Now, it's...5h1t.
Countless greasy teens go out with their younger siblings for the free candy and end up being gunned down by druggies who think that they are gangstas under masks that want to blow them up.
It really happened to one family in my home town.

OANST · #46 11-03-2008, 04:28 PM

:

*snorts*
Halloween.
How did that even start.
It was wunce a grate tradition.
Now, it's...5h1t.
Countless greasy teens go out with their younger siblings for the free candy and end up being gunned down by druggies who think that they are gangstas under masks that want to blow them up.
It really happened to one family in my home town.

Of course it did. (pats your hand) Of course it did.

Spirrow · #47 11-03-2008, 04:44 PM

Shut up, Oldie-gon'-moldie. It wasn't a lie. But if was a simple figment of my imagination it'll become true if you keep denying me.

And stick yo' tung in.

used:) · #48 11-03-2008, 05:12 PM

I'd do Halloween, but I don't have enough time to put together a good costume, plus, I'd feel dorky. Yeah, I said it. Hate me. It's not that I think it's dumb of older people to be doing it, I would just feel dumb unless I was more comfortable wondering around my town at night dressed up or if I was with a group of friends.

Oh, and "oldie-gone-moldie," teehee.

Hobo · #49 11-04-2008, 05:44 AM

That is all

Zerox · #50 11-04-2008, 02:29 PM

I was told that Halloween was originally an Irish custom that ended up in America, then back to Britain? I can;t be botehred to look it up to verify, however.^{[citation needed]}

Never been allowed, because of what BM said, my parents think, asking strangers for free cash basically, though I do enjoy the costumes and everything (not that I have ever done anything realting to it, unfortunately). Non-scary fairy costumes or whatever piss me off though.

I do agree with BM in that sense. OANST says just leave the porch light off, but not everyone might have one and they knock anyway. And in some places, the older pricks (especially if they know you're in) just egg and silly string your house if you don't relent money/cndy to them. So I kinda disagree with what OANST saying you have the choice whether to or not, it's either give them that or clear up mess to your house (I'm sure also worse damage than eggs in possible). And general possible dodgy bastards wandering around with BB guns or whatever. Not a day and age where children under 16 could do this safely (though this again depends on the area).
Some kids at your door are nice and cute, others are selfish twats, and you can't really discriminate against some and not others exactly. Rather difficult.

But due to moving house, haven't had trick or treaters for two years. Presumably due to structure of area/gates etc.