Trick Or Treating In AUS

[Keepitclean]

I'm surprised Hallowe'en isn't celebrated in Australia. Do you guys have a major autumn holiday that rivals the United States' Thanksgiving or Hallowe'en?

Why would we 'celebrate' Halloween? What is there to celebrate?

OT: I posted a sign on the door saying "No candy. Piss off." XD

Good luck cleaning the egg and toilet paper off your house in the morning then. :|

If there is crap on my house in the morning I'm calling the cops, vandalism is crime, and I have security cameras that record to my home-server, so I'll have video evidence.

Good luck with that on a holiday where the people doing this would most likely be wearing masks and costumes.

You can always just tackle them...

 

[StBishop]

What do you say to kids when you dont celebrate its just i don't know what else to say?

I'm terribly sorry but I don't want to support the watering down of Australian traditions in favour of importing comercialised American ones.

Have a nice day.

*close door*

 

[StBishop]

I'm surprised Hallowe'en isn't celebrated in Australia. Do you guys have a major autumn holiday that rivals the United States' Thanksgiving or Hallowe'en?

Why would we 'celebrate' Halloween? What is there to celebrate?

OT: I posted a sign on the door saying "No candy. Piss off." XD

Good luck cleaning the egg and toilet paper off your house in the morning then. :|

It's not accepted practice in Australia. We'd call the cops.

 

[Vuljatar]

Why should I turn out my lights and pretend not to be at home because some people feel the need to wander around banging on front doors begging for lollies? As for ignoring the front door, Sunday is the day when family and friends often pop by for a cup off coffee and a chat...

People have the right to celebrate any holiday they want, and I have the right to be shitty about it when they enter my private property and annoy me, getting up and walking to the door every 10mins was lots of fun considering it's been ice cold all weekend and my leg feels like someone is jamming nails into it and walking with my cane is a pain in the ass.

So, yes, I think I will be shitty about it.

If you're happy being a complete jerk to children celebrating a holiday, then I guess that's good for you.

Personally, I find it kind of depressing that you are so self-centered and heartless.

 

[Snotnarok]

I'm surprised Hallowe'en isn't celebrated in Australia. Do you guys have a major autumn holiday that rivals the United States' Thanksgiving or Hallowe'en?

Why would we 'celebrate' Halloween? What is there to celebrate?

OT: I posted a sign on the door saying "No candy. Piss off." XD

Good luck cleaning the egg and toilet paper off your house in the morning then. :|

It's not accepted practice in Australia. We'd call the cops.

It's not in the U.S. either, it doesn't stop people from doing it though.

 

[StBishop]

WHy ares kids going around for asking treats in Australia? ive had 5 kids in 2 groups ask for chocolates like really its a american holiday i got nothing against the americans its just that why are kids in Aus celebrating it?

every kid that comes to my door i just wanna say go away and i do expect politely for instance 'Halloween is a American thing' and 'Santa doesn't exist'[Not Really] but what do you say to kids that come to your door?

Halloween is not an American holiday. Far from it actually. It originates in Celtic mythology, the festival of Samhein, which was a yearly harvest festival. The majority of modern Halloween traditions can be traced directly to that.

Christianity picked up the celebration sometime during the Dark Ages (I forget exactly when), and it became pretty widespread.

America commercialized it first (as far as I know), but it's definitely not an American holiday.

I'm pretty sure most people would know that pretty much all holidays celebrated now are altered versions of pre-christian religeons. Easter, Christmas, Halloween etc.

I think what people have a problem with is trick or treating. It's never been an Australian tradition.

 

[asam92]

But seriously I live in Australia and we just had kids come to our door 5 mins ago asking for candy, I dont get it, its a stupid holiday.
The worst part is what do kids get taught when they are young? DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS AND DON"T ACCEPT CANDY FROM STRANGERS YET THERE IS A FUCKING HOLIDAY DEDICATED TO THIS VERY THING
Can someone please explain this?

 

[feycreature]

Well, Samhain was supposed to provide closure for family and friends of those deceased during the year and represent a symbolic death of the year itself. Of course it involved a certain amount of unease, as the veil between life and death growing thin is still a slightly worrying concept. Especially in the ancient world, not all the dead people you'd known would be friends. Plus, you know, incoming winter. All Hallows Eve I know less about.

Now there are lots of reasons people enjoy halloween. It's an excuse to get drunk, an opportunity to indulge in your morbid side with gory costumes and horror movies and an opportunity to come up with cool costumes. For little kids, well, candy. For the ones handing out candy, there's a sense of community and charity. Some people get really in to making their house spooky too. Some people like scaring the kids, some just like pulling pranks and it's one of the few days that is socially kind of normal.

In short, it's FUN. Getting candy is fun. Wearing costumes is fun. The people handing out candy seem to enjoy it. I remember when a friend of mine dressed up as the crow (at ten years old) and one guy had to get all his friends to the door to see it. Getting drunk is fun. Watching horror movies is fun (for other people at least).

If you don't want trick or treaters just turn your front lights off, maybe a sign but I've rarely found it necessary. Trust me, they'll be able to tell. I remember it well, they spend 2-3 HOURS traipsing from house to house, they learn to recognize when it's not worth climbing up to the door. If part of your Australian self-identity is not celebrating halloween, then don't. No need to rain on someone else's parade, especially a dumb kid's.

 

[CrystalShadow]

WHy ares kids going around for asking treats in Australia? ive had 5 kids in 2 groups ask for chocolates like really its a american holiday i got nothing against the americans its just that why are kids in Aus celebrating it?

every kid that comes to my door i just wanna say go away and i do expect politely for instance 'Halloween is a American thing' and 'Santa doesn't exist'[Not Really] but what do you say to kids that come to your door?

Wait what? Since when has anyone done trick or treat in Australia.

Lived there for 16 years and never seen it happen.
Not even once.

Weird.

 

[tkioz]

Why should I turn out my lights and pretend not to be at home because some people feel the need to wander around banging on front doors begging for lollies? As for ignoring the front door, Sunday is the day when family and friends often pop by for a cup off coffee and a chat...

People have the right to celebrate any holiday they want, and I have the right to be shitty about it when they enter my private property and annoy me, getting up and walking to the door every 10mins was lots of fun considering it's been ice cold all weekend and my leg feels like someone is jamming nails into it and walking with my cane is a pain in the ass.

So, yes, I think I will be shitty about it.

If you're happy being a complete jerk to children celebrating a holiday, then I guess that's good for you.

Personally, I find it kind of depressing that you are so self-centered and heartless.

Maybe if their parents taught them some manners and respect I might treat them better, as for self-centred, it's my freaking house, my day off, and everyone knows it's not common here and for everyone "good sport" that has some lollies for them, they'll be 10 people who will just be annoyed.

Seriously if they wanted to celebrate Halloween, why not throw a party or something, or organise something like the Christmas Eve firetruck thing they have in most towns, why bang on the doors of perfect strangers, that's just bloody rude.

 

[StBishop]

Halloween isn't like Thanksgiving. Last time I checked, it's not exclusive to that country.

The point of the OP is that it isn't done here and the only reason people do trick or treat is because they saw it on TV.

Did you watch the rugby last night?

Wow. What's with the jerk-ass attitude? If you don't want to give out candy, turn out the front light and don't answer the door. No need to be an asshole to people about it.

Halloween may not yet be commonly celebrated in Australia, but it is in several other countries. It's hardly an "American" holiday.

Turning off the lights doesn't do shit. These kids come in the middle of the afternoon because their parent's won't let them out on a school night.

What do you mean 'the rugby.'; there's more than one. Answering your question, no I haven't.

Wallabies versus All Blacks. "The Rugby", in my experience usually applys to either State of Origin, Tri nations, or some other international game. Especially us vs either the UK or NZ

 

[StBishop]

I'm surprised Hallowe'en isn't celebrated in Australia. Do you guys have a major autumn holiday that rivals the United States' Thanksgiving or Hallowe'en?

Why would we 'celebrate' Halloween? What is there to celebrate?

OT: I posted a sign on the door saying "No candy. Piss off." XD

Good luck cleaning the egg and toilet paper off your house in the morning then. :|

It's not accepted practice in Australia. We'd call the cops.

It's not in the U.S. either, it doesn't stop people from doing it though.

Allow me to reword, it's not expected practice. We'd call the Cops, who would actually do something about it.

 

[Uzigawa]

You're all missing the true spirit of halloween....orgies...tons and tons of orgies

 

[DalekJaas]

We do have halloween parties but kids actually trick or treating here in Aus is a bit ridiculous. Americanization strikes again

 

[Nouw]

Halloween isn't like Thanksgiving. Last time I checked, it's not exclusive to that country.

The point of the OP is that it isn't done here and the only reason people do trick or treat is because they saw it on TV.

Did you watch the rugby last night?

Wow. What's with the jerk-ass attitude? If you don't want to give out candy, turn out the front light and don't answer the door. No need to be an asshole to people about it.

Halloween may not yet be commonly celebrated in Australia, but it is in several other countries. It's hardly an "American" holiday.

Turning off the lights doesn't do shit. These kids come in the middle of the afternoon because their parent's won't let them out on a school night.

What do you mean 'the rugby.'; there's more than one. Answering your question, no I haven't.

Wallabies versus All Blacks. "The Rugby", in my experience usually applys to either State of Origin, Tri nations, or some other international game. Especially us vs either the UK or NZ

Who won?

 

[Snotnarok]

I'm surprised Hallowe'en isn't celebrated in Australia. Do you guys have a major autumn holiday that rivals the United States' Thanksgiving or Hallowe'en?

Why would we 'celebrate' Halloween? What is there to celebrate?

OT: I posted a sign on the door saying "No candy. Piss off." XD

Good luck cleaning the egg and toilet paper off your house in the morning then. :|

It's not accepted practice in Australia. We'd call the cops.

It's not in the U.S. either, it doesn't stop people from doing it though.

Allow me to reword, it's not expected practice. We'd call the Cops, who would actually do something about it.

You seem to know a lot about the US and what happens in 50 states, I'll bow to the expert who doesn't actually live here. It was a joke to begin with, no need to get all serious about it.

 

[Keepitclean]

WHy ares kids going around for asking treats in Australia? ive had 5 kids in 2 groups ask for chocolates like really its a american holiday i got nothing against the americans its just that why are kids in Aus celebrating it?

every kid that comes to my door i just wanna say go away and i do expect politely for instance 'Halloween is a American thing' and 'Santa doesn't exist'[Not Really] but what do you say to kids that come to your door?

Wait what? Since when has anyone done trick or treat in Australia.

Lived there for 16 years and never seen it happen.
Not even once.

Weird.

I had never heard of anyone doing it until I moved to the city. Trick or treating was one of the things that made the "Americanness" of the city seem weird to me at the time.

 

[Sedrine]

I can see you have the same attitude as most Aussies (I'm Aussie too) and really so what? It's a bit of fun, the stores get some extra dosh and hey, the modern version of Christmas is fairly Americanised. I mean it's not like we Aussies have any better holidays, I know it's annoying having to answer the door every five minutes and there's always the risk of getting egged (one year my house got egged) but refusing to partake in a day of candy and cosplay on the grounds that it came from the land of cheeseburgers and Valve is just silly.

I agree (and I'm also from Australia). It's just a bit of fun for kids - why ruin it for them? I for one wish that more Australians embraced this holiday (dressing up and eating candy is FUN). Australia has so many people from different cultures living here - it seems rather intolerant to complain about this one because it is seen to be a purely 'American' influence. Anyways... "There's no need to be so negative" is basically what I'm trying to say.

 

[StBishop]

Halloween isn't like Thanksgiving. Last time I checked, it's not exclusive to that country.

The point of the OP is that it isn't done here and the only reason people do trick or treat is because they saw it on TV.

Did you watch the rugby last night?

Wow. What's with the jerk-ass attitude? If you don't want to give out candy, turn out the front light and don't answer the door. No need to be an asshole to people about it.

Halloween may not yet be commonly celebrated in Australia, but it is in several other countries. It's hardly an "American" holiday.

Turning off the lights doesn't do shit. These kids come in the middle of the afternoon because their parent's won't let them out on a school night.

What do you mean 'the rugby.'; there's more than one. Answering your question, no I haven't.

Wallabies versus All Blacks. "The Rugby", in my experience usually applys to either State of Origin, Tri nations, or some other international game. Especially us vs either the UK or NZ

Who won?

Us, 26 - 24

 

[Keepitclean]

Halloween isn't like Thanksgiving. Last time I checked, it's not exclusive to that country.

The point of the OP is that it isn't done here and the only reason people do trick or treat is because they saw it on TV.

Did you watch the rugby last night?

Wow. What's with the jerk-ass attitude? If you don't want to give out candy, turn out the front light and don't answer the door. No need to be an asshole to people about it.

Halloween may not yet be commonly celebrated in Australia, but it is in several other countries. It's hardly an "American" holiday.

Turning off the lights doesn't do shit. These kids come in the middle of the afternoon because their parent's won't let them out on a school night.

What do you mean 'the rugby.'; there's more than one. Answering your question, no I haven't.

Wallabies versus All Blacks. "The Rugby", in my experience usually applys to either State of Origin, Tri nations, or some other international game. Especially us vs either the UK or NZ

Who won?

I was Wallabies vs All Blacks. The Wallabies won. I brought it up because I knew you were a Kiwi from last time I spoke to you on here.