I Am Going to Frighten Everyone This Haloween

[Tim Dubya]

I'm trying not to get banned again... so here's the 'cleanest' one I could find with a message to all the T or T'ers

 

[Tim Dubya]

alternatively...

 

[Tim Dubya]

or

 

[big jim]

Well my wife decided to something nice for the kids this evening, decorated the house, set up the projector (as shown on page 1 of this thread), popped out for 1/2 hour to take them to see some of the neighbours (pre arranged) only to come back to find the Bowl of sweets she left on the step out of view from the pavement stolen and the kids pumpkins smashed up all over the road in front of the house, found the bowl a couple of streets across (obviously empty)

 

Thankfully she didn't put the speakers in the window for the projector or no doubt they would have been vandalised too, very disappointed

[phil-b259]

That sounds familiar. No extraordinary hoorah at Christmas, no chocolate at Easter either? My Pa would have been right there with Old Noll suppressing maypoles and anything else that might have pagan roots. Then again the pancakes were excellent with speck and stroop, much better than lemon and sugar; and Guy Fawkes night was celebrated with gusto.

 

Ah but Christmas is officially endorsed by the Church of England (other versions of Christianity are available) - and the same goes for Easter.

 

By contrast Halloween is derided as Evil - this is the Popes take on the whole thing. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2812605/Halloween-really-evil-says-Vatican-replaced-HOLYWEEN.html

 

Personally, given I stopped being religious ages ago whether its Halloween is Pagan / evil is an irrelevance - but not having partaken as a child I have no desire to do so 30 years later regardless of all the advertising hype.

Edited November 1, 2017 by phil-b259

[Jol Wilkinson]

Ah but Christmas is officially endorsed by the Church of England (other versions of Christianity are available) - and the same goes for Easter.

 

By contrast Halloween is derided as Evil - this is the Popes take on the whole thing. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2812605/Halloween-really-evil-says-Vatican-replaced-HOLYWEEN.html

 

Personally, given I stopped being religious ages ago whether its Halloween is Pagan / evil is an irrelevance - but not having partaken as a child I have no desire to do so 30 years later regardless of all the advertising hype.

The main difference being that.at Christmas the supermarket shelves aren't full of costumes for angels. shepherds, wise men, donkeys, sheep, etc.

 

Otherwise they are pretty similar. Most of the participants don't know what is the original reason for the "celebration", commercial interests have taken over, street begging is acceptable, although dressed up as carol singing (or carol murdering in some instances). 

[Reorte]

All quiet my way thankfully, although that's probably not a surprise considering where I live. Pity, no point in carrying out my plans for a springboard to fling anyone at the door in to the canal at the touch of a button. Never got any trick or treaters where I used to live though, and that was a typical boring housing estate.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Ah but Christmas is officially endorsed by the Church of England (other versions of Christianity are available) - and the same goes for Easter...

 That's because none of the hierarchy appear to have read Article six since C18th! But they are at least inclined to be liberal toward those with no regard for the saving power of tinsel, chocolate and all the other copious nonsense that has encrusted a very simple message.

[Tim Dubya]

[Alex TM]

The main difference being that.at Christmas the supermarket shelves aren't full of costumes for angels. shepherds, wise men, donkeys, sheep, etc.

 

Otherwise they are pretty similar. Most of the participants don't know what is the original reason for the "celebration", commercial interests have taken over, street begging is acceptable, although dressed up as carol singing (or carol murdering in some instances). 

'Carol murdering' - didn't realise you know our 'choir'!

[Alex TM]

Hi again,

 

Sad to say that the petty vandalism I mentioned earlier descended, later in the evening, to thousands of pounds worth of damage to cars in our street.  Not the same kids, but the 'trick' got out of hand.

 

Some of my friends are pagans, and they do get upset when their festival gets taken over and abused whether by commercial enterprises or vandals.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[petethemole]

Brief but useful article here https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/28/halloween-more-than-trick-or-treat-origins  by Prof. Ronald Hutton, a specialist in the history of ancient and pagan religions and the modern pagan/neopagan revival.

[Alex TM]

Hi again,

 

Here's how we do pagan revivalism here in Edinburgh:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-41831810

 

Although I'm not a pagan, it's a wonderful night out especially if the weather is crisp and dry.  It's funny that, in a country that can sometimes be quite conservative in it's approach to the world, Edinburgh is a place where a wide range of religions seem to mutually co-exist.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Do 

 

Hi again,

 

Here's how we do pagan revivalism here in Edinburgh:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-41831810

 

Although I'm not a pagan, it's a wonderful night out especially if the weather is crisp and dry.  It's funny that, in a country that can sometimes be quite conservative in it's approach to the world, Edinburgh is a place where a wide range of religions seem to mutually co-exist.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

Do they celebrate Christmas with such enthusiasm?

[jonny777]

The main difference being that.at Christmas the supermarket shelves aren't full of costumes for angels. shepherds, wise men, donkeys, sheep, etc.

 

 

 

And the bonus for retailers at Christmas, is that any stock which doesn't sell can be wheeled out again as a 'bargain' for Valentine's Day; and again for Mother's Day; and if there is still some left, the punters can be persuaded to buy it all up for Easter. 

 

What's not to like about that?

[NorthBrit]

Buy your Pancake Kit now before the inevitable price rise.    Includes all the ingredients  eggs, flour, lemons and Golden Syrup.

[Horsetan]

Do they celebrate Christmas with such much enthusiasm?

There, that's better.

[Alex TM]

Do 

 

Do they celebrate Christmas with such enthusiasm?

No, but be sure to wear shades (wait until you see the ever brighter lights in the shopping streets).

 

If you want a real party, then New Year's Eve through the bells into the New Year is the time to be in Edinburgh.  That said, I do find the Beltane and Celtic New Year festivals to be the more inspiring and more exciting (just don't let my 'bosses' know that I said that!)!

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[Ozexpatriate]

Do they celebrate Christmas with such enthusiasm?

That would be Yule.