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
Just read an email from my Mormon friends in Utah. Their... hang on while I count up... twelfth grandchild was born a day or so ago. They have bought what they are calling a Hallowe'en outfit for the new baby. It's a Mickey Mouse suit.
Would "Give me strength!" be an appropriate comment?
G'night, folks.
Well I found last night's trick or treating really heart warming! Faceless houses that we walk past every day but never meet the owners were opened up - neighbours meeting for the first time, all generations having fun together.
That's what I love about halloween & trick or treaters - it's a holiday for neighbours. Christmas is for family, Easter is for church if you're that way inclined, or family holidays if you're not. But Halloween is for getting to know neighbours you've never met before, and having fun with the ones you already know!
Looking forward to next year already!
Halloween (and trick or treating) isn't going anywhere folks! Judging by how many people were out enjoying it last night and opening up their homes to welcome neighbours - it's on the up and up - yay! 
It just isn't like it was though…..
The most important parts are: neighbours getting together, cross generational community fun, creativity and artistic expression, a safe exploration of morbid themes, celebration of the season, brightening up the darkening evenings..
And loads of people on my facebook did traditional apple bobbing this year and toilet roll mummies (another one from my childhood), we didn't because we went to town on the facepaints but encorperated lots of traditions with our own twists
It's a celebration that allows a lot of creative freedom, it doesn't have to be the same every year
Well, I've been away too long. On Halloween I was living in caravan between houses and have only just got down to reading all the comments. It's been great to see all the differing views. But now I'm back and Gransnet is giving my titbits of all sorts of things I might miss. Thank you all for looking at my article.
brush well - ha made me laugh
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