Do People In The Uk...

[1ozzy]

...Embrace Halloween as much as the Americans?

Here, Down Under, it is slowly becoming accepted.

Not many "trick or treaters" as of yet but as each year goes bye it is slowly creeping into the Aussie way of life.

[Jackdaw33]

Been like that for a good few years now here as well.

[Jackdaw33]

Do you do Guy Fawkes' day, Nov 5th?

[ummmm]

Not me.

I've took my daughter out once to trick or treat but that was prearranged with the houses we were going to.

No one knocks here. My son said that our area is full of snobs and the kids are probably not allowed out.

[Cloverjo]

No! Americans are all out mad for it, from what I've read in books and papers. We Brits might tolerate it and get sweets in to give out, and some people dress children up to go and beg.

But no, we're not into it at much as the US. I dread it. And then a few days later it's Bonfire night.

[Peter Pedant]

well as a social construct
tricking and treating has undergone changes in the last thirty years

and so we could say we arent following the Land of the Free
The kids mainly are accompanied by an adult
I certainly feel uncomfortable in answering the door to a load of kids if there isnt a keeper hovering in the background

also they keep hours now dont they
6 pm to 8

Even thirty years ago mothers might insist the child throw away any home made sweets and biccies for fear of ....
yes bits of glass and weedkiller

[douglas9401]

It seems to be taking over from the Scottish tradition of guising, Ozzy.
Kids used to go dressed up, door to door, telling a joke or singing a wee song and were given a small reward.
They've taken to the American way of demanding sugar with menaces remarkably quickly though. :)

[Cloverjo]

Why don't they stay in their houses and have a party instead? They don't have to involve everyone else and knock on doors.

Sorry, I sound like a grumpy old woman. :)

[1ozzy]

It's estimated that 28.2% of our population were born overseas yet America does not appear in the top ten countries.

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3412.0Main%20Features32014-15


So it makes me wonder why we adopt American traditions so readily.

Personally I blame the media, Hollywood, etc.

[ummmm]

I think a lot of people do that, Jo.

[Togo]

No one knocks our door now Oz.............I stick a big picture of Rolf Harris on it(^_*)

[1ozzy]

//Do you do Guy Fawkes' day, Nov 5th?//

Not to my knowledge Jack.

Any winters night is good for a bonfire ;-/

[andypipwilly]

Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total *** and no other girls can say anything about it. ~ Lindsay Lohan

[1ozzy]

Would have thought a picture of a "home grown" one would do the trick Togo.

[1ozzy]

//It seems to be taking over from the Scottish tradition of guising, Ozzy//

Bit sad to see your own traditions being hijacked Doug

[andy-hughes]

Sadly, along with high school proms, this is a facet of American culture that we have adopted, with increasing commercialism following right behind.

I have not problem stating that I loathe the entire idea - mainly because of the pressure to buy costumes from supermarkets - but it's here to stay, we have to live with it.

[Hopkirk]

The supermarkets promote it as a way to boost sales.

[1ozzy]

So it's all for the retailers?

If it's not a popular annual occurrence why does Mr Ed change the answerbank logo to a Halloween theme, why do some posters do the same with their avatar?

Can't find recent stats but, //the Office for National Statistics estimates that 197,000 US-born immigrants were resident in the UK in 2013//

Pretty low percentage.

[naomi24]

//If it's not a popular annual occurrence //

It's unpopular with the people who moan about it. Others like it.

[Zacs-Master]

We seem to have taught our little ones all about extortion now. How jolly.

[andy-hughes]

1ozzy - it is very popular, and becoming more popular with each year that passes.

Hopefully the 'killer clowns' scenario has died a natural death by now.