Agree. (Yes really!) I dislike the Americanisation of English speaking cultures around the world.

Agree Halloween is an Americanisation of an ancient festival, but it brings joy to children in our suburb, and joy to Margaret in setting up the front veranda/door display.

The 40 or 50 kids that knock on the door to get their bags of goodies etc will probably remember their Halloween visits in their old age.

-- Edited by PeterInSa on Saturday 29th of October 2022 11:08:52 AM

86GTS,
Thank you for your informative notes on Halloween. Most of it was new to me. Like Ivan, I object to the American commercialization of what was originally a Christian(?) celebration, as with Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day. Where did Fathers' Day come from?
Cheers,
Roy.

Chamaedorea seifrizii

During my youth I had seen reference to Halloween in American comics (this was the beginning)and probably a bit later on television.

The event was never celebrated in my community and never really mentioned or to be honest, even thought of.

My children grew up knowing (I guess) about Halloween but once again their generation did not participate or if some did it could have been rated in our community as a non event.

We have adopted so much unnecessary nonsense (my opinion) from the Good Ole U.S of A.

Lets all wear our hats backward and have our trousers down around our lower hips. It must be the correct way to dress. 

I was at my daughters house one day when she had some younger mums visit from school. During conversation one of the *helicopter parents* referred to her child starting high school as *getting ready for middle school* 
Well that was enough to make me get my car and van and *cross state lines* 

My original post was more about the stated 430 million dollars we will reportedly spend on the event that is not even ours.
If a parent can fork out that kind of money on costumes lollies and toys then maybe all the Big Australians can withdraw their sponsorship and support for little Johnny or little Mary on the court or the pitch.

Halloween is Americanism at its very worse in this country but I agree that young kiddies do enjoy it.

Most of us love a bag of lollies. 

-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Saturday 29th of October 2022 01:43:05 PM

Roy E wrote:

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86GTS,
Thank you for your informative notes on Halloween. Most of it was new to me. Like Ivan, I object to the American commercialization of what was originally a Christian(?) celebration, 

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 Actually those notes from 86GTS suggest it originated as a pagan Celtic new year celebration (Samhain), later 're-purposed' by Christians, as many pagan rituals & observances were. 

 https://historycollection.com/10-christian-holidays-beliefs-steeped-pagan-traditions/

In the UK (especially) pagan rituals & festivals have made a comeback, especially among the old hippies & alternative lifestylers, of recent decades. Many quaint village celebrations also trace their origins back to pagan times, even if some of the meaning has been lost, whilst continuing to be repeated. In primary school we were taught Maypole Dancing  - today seen primarily as 'folk dancing', but originally a Pagan fertility ritual. All these rituals aid 'belonging' & 'sense of place'.

Sadly Halloween does indeed seem to have become very 'Americanised & commercially influenced over the course my lifetime . It's not something my wife & I have ever celebrated, nor even taken a lot of notice of.

Ivan 01 wrote:

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Whenarewethere wrote:

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Chamaedorea seifrizii

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 Looks a bit like the not so rare, Weedus Bongus. 

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A most successful marketing campaign by Spotlight and assorted lolly companies

Both Halloween and the equally stupid Valentines day are crap.

Although the fun police shut down good old Guy Fawkes night which would be held on the 5th of November Bon Fires and Cracker were fun.

Ivan 01 wrote:

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Craig1 wrote:

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A most successful marketing campaign by Spotlight and assorted lolly companies

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 At least we are keeping Chinas economy on the up and up.

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 Swings & roundabouts.

 

I once asked a shop in Manly, do they have any koalas or kangaroos not made in China. They did have one which was really well made & looked good so I bought it, it was expensive.

 

He added to the conversation that he gets great satisfaction selling Chinese made koalas at greatly inflated prices to tourists from China.

Reports from our own police is that they dread our Halloween celebrations.

Any wonder I suppose given we have created.a situation where children and lollies are mixing with unknown adults in masked costumes and knocking on doors of who knows who is in the house and those children are expecting lollies.


Mmmm! Not an ideal situation for the safety of our kiddies.

146 in Seoul 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-30/halloween-crowd-surge-in-seoul-kills-dozens/101594394

All Hallows Eve is best described as a Christian holiday that falls on the day/night before All Saints Day.

The holiday was the result of a blending of the Celtic celebration of Samhain with the Christian church's All Saints Day.

The result was a new religious holiday that could be embraced by both groups. This type of mirroring of what the Church considered Pagan holidays and celebrations was the grand solution for bringing these cultures into the Church's fold.

Although All Hallows Eve is still observed as a church holiday, the modern non-religious version is known as Halloween.

NOT American.

You guys are so funny!

Santa Claus, a.k.a. St Nicholas, a.k.a. Sinter Klass (from New Amsterdam now known as New York city), a.k.a. Father Christmas, was commercialized and internationalized by The Coca-Cola Company in 1931.

There is a credible report that Father Christmas first appeared in Australia at a Sydney Christmas pageant in 1933.