General Chat

Well love it or hate it...it certainly seems to have gained momentum in the UK in the last few years. I dont remember hearing much about it growing up but this past few weeks supermarkets and other shops have ranged a wide range of confectionery and fancy dress outfits themed around Halloween. Mind you Guy Fawkes Day seems to be dwindling but looking at the price of fireworks thats hardly surprising

I have never really bothered with Halloween, but I know lots of families do have fun that evening and we always make sure we have some sweets for the few trick or treaters that will call later on.

As they know me from working at the school I can hardly be horrible to them can I? LOL

Probably in them days loads..
But that is the reason behind halloween.

I wonder how many have sat their children down and told them that !!!!!!!!!?

Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsˠaunʲ]; from the Old Irish samain)

The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year" Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.


The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows' Even (both "even" and "eve" are abbreviations of "evening", but "Halloween" gets its "n" from "even") as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day", which is now also known as All Saints' Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to 1st November. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.

I like it

flies off on broomstick then >>>>

Not alone although I don't hate it just can't be bothered with it

mornin Chris ~ I think that people don't really understand it ~ they do alsorts "for the kids" but none of em have took to time to think of the truth that lies beneath

Good morning Mel,

does nothing for me !

am I alone ?