It's no secret that a lot of we Brits don't quite know what to make of Halloween - in stark contrast to our American cousins and their colourful annual celebrations. We hear from two bloggers on opposite sides of the pond - and opposite sides of the Halloween argument.
First up is British blogger and author, Christine Human, who is firmly ensconced in the anti-Halloween camp...
Halloween - a bit of fun, or commercialised nonsense?
The grandchildren call, hauling in impossibly big pumpkins, and meet the same glazed eyes that my children saw when Halloween was mentioned - I try not to purse my lips. It's a grandad job, carving pumpkins, so they go straight through to the garden and I do enjoy watching them scooping out the contents, chatting away. I provide sausages in bread rolls and squash. I find the tea lights ready to tuck inside. The discarded innards hit the food recycling immediately.
Even Mary Berry cannot persuade me to make pumpkin pie.
I don't know of any other occasion that provokes such a reaction - it's definitely a 'love it or hate it' occasion - and I hate it. Every supermarket shelf turns orange, or so it seems, and those giant online retailers keep trying to persuade me to buy Halloween outfits, even producing a range for pets – well really!
I believe its roots lie in the idea that the spirits of the dead take to wandering about looking for bodies to inhabit and that the living put on scary costumes and make loud noises to stop them. I don’t care – I don’t like it. I know it's big in America and I don't care – so is campaigning for presidency and look where that's leading them. I fully expect Donald to appear in pumpkin costume and Hillary, claws out, as a hissing sleek, black cat.
31 October, it's lockdown night in our household, and the warm welcome usually offered to callers is subject to a twelve-hour curfew. Wartime rules apply -
"put that light out".
31 October, it’s lockdown night in our household, and the warm welcome usually offered to callers is subject to a twelve-hour curfew. Wartime rules apply - "put that light out". A quick trip to the front garden to padlock the gate, flick off the security light, and double-check for reckless illumination from within. Hastily recruited triple A batteries achieve undeserved status sitting alongside precious ornaments, the naked shell of the bell exposed confirming its demise. The large brass knocker on the front door swaddled with a duster and secured with brown tape. The insipid yellow streetlights interrupted by frigid swaying branches cast spooky shadows on the walls, the only sound a tomcat howling.
Satisfied, we retreat to the back of the house, and settle down in front of the gas fire, put subtitles on the TV to ensure no indiscreet leakage which may indicate occupancy.
My neighbour's house will receive all the attention, their windows packed with silhouettes of black cats with hunched backs, a glaring full moon, witches on broomsticks, skeletons and impossibly big plastic spiders with black hairy legs dangling from lintels. They are prepared to have hoards of over-excited children playing trick or treat and will willingly administer an overdose of sickly sweets from large orange supermarket buckets.
One smirking group who dared to mention 'trick' had eggs dropped on them from a bedroom window one year. Retaliation resulted in them having flour bombs hurled at them from the house. From the ensuing laughter I suppose they all had fun.
Meanwhile I am tucked away in subdued lighting, hearing every little crunch and clank, hoping that tonight I don't need to call an ambulance.
You can read more from Christine over on her blog, A Dangerous Age.
By Christine Human
Twitter: @adangerousage
We had a steady stream for an hour , and in fact our little ones recommended us as they went round lol
A good time was had by all. Indoor voices went out of the window as E numbers came in 
.
Another night of memories made X
Think all the trick or treaters have finished now. The last two were huge lads, but seemed friendly enough beneath their werewolf and Frankenstein masks. It's too late now as I've finished off the remaining chocolates (don't tell mamie - low carb was completely blown out of the window)
I put all the strawberry creams to one side just for me 
but Ana will understand if I say don't tell maggiemaybe
My two GDs decided they didn't want to go Trick or Treating this year because of the tales of Killer Clowns that were obviously doing the rounds at school...
They had a great time at home bobbing for apples and dressing up anyway!
Hmm! The quietist Halloween we have had since we moved here - one very small Count Dracula who stared at me with his mouth open as if I was the one with the scary costume, not him 
; and another, older, in indeterminate garb (at best guess, a zombie). Last year we were inundated with the little b*****s! What a disappointment! Now we have a boxful of rubbishy sweets to get rid of (I have slapped DH's hands and confiscated the mini mars bars).
I must admit I'm hiding this today. I've been busy tidying out paperwork and I'm now shattered so normally would have gone for a sleep. Only little hands seem to keep knocking on the door, the dog barks and wonders why I am not answering, fireworks are going off too and the whole thing is keeping me from nodding. That means I am going to be paying for it later, with getting overtired.
I would be at the door, giving out sweets but I can't keep getting up and down. Maybe they should have formed a queue and got it all over and done with at my door? 
I'm not mean, just no energy now.
Maybe the signal of having a pumpkin for welcomed trick or treaters should be more obvious and the ones not displaying could be left in peace.
Grumpy old tired woman rant over. Happy Halloween to all.
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