(: I think this is something I want to put my two cents worth in. As I am a teen and live in the US I celebrate Halloween. Really for us it is just a time to wear wacky crazy outfits and get candy. No one really "tricks" except for those who find it funny to break things or tepee (cover peoples yards with toilet paper). Other than that really the tricks are just to scare people. Like families have contest to see who can make the scariest house, or people dress up as scary monsters. And I am in no way saying that it is stupid that Chirstians dont celebrate this, but a lot of people have come to the assumption that this is a night to celebrate the Devil. Where in all honesty it just gives kids as chance to get tummy aches off too much candy, and to give their dentists a really treat next visit (: I hope that gave you some insight.

I'm amazed in the last few years how much Halloween stuff is in the shops in the UK - it never was say 10 years ago. So the shops are hoping to Americanise us and make a packet out of us THAT way now LOL!

I think in England that the only people who ever came to doors when I was a kid were out for trouble - usually unaccompanied older children. I first saw there was an alternative when I saw ET in the early 1980s and remember being amazed that it was a kids festival. Many old people find Halloween downright intimidating - I saw that the Suffolk Police had given my parents a poster this week to put in their window on Saturday night to hopefully ward off any callers.

My DD1 will be going to an Alternative Halloween party on Saturday night - all Princesses and suchlike.

I dont see the attraction with being scary. I don't mean to sound Bah Humbug but I mean - kids and dead things...? And as for encouraging kids to knock on strangers doors after dark... dont get me started!

It's obviously VERY different in North America. But that's my experience from this side of the Atlantic.

I've always wanted to experience Halloween one day in the states, maybe next year when I go to Los Angeles for a good friends wedding...

I'm going to have lots of fun reading these replies too because I LOVE learning about different cultures and norms.

Personally, I don't celebrate it and I will probably bring my son up not to celebrate it as it's not really an Aussie tradition. But I always have a spare bag of lollies or chocolates handy in case some kids come trick or treating as I'm too nice to turn them away or say something rude like "go back to America" (I hear people say this and I think it's so mean).

Traditions and history aside, I find that Halloween is overly commercialised these days, and we don't partake in any sort of festivity because of that.  Call me mean, but I don't believe in taking advantage of historical events to make a fortune out of.

Hey everyone, thanks for your responses, it's great to able to get a better understanding of others cultures and traditions. These subjects are often discussed in my home so it's great to be able tell my kids what I have learned from others.

Just a little about my beliefs and why I don't celebrate it. My church teaches that we should be careful as to what we get involved in as it may invite certain unwanted guests into our lives. Generally anything that has a history of paganism or witch craft we avoid participating in but we do like to learn about it. Respecting others and their cultures and traditions are very important. It's what makes ppl, ppl!

Thanks Izzy for sharing about the Phillipines, my church supports church groups in that country, so I have heard of those traditions, it was fascinating reading and i have better understanding now too. (If you haven't guessed, I love to learn about culture!)

I also agree about meeting your neighbours, I think in this society we overlook the importantance of being neighbourly. My neighbourhood has an Aussie BBQ somewhere between Christmas and Australia Day. It's chance to meet your neighbours. We were unable to attend as we had our nephew's b'day on that day, but heard a good time was had by all.

It's amazing how traditions can bring ppl together.

Thanks Winnie for the history lesson, it's important to know how, where and why these traditions exist. My kids always ask these Q's and sometimes I caught out!.

Cheers Raven

First off, I love this kinds of questions about other countries' traditions. Where else can you ask such things and get first hand information from the people who live them. :)

I am Christian as well and grew up in Asia. In the Philippines we are big on All Souls Day (Nov. 2nd), and All Saint's Day (Nov. 1st) . These 2 days are full of celebration and prayer. We go to the cemetery and visit with our loved ones who have passed, as well as visit with other families and their loved once who have passed. It's like a camp-out with a lot of food and prayers and games. The kids didn't dress up as monsters and goblins though.  

When I emigrated to the U.S., it felt like just an extension for what we've been doing in the Philippines - as far as the celebration. Though of course, no one was as reflective about their loved ones who have passed. But it didn't feel strange. We celebrate as a family and we have fun.

As far as going to neighbor's house and asking for candy, yes, we do that. Not all families participate, and not all families give candy. There is an unspoken rule that you do not go to a house that has their lights off.  And we also just go to immediate neighbors. It's actually the only time for most of us to get "to know" our neighbors in many areas. In many extremely rural areas, kids don't go house to house to trick or treat. They go to malls who host Halloween activities. The parents go from store to store with their kids and get sweets.

As far as "trick or treat", no one really goes for "trick". The only ones that follow these are teens and adults. And in these cases, it is pretty much considered vandalism if it goes to extreme. But really, Halloween is for kids. By the time kids reach their teen years, they are really too cool to go out and "trick or treat".

I hope this helps. :)

Ah, in post pagan tradition they called it "Guysing" in Scotland. The tradition was that on hallows eve the ancestors returned for the night looking for a feed and to check you were all behaving yourselves,and had gotten the harvest in.LOL To ensure that you had "guid luck" for the coming year you left a wee bit of food ( The Harvest)out on the stoop for the visitors. Forget to leave the food or too miserly to do so, then you had a poor year.

In pagan times it was to honour the spirits, the Kirk being a bit fly in assimilating paganism into the church philosophy decided that there was a good side to this tradition. Encourage the putting out of food and the poor could be fed and the Kirk coffers left in tact ! Worked too for a while, then of course the need to feed the poor became less of an issue, because the Kirk had encouraged the "Clearances" so no poor left to feed, or congregation for that matter, but the kirk had embrased the tradition, so they were stuck with it!

The kids started to dress up and go round the neighbours( not strangers doors) and do a turn and for their efforts they were rewarded with a wee bit shortbread or tablet (fudge), if a neighbour said NO, then you appologised and shoved off to the next poor soul. In our neck of the woods the turn was usually a psalm or chatechism recital, though we were never allowed to take part,LOL 

The English Tradition was similar, but the kids took to playing a prank if they were turned away. That was when the Kirk turned it's face on the tradition.

As for the American "Trick or Treat" well it seems way over the top to me, and rather strange that kiddies are encouraged to roam round doors of strangers for sweets! If thats really what happens?

Here in Britain the Churches now tend to hold parties on All Hallows Eve to counter the "Trick or Treat" explosion, they talk of the tradition of remembering the forefathers, but as a festival of harvest and  light, they have the traditional games like apple bobbing( Harvest) and the kids are allowed to dress up as happy people and carve happy pumpkinfaces that takes care of the light!

We are having a party on Sat for the kids, but as a harvest celebration and are kill joys, when it comes to the visiting of neighbours, but the kids are happy and are aware of truth of it all as much as we can make them aware at their age, that it's all a bit of stuff and nonsense, but apple bobbing( dookin fur apples) is fun.

I am not religious in any way, but having been brought up in a strong Calvinist houshold, some things just stick and make one feel uncomfortable. We were not allowed to go, not strictly for religious reasons but for ethical, not all people could afford to provide a treat, but may feel preassured into doing so, debt is a big NO,NO in presbyterian ethos and causing people to get into debt was a big sin!

Luv Winnie.xxxx

 I think a lot of people use it as an excuse to get together and party which is always good :)

We are in a area with a lot of kiddies so we are going to get some lollies, mite put up a couple of decorations, its just fun, not as serious as in america.

Thank you for reminding me or I would have forgotten and been caught out lol!

I think its also a excuse to practuse costume making, i was going to this year but my daughter is only 1 so she probly wont be awake when they come around, maybe next year :)

Fun, just fun!  Decorate the house, greet the cute little kiddies, the old trick or treat has only been cute here.  I have had little kiddies sing as a trick and even dance, the wee ones get so caught up in their costumes.  I know, all the witch and pagan stuff but then so is the Easter bunny and many other things we do.  Just more a time to chat with neighbours and hand out goodies. My friends from Britain knew nothing of this tradition when they moved here and it is bigger with adults I think than even the kiddies, most of the adults come in full costume!