Will Halloween Be Cancelled?

We no longer have small children in the village so last year I was forced to eat all the chocolate myself

I was a good girl, Grandma70s and only bought Haribos, which I loathe!

Completely agree Paddyann
My grandchildren one way or another will have their Halloween fun, even if we have adjust some of the traditions to suit the ever changing situation.

Are we all not trying to make the best of the current situation?

Covid19 2020 has (I have agree with Paddyann) made load of old moaning Minnie's bah humbug!
Sounding almost gleeful

Let our wee children have some happy times.
Even during the war my father said he as a child had some really happy family memories.

Duck apple night it was known as in our house. Apples were strung up on a butchers hook which was permanently embedded in a wooden beam. Hands behind back as it swung to and fro, and sideways and nearly knocked your teeth out.

Mum would have spent all day cutting and scooping out the insides of a turnip then a candle centred inside it---stinking the place out
There was a goodly supply of home-made treacle toffee and that was that. It was fun though and so homely when I think back because there'd be a lovely fire in the grate.

So glad that my offspring also sampled this way of life as it's been a lasting memory for them. My D's especially as they stayed with gran many a time which delighted my mum.

I can live with my thoughts easily as it helps to block out this present way of life which I think is a sad one for children growing up.

I love Halloween. It does seem to have been the past 25 years it has taken off here. I had some lovely times with my daughters when they were growing up. We always went tricking or treating with them and were very strict about saying please and thankyou. The policy in my area is you only approach houses with pumpkins. I'm sure my daughter will do some low key fun activities with my grandsons such as pumpkin carving and making spooky biscuits. Unfortunately I think we all know that there are always parents who have little interest in what there childeren are doing and they are a nuisance without a pandemic. Parents / grandparents who do care will make any occasion special. Due to the rest a curfew would probably be a good idea. Of course retail will suffer, as they wont be able to sell all that tat!

I’m sure it’s all been thought through and there are good reasons, Harris27, but I’m just curious as to why there can’t still be a magic show or a socially distanced visit from Father Christmas?

Never celebrated Halloween as a child, but we did stand in the street with a "guy" asking strangers for "pennies". I can't help thinking it is much safer for children to go to neighbours houses, accompanied by an adult! Although that probably won't be happening this year.

We no longer have small children in the village so last year I was forced to eat all the chocolate myself

If anything’s cancelled just have the best time you can. My mum used to talk about the war and stuff they did. So we must embrace our new normal and I’m sure Christmas s will happen and we will just do the best we can. I work in a nursery and the children’s Christmas party already cancelled no magician no Father Christmas but we are still going to have a tea within the room and play pass the parcel and encourage our traditional songs and games.?

As always opinion is divided but the main consideration this year is the spread of the virus. Surely we can’t hand out bowls or bags of sweeties or get close to the children. Will we be disinfecting the doorbell after each visit? I suppose at least the ghosts and ghouls will be wearing face coverings?

Am not sure if I had even heard of Halloween as a child, but it wasn’t celebrated in any way where I grew up (in the North)
But ah! Mischief Night is another matter, we all looked forward to it greatly?knocking on doors and running away and tying dustbin lids to door knockers were great favourites.
Strangely, all the Catholic families ( including us) celebrated Bonfire Night with a Guy just as enthusiastically as anyone else.

Yes of course we had fun when we were kids but we didn’t do anything Halloween related - it wasn’t a thing. The point I’m making is, during. a pandemic, is it reasonable for kids to trawl the streets to people’s houses ( even those with a pumpkin in the window) to be given sweets by the bucketload from complete strangers? Carving pumpkins yes, dressing up in homemade costumes yes, playing a few little games in the back yard yes- all the rest - no.

I am early sixties, lived in London as a child and we always celebrated Halloween at home and in school.

Callistemon

I'd never heard of Mischief Night Maggiemaybe
What did I miss out on?

Oh, lots of fun, Callistemon! It was the night before Bonfire Night. Door knocking, tying neighbours‘ door knobs together, egging windows putting treacle in your friend’s hair and bubble gum in locks. Picking flowers from one teacher’s garden and presenting them to another who lived up the road (she was delighted). I’m answering for a friend, you understand.

callistomon no nobody celebrated Hallowean when I was growing up it just didn’t exist for us it wasn’t until my children came along that I knew it was a ‘day’

Hopefully it will be cancelled I don’t like it as a celebration at all
The razzmatazz is from USA it may have been done in some parts of U.K. for hundreds of years but not in the way its done now perhaps it’s still lovely in villages where everyone knows everyone but it’s not a nice time in towns and cities for most people

Callistermon Thank you! will have a look

Its NOT imported ,its been done in Scotland and Ireland for hundreds of years .I love Halloween,like a previous poster I make up wee bags in advance ,with an apple a satsuma a handful of monkey nuts some sweeties and a 50 pence piece .
Our wee ones (and big ones) know they have to do a turn to get a bag,its a poem or a song or a dance and some of the worst jokes you'll ever hear from tots that make you smile just to see them,all dressed up and having a ball.
What alot of moaning minnies you are "ladies" I guess you never had FUN when you were wee ,no need to spoil it for everyone else though ,after all its been a horrible few months for everyone and the kids need some laughs .

We usually go to a NT place for pumpkin carving ; presumably that will be cancelled too.

There are a few Hallowe'en games online, Starbaze which are traditional (old-fashioned) but could be fun.

Same here only if there is a lit pumpkin in the window/doorstep and the house is decorated do children knock.

It hasn't been cancelled in this house, my little late baby will be disappointed we aren't going trick or treating, he is only 6. I thought we could decorate and play hunt the sweet and still do hot chocolate and marshmallows.

We have a policy in our village. Only the houses with a pumpkin outside get visited. Everyone is always respectful of it.

I'd never heard of Mischief Night Maggiemaybe
What did I miss out on?

I agree, but there is no need to cancel it all, vegansrock.

In our village the children do not go trawling the streets demanding sweets.

They did go with parents and only to those houses with a lantern shining to show they were welcome.
They did not demand.

Perhaps you'd like fun banned altogether.
Bah, humbug!

We have the Hallowe’en discussion on GN every year, don’t we? And it always turns a bit anti-American, then our American members (rightly) object. It’s like Groundhog Day (another American invention ).

We used to do all the traditional stuff you mention, Callistemon and it was great. Though we had to carve ruddy turnips, not pumpkins - it was a health and safety nightmare and they stank to high heaven when they were lit.

Then on Mischief Night the following week we trailed round the streets getting up to a lot more than the young ‘uns do now.

The purchase of container loads of plastic Chinese tat and trawling the streets demanding sweets is one aspect of “fun“ we can easily do without.

Septimia

Hallowe'en maybe, but it's impossible to cancel Christmas.

There will still be services, even if they have to be online, and people will celebrate in their homes and with anyone they're allowed to visit.

I'm in the process of working out how we might have a carol service and nativity play outside even if we still can't sing. And Remembrance Day will be happening here as it will also be outside, even if we have to stand a long way apart. Due care will be taken for everyone's safety in both cases.

There’s talk about having a drive-in carol service at our village church, probably in a farm yard. People can sit in their cars with the window down, the vicar could have a speaker system set up with microphone, and readings, music etc.

I suppose if you are in your car, you could sing?

Agree Callistemon