Memories of Halloween

I can't come to the party - babysitting. But have a or for me as today was my Dad's birthday.

I quite enjoy the children coming to the door unless it's the same ones who usually sing one line of a carol and then knock on the door for money.

Granny23, it's so good to know that 'guising' survives despite its transatlantic transmogrification into 'trick or treat'. As children we always went round the neighbours and various relatives, saying, 'please for our Halloween', getting sweets, nuts and small coins in return for saying or singing our party pieces. Then there was 'dooking' for apples. We had an old zinc tub which was filled with water and apples. A chair was set beside it and we had to lean over the back of the chair with a fork in our mouth, then drop it into the water to spear an apple! And the treacle scones, dipped in black treacle, hanging on strings and we had to try to eat them without using our hands. Lovely and messy. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be!

When I was young and living in the East Midlands and then Bristol there was almost no celebration of Halloween whatsoever.

Where did all the rest of you spooks live?

It was always a Scottish tradition, Nelliemoser.

anno So its no good just blaming the Americans for it then.

What did the Scottish Presbyterians think of it? I cant imagine them approving at all!

Not much happened for Halloween in Worcestershire where I grew up, but I do remember being frightened to go to bed on Halloween.

We had a big event at my Quaker boarding school in the North East in the early 60s which was a long established tradition: Swedes/turnips hollowed and faces made & lit with a candle, played nelson's eye ( finding grapes in jelly) Bobbing for apples , catching a doughnut (hanging on string) and eating a square of chocolate balanced on top of a mountain of flour.. a messy and fun event.
I have just cleared up here after the 4 DGC were here for tea, dressed up, faces painted, bobbed for apples, made and iced hallowe'en biscuits and made a ghoulish faces on the plate out of the sausages, mash, broccoli, carrots and pumpkin! Chocolate dipped apples and the biscuits for pud! To end the evening they all went outside rang the bell. They told us hilarious jokes in return for some festive sweets! All harmless fun!

How did the guising go granny23 ?

Anno I'd forgotten about the chair/fork method, that brought back memories. We were once given a pomegranate by a neighbour instead of the usual apples. It was the first time I'd seen one and had NO idea what to do with it

Hi Baubles We have had a lovely day. We picked up DGD1 from school and popped into the ASDA cafe for a quick bite before her swimming lesson, to find to our surprise that the cafe was entirely Hallowe'en themed with all the staff in costumes, masks to colour in, free cakes and very generous goody bags for each child. After tea we went back to see her, transformed into Princess Leia from Star Wars, give us an excellent performance of a poem, a song and a string of jokes from her joke book. She got her reward of nuts, apples and sweets and went off with her Mummy to call at the nearest, 'ready primed' neighbours asking 'Do you want any Guisers?'

We went on to see DGS and DGD2, or should I say Obi Wan Knobi and Tigger, do their party pieces. 3yr old Tigger reassured me, whispering 'don't be frightened Granny, it's only me' then prefaced her all singing, all dancing rendition of 'Coulter's Candy' with a lengthy explanation as to why she was Tigger tonight - apparantly she and her brother were now much too big for their Batman and Robin costumes. They had just returned, with their battery powered, Daddy made, turnip lantern, laden with goodies from a guising expedition which included having to perform in the bathroom for two of their wee friends who were having their bath when the guisers called.

By next year you will have your own wee guiser, no doubt dressed in a pumpkin suit, to entertain you - hope she is keeping better now.

Haha love that they did their 'turn' in the bathroom That sounds like a great day. A colleague of mine sings Coulters Candy whenever she comes into my office good wee song though.

The little one has been seen by a paediatrician at last. Medicines prescribed, so fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

Her older sister (2 and a half) dressed as a cat for her nursery party, lots of fun by all accounts.

Picture arrived on Facebook. GC in Halloween garb made of bin bags. GS appears to be a zombie and I think GD is some kind of witch.

Baubles - Coulter's Candy was our signature tune, many moons ago, when I was one third of a folk trio called the 'Bawbees'. As a bawbee = an old halfpenny, three bawbees collectively are 'No worth tuppence'.

Glad to hear better news re your DGD2 and her cat/sister.