Halloween

[Wongo]

Thanks to daylight saving we were able to have dinner on the verandah tonight. It is great because the kids can make a big mess and I don’t have to clean up.

Sorry where were we?

Anyway we were feeding the birds , a lady and 2 girls came to put something in our mailbox. Can I help you I asked. “It is for the Halloween party, if you want the kids to come then tire this ribbon to your letterbox.” said the lady.

I said “hello win??” I paused and I gave her this “I don’t go out much so keep me up to date love, since when do we celebrate Halloween?” look. You know that look.

Then I said “No thanks but I will come to the thanksgiving party”

"Oh no we don't celebrate thanksgiving". She obviously didn't get it and she left. I was just being sarcastic

I realised that she is doing it for the kids, but hey if we want to do stuff with my kids then we have plenty of ancestors to worship you know. Halloween just isn’t on the to do list.

So what is kicking guys?

[MikeK]

Wongo,

To each their own. Your post strikes me as a culture vs culture debate. Just because we haven't done it here in the past doesn't mean we (or others) shouldn't do it. Seems to me that she was being polite and saying that "if you want to do this, then mark your mailbox with a ribbon". Good on her if she wants to enrich her kids with something and make the effort to involve the community.

Regards,
Mike.

[graemet]

T
I realised that she is doing it for the kids, but hey if we want to do stuff with my kids then we have plenty of ancestors to worship you know. Halloween just isn’t on the to do list.

Onya Scott!
She is trying to consolidate another Seppo commercial "festival" into our culture. It teaches kids that they can dress up and tour the neighbourhood, demanding gifts of sweets (treat), etc with the implied threat of "trick" if refused. This marketing exercise has no place here.
Cheers,
Scrooge!

aka Graeme

[Stuart]

Know what you mean Wongo, and love the subtle dig with the Thanksgiving reference.

However, I don't mind the kids coming to the door for halloween, and think it is a good idea being able to mark the letterbox if you are willing to play or not, with the onus being on those who will participate to tie the ribbon. Saves the young ones an unpleasant experience.

The kids who do it around here are generally sub 10 year olds, and they still believe in Santa, and that the world is a nice place. It's also a nice way to meet the neighbours, and get the kids on side - less likely to have problems with them as they get older. How is there a bad side? Cost me a few lollies each year. It won't last long in the modern society - too many sick ####ers out there anyway.

I also like the (very American) thing of Christmas lights on the houses, and I typically hang a few thousand lights on my place each year, and I don't care whose culture it is - if I like it, I'll adopt it.

[johnc]

I can see no reason to export American culture here, if I was in the U.S. it would be different. Even if we had large numbers of U.S. imigrants over here but we don't. We used to have Guy Fawkes night until most states banned fireworks, seems we didn't like seriously injuring our children and setting things alight. So if we let our pommy origins go why import someone else's when we are imaginative enough to invent our own. Why not lamington night far better than a pumpkin with a candle.

I'll start having thanksgiving right after Wongo has his.

John

[Gumby]

I reckon it's a good thing. i'm happy the local kids get to do something like halloween and i always have a bag of lollies ready.

if they don't come (like last year) I eat them myself.

i's got nothing to do with importing culture by the way. if you follow that theory, don't put up a Xmas tree.

[Stuart]

We export plenty of Aussie culture to the states, what's wrong with importing a bit back here?

[DavidG]

Only celebrated it once.

Decided to get a bit back by giving the kids a little scare.
Set up the relatively powerful stereo with both speakers just inside the front door.

Found a really good lion roar and taped it several times in a row.
Wound the level up to flat out and waited.

Knock on door. Pressed the play button.

You could hear the kid scream over the lion roar.

Poor kid. Took ages before the neighbour would talk to me again.
Mean old man scaring kids like that.

[duckman]

We export plenty of Aussie culture to the states, what's wrong with importing a bit back here?

Care to name any "Aussie culture" that has been adopted by Americans, Stuart?:confused:

[bennylaird]

Did we also celebrate Ramadan?
Cmon lets find celerbrations for every day of the year.
Tipusen would be good, we could all stick needles and hooks through our skin and hang heavy weights.

To each his own but no lollies at our place if kids come knocking.

[Doughboy]

We give fruit and nuts. Nice healthy fare!!!

Pete

[Iain]

Care to name any "Aussie culture" that has been adopted by Americans, Stuart?:confused:

Winning the America's Cup without cheating, no sorry, hasn't happened

[Greg Ward]

You old lot of grouches.

I give them all the use-by-last-year stuff from the kitchen and an ice cream.

Let the kids have a little fun as a group without bringing your own prejudices come into play.

What does it matter where any celebration comes from. If anything can get the kids away from the TV for a while and have them walking around, it's fine by me
They grow up too fast as it is

Regards
Greg

[bennylaird]

If we are going to bring in all celebrations to keep the kids busy then why just stick to seppo culture?:confused: :confused:

Thaipusan is heaps of fun as well

[duckman]

You old lot of grouches.

I give them all the use-by-last-year stuff from the kitchen and an ice cream.

Let the kids have a little fun as a group without bringing your own prejudices come into play.

What does it matter where any celebration comes from. If anything can get the kids away from the TV for a while and have them walking around, it's fine by me
They grow up too fast as it is

Regards
Greg

Trick or treat has bugger all to do with Halloween. Its an American bastarised
addition, no doubt inspired by their love of junk food, to a festival that dates back to the Celts to celebrate the end of summer.

It has no relevance here.