OT: WHHOOOOoooo!

We didn't have it in England when I was a kid either. However, when we lived in Argyllshire from 1972-75 the little Scots all got dressed up, and went out "Halloweening". They were suposed to perform for the donors of the treats. I remember little Mike, who was in primary school, sang "The Song of the Clyde" for his headmaster, and his wife, before getting his goodies.

Gill

I doubt that any of the trick or treaters has any idea of the origin of Hallowe'en; they've probably never heard of All Souls or even Samhain. Young (and not so young) thugs abound; "demanding money with menaces" is a phrase that springs to mind.

I just got back from taking DD (now age 4) out to DH's office. She missed the local treat time because we were at her great-grandmother's funeral back home so I'm glad she got to do a little something. The faculty/staff brought in goodies everyone was supposed to "buy" by donating to UNICEF but they said they would love to have her come in and go through the building. She got a few goodies and collected almost $9 for UNICEF and is now a very happy little ladybug!

I love little ladybugs -DD was one for YEARS!

Cheryl

Over here, the left side of the Pond, money is not the object, treats are.

UNICEF stopped the boxes in Canada last year.

We've just about finished. And most of ours were little, amazingly polite (those that could talk) and vewy cute. Actually - several of the 9-11 yr olds chatted with me, and again -were really polite - much more than I dreamed likely. The community we've moved to is definitely very "community" oriented - lots of stuff for kids - and it was really nice seeing all the folks out there as the kids rambled around. The community gave out stick on glow lights in some neon colors - about 3" diameters - so some of the kids, and/or parents had them on - it was a really good idea.

Just to be in the spirit - when DH got home - he had to indulge the big kid he is. Put on his original from high-school and part of his Cornell days - "Jason" form fitted goalie mask (complete with stitches drawn in), an old black hockey helmet (worn to cover the head top), a black "Team CHAOS" jersey (our old team - looks like the CAPS but instead of crossed hockey sticks one is a tipping martini glass, with some drops spilling, and a puck spinning off the bottom - and the font "Punker Chicks in Black Leather Motorcycle Jackets - true), black jeans, black gloves (not the real and stinky hockey gloves), black shoes. Completed the outfit with a hockey stick, and Puckster, and they prowled the neighborhood. Evidently some folks were quite thrilled with his addition to the atmosphere.

Got to love it. I just stayed home and gave out goodies.

Later, all - ellice

Well, thusfar I've had all of 5 (and one was a teen/young adult who was chaperoning and had his own bag).

I'd bought a package of a dozen pencils and was reasonably certain that I wouldn't need them all. It appears that I was right.

With things as they are around here our neighborhood association (I live in a Historic District) collected the names of all those who are back home and giving out treats. The list of addresses was e-mailed to the parents, the kidlets all came around, cute as can be - the youngest was all of two months!!! - then we all gathered at the home of one member for the traditional Pinata. A great way to enjoy everyone's little ones for a couple of hours, then come home.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

I only gave out goodies to the first (cute) lot - didn`t answer the doorbell after that. As it gets later they get older. One lot squirted what I HOPE is artificial blood down our nice white front door! Well, I`d rather it was REAL blood (Their`s!) than paint, I suppose. It could have been worse - but then we`re in quite a nice quiet area and don`t usually get the yobbos that haunt the main town!

I doubt if your DH would qualify if they put an age limit on Trick and Treaters as someone sensibly suggested! Or maybe I should say "Twick and Tweaters". If they can say it properly - they`re too OLD!

Pat

Pat

Hey, he wasn't asking for treats - he was just prowling around the hood adding to the environment. Even though we're not gated, this area seems like it - so he was out roaming around. Said a couple of folks actually called him over to their front lawn haunted houses, etc - with the "hey, hockey guy" cry.

ellice

That seems like a very sensible and SAFE arrangement!

Pat

LOL. It certainly confirms that you folk make FAR more out of Hallowe`en than we do! Until comparatively recently nothing much was made of it here, unless you were into Wicca, perhaps. I think that it may well have been due to the influence of USAF personnel stationed in the UK that our lot jumped on the bandwagon. Unfortunately even more recently SOME of the older kids have taken the opportunity to turn it into something far less pleasant and I doubt that more than a very few of ANY age understand the origins or significance of the festival.

It`s a shame that there are always those who will spoil things, isn`t it? There have been cases of young thugs peeing through letterboxes, or even dropping some form of firebomb through, or throwing a brick through the window, if no-one answers the door! I suppose I must be lucky to only have had "blood" sprayed on the door (which reminds me - I haven`t cleaned it off yet!).

Last year I was quite pleased to see that a group of cute little spooks and witches had one of the mothers lurking in the background!

Pat

We had very quiet night at the house - only the group with DD and DS with the rest of the neighborhood kids aged 3 to 14 and a few adults. I walked the "big loop" with the gang. The school resource officer swung through - "Officer Macaroni with his Manly MiniVan" as DS calls him. Nice man...

So - what do I do with my pile of candy, plus the kids pile of candy. Both of them have given me their Mound Bar minis...yum

A very quiet night here in our subdivision. We only had 24 kids, most of whom were young and accompanied by a parent. At one time we would get over

Mavia

Remember those ghastly banana "broomstick" taffys that used to be the choice for the cheap folk to give? I'm SO thankful I haven't seen one of those nasty things since I was a small child. The smell alone would make me sick.

I remember that my cous> So - what do I do with my pile of candy, plus the kids pile of candy. Both

DS just gives out that he is "protecting his sister" - lots of older kids out last night; very few younger ones. A couple of parents had a hayride hooked up - kind of cute and much safer than the ones riding on the tailgate.

Cheryl

DSIL is stationed at Mildenhall, and the family (DD plus three kids) all live in Thetford. When they first went over there almost four years ago, they were officially warned that they were ONLY to "trick or treat" in base housing or at houses in their own neighborhood which they KNEW to be occupied by other Americans.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Also a nice, thoughtful precaution - if a few years too late! We`d already "caught it" by then! ;-)) There are some nice places in Norfolk (although Thetford is actually still in Suffolk - but only just! We`re on the Southern border of Suffolk, so not far away from there)

Anyway the "Blood" came off the front door OK! We`re the only ones with a white door in our close, so we must have been too much of a temptation!

Now we have Guy Fawkes night to look forward to. I enjoy that as long as they don`t start weeks before and go on for weeks afterwards! Luckily, our Maggie (dog) isn`t in the least worried by all the flashes and bangs. In fact she wants to come out into the garden and have a good look. There are always terrific displays all around us as there are quite a few young kids - obviously with firework loving parents!

Pat