How do you celebrate Halloween?

[SweetErika]

The title pretty much says it all. If you celebrate Halloween, what are your plans this year? Are they different from other years? Do you have any special traditions?

I'm actually really enjoying the festivities this year, since this is the first Halloween where our munchkin has a sense of what's happening and can actually run around, say "trick or treat" and enjoy events. We've been doing stuff all week, but tonight we're going to "trunk or treat" close to home (this is a new thing for us, but I've heard it's popular in other parts of the country and it should be good for a toddler), go to a community party that will have all of the city's trucks available for kids to enjoy and then come back home to trick or treat a few of our neighbors. Hopefully it'll be the best of all worlds, but I'm definitely interested in others' traditions so we can maybe start some new ones with our little guy.

 

[fire_breeze]

The title pretty much says it all. If you celebrate Halloween, what are your plans this year? Are they different from other years? Do you have any special traditions?

I'm actually really enjoying the festivities this year, since this is the first Halloween where our munchkin has a sense of what's happening and can actually run around, say "trick or treat" and enjoy events. We've been doing stuff all week, but tonight we're going to "trunk or treat" close to home (this is a new thing for us, but I've heard it's popular in other parts of the country and it should be good for a toddler), go to a community party that will have all of the city's trucks available for kids to enjoy and then come back home to trick or treat a few of our neighbors. Hopefully it'll be the best of all worlds, but I'm definitely interested in others' traditions so we can maybe start some new ones with our little guy.

Hallowe'en is one of my favourite holidays. Love it.

As a child, I'd watch either a Disney or Muppets special while getting ready, then my brother, Father and I will go out trick or treating, leaving Mother home. We'd stop by this one guy's house who'd deck his place out like there's no tomorrow. It was creepy but never scary. He'd be actually hiding out and would spook us giving candy (one year, he dressed up as a scarecrow sitting by the door with a bowl in its lap and when we'd approach the door, the scarecrow would move and give us candy. Creepy fun ). One of our neighbours always brought us candy apples, and while munching on it, Father would read an Edgar Allen Poe poem, or some other equally dark poet.

Interestingly enough, it's the one North American tradition that my parents adopted and celebrated, for a lack of a better word, with us.

When I was about 14, I watched Rocky Horror for the first time and had a serious crush on Tim Curry. I still do and still watch it every single year, either at a showing or at home.

For the longest time, I'd keep vigil from sundown on October 31st all the way to sundown November 1st, commemorating the dead, and ensuring that a candle is always lit. Last year I only lit a candle, this year is the first time I haven't really done it. Maybe I'll light one, although I've missed the sundown mark.

And on November 2nd, after dark, the end of Hallowe'en season, I will watch A Nightmare Before Christmas

 

[SweetErika]

It sounds like a good holiday for you, Fire! I know your family is Eastern European (Hungarian is in my mind for some reason... Am I close?) - is there a holiday with similar ideas/traditions in that culture, or was it a totally new thing that came with Canada?

I've actually never seen either of those movies, though I know that's kind of shameful! I'm just not much of a holiday movie person, but I'll have to check them out at some point.

 

[Que]

this year I celebrated halloween by getting off of work late... continuing to pout that my friend stood me up for the saturday night halloween party.. got more into the spirit of things are handing out 2 dollar bills instead of candy.

 

[Eilan]

We take the kids trick or treating, and that's pretty much it.

When I was about 14, I watched Rocky Horror for the first time and had a serious crush on Tim Curry. I still do and still watch it every single year, either at a showing or at home.

My friends and I have gotten together to watch Rocky Horror every year since 1998. In fact, I just got back from this year's showing.

 

[imallears]

skyclad - lots of candles and incense around

 

[fire_breeze]

It sounds like a good holiday for you, Fire! I know your family is Eastern European (Hungarian is in my mind for some reason... Am I close?) - is there a holiday with similar ideas/traditions in that culture, or was it a totally new thing that came with Canada?

I've actually never seen either of those movies, though I know that's kind of shameful! I'm just not much of a holiday movie person, but I'll have to check them out at some point.

Yuppers, a Hungarian Barbarian .

There is something along the lines of Hallowe'en there - the Day of the Dead - which is celebrated for two days, on Nov. 1-2. On this day, families will get together and go to the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and light specially decorated candles (usually either red or white) and bright yellow flowers, have a meal with the dead, maybe even dance, leaving bread at the graves before going home. They may or may not go to mass/service, and a dead-seer may or may not be around to help with the recently deceased. It happens all day and at night, you can see thousands of lighted candles flickering. It's actually quite beautiful, in a haunted way.

But otherwise, no trick-or-treating, no dressing up, no candy-giving, although in some regions, orphans are visited and given clothes, toys, and money.

While it is not an official holiday, everything is closed on this day, up to and including the bars. Even in communities with a sizeable Hungarian population, everything is closed.

No Rocky Horror?! Oh the horrors! . It's a fun, albeit ridiculously stupid movie. What else do you expect from Tim Curry in drag? (and A Nightmare isn't really a holiday movie... more like a Tim Burton's version of a good time)

(psst. If it's any consolation, I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life)

We take the kids trick or treating, and that's pretty much it.My friends and I have gotten together to watch Rocky Horror every year since 1998. In fact, I just got back from this year's showing.

Now don't forget to sing ...

 

[silverwhisper]

the mrs & i usually mark the holiday by watching it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown and often a thematic dinner, although we didn't this year. the building we're in doesn't see trick or treaters, so we never have candy.

[sigh]

 

[bobsgirl]

I think we had maybe 10 or so trick or treaters this year. We still have a whole bag of candy left.

Actually this is the first time in several years we've even been home. We've been known to purposely go out to dinner on Beggars Night.

Halloween is really a non-holiday for me. I'm a boo humbug.

 

[NippleMuncher]

Halloween is really a non-holiday for me. I'm a boo humbug.

Ditto. It's just one of the occasions that I'm thankful for our chain-link fence and locked gate.