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26 October 2009
Who else hates Halloween? I don't know why. I just do. I'll be much happier in a week when it's all over.
I'm not keen on it, but it's not really a big deal here. There is spooky and/or pumpkin-shaped Stuff on sale in the shops, but I imagine it's nothing compared with the US, at least based on what I read here and on MeFi.
I imagine I'd loathe and detest Halloween if I lived in the US. Living here, though, I don't have to hate it. Very few children in our area, and we're going out for a curry on Saturday in any case.
I like it, although as with virtually every holiday it's easy to get a little bitter taste from the stupid plastic chintzy commercial junk that shows up far too early. I haven't done a costume for years, but I do swap in an orange-and-black stylesheet and some sort of werewolf picture on my web page for school. Also, I've always lived well out in the hinterlands where there's not much chance of seeing trick-or-treaters.
I used to have a program I would run on my C64 which displayed a pumpkin, played some spooky music and sound effects, lightning flashes, and randomly sent some sprites of witches and things floating across the screen. I wish I could turn that program up again now that I have the computer hooked up in my office.
I like it. But I like it in the way that I suspect adults did a couple (?) of decades ago. I didn't have it growing up, so I don't get all nostalgic like my American peers and want to have a costume etc. My husband LOVES Halloween and he and his best friend go all out. For me? I like seeing the kids dressed up.
yesterday we took our daughter to the local "Halloween Howl" which was a costumed doggy parade. Oh how I wish I had remembered the camera.
You know, I used to *love* halloween...and then I just realized that, by total coincidence, I tend to be recently single by Halloween. We're talking >week out, which is where I sadly find myself, again. So I realize that it's a familiar feeling...trying to scrobble together a costume, put on a happy face, and find something new to do.
I'm just not into it anymore. I think I'll stay in, make a pie, and eat the whole damn thing while I slide off the couch.
I've enjoyed the parties at college around Halloween and the excuse to dress up as something, but that's about it, and I have no clue how I'll feel about it after college.
I can't stand answering the door over and over, so I pretty much dislike it. I like Halloween parties, but it's been years since I've been invited to one. If I were, I'd wear this.
Not a big fan of the whole "adults playing dress up" aspect, as I'm pretty much the opposite of an exhibitionist by nature. I do love this time of year, however, with its gradual transition from the long days and hot nights of late Summer into the short, brisk days and long, dark nights of Autumn. I'm also a fan of horror films, and I always make it a point to see as many of them as I can during the month of October. Also, I like that kids are still going out trick or treating—it's heartening, in some way, to see this corny old custom still being practiced by today's whippersnappers.
Also, I'm not sure how much of the black-cat-torture is just urban myth, but I'm hyper careful not to let my two out of the house around this time. I believe that the humane society suspends adoptions of black cats for Halloween.
It can be kind of fun, but I've never been a big costume person, and none of the people I know locally do H'ween in a big way. (Last year I was in North Carolina for the holiday, and my hosts held a party, so I did a Great Pumpkin costume; that was fun.) I just started a diet, so I can't even buy a bag of candy for myself.
desjardins: Snopes is skeptical; although the black cat bone has a history in hoodoo (and blues music), Wikipedia notes that the ones sold in modern voodoo shops are really chicken bones painted black. Still, that wouldn't stop some local sicko from messing with your cats; best to keep them inside.
I think I'm much more into it this year knowing I'm going to be with someone who wants to go out, and have fun doing so with our friends.
My dislike of various holidays over the years, in retrospect, seems directly proportional to the amount of chaos, stress, angst, isolation or just general meh that's concurrent in my personal life. I mean yea, the rabid commercialism part sucks, but with the right group of friends that's kind of easy to ignore; c.f. the time a couple years ago when a group of us got a little sauced and ziptied a shitload of shopping carts together in the parking lot of a SuperTarget on Black Friday.
This year I blatantly ripped off an idea from a costumefilter thread somewhere on the Green, and the mister and I are going as Twitter and Facebook.
I love it but then I love pretty much all holidays. Especially the ones that promote candy. I love Christmas candy and Easter candy and oh how I love Halloween candy. My parents always let me keep all of mine and eat it at will, even though they practiced more restraint throughout the rest of the year.
I really dislike the ghoulishness that you see a lot of ... tombstones and bloody hands and creepy stuff. But parties, candy, trick or treat, putting a costume on my kid and showing him off ... LOVE IT.
Not a fan either. I don't really understand the whole adults in costume thing either. I don't get cosplay either, for that matter. I should say I enjoyed trick or treating as a kid, but I lost interest around age 12. So in the main, I think its cool for kids (though neutered these days) but I don't get the adult fascination at all. Not so into the whole gothicy thing either for that matter. I'm not entirely a hater though, I do watch "It's the Great Pumpkin" and "Halloweenie" each year.
i only hate it for all the fun sized candies at every cashier window i go through and the extra weight i've put on this month that i'll have to take off in November :p
It is really probably my least favorite of the major holidays. I feel bad about this, because I like candies and I like costumes - I almost typed "I like fun" but who knows, maybe I don't - but Halloween is sort of annoying to me, always has been, apart the year that I was C-3PO and my mom made me a really awesome costume out of gold lamé.
I'm usually OK with it, but this year I'll be home alone giving out candy, while the teenage contingent of the household has places to go and things to do. And I got to be that mean mom this year. My youngest is going to a party where BOYS are invited and I apparantly am the only parent who isn't rushing right out and buying a $50.00 costume that looks like the teen girl version of the trashy "french maid" get up.
I've tried to tell her that although they all think that's what they're going as, most parents are letting all this go in one ear and out the other and letting the kids MAKE a costume like back in the day. And not involving a short skirt and fishnets.
The only thing I hate about halloween is that it's only one night. I wish they'd make it a weekend. Beginning of the holiday season, beginning of cold weather. carving pumpkins, scary movies, linus waiting for the great pumpkin...
I think I love Halloween because I have kids and they love it. I like the fact that it's only one day. One day of awesome fun. It's not an ordeal like Christmas can be if you let it. I love passing out candy and seeing all of the great costumes.
I think I like Halloween. The dressing up and drinking part is fun, no doubt, but actually I like it because it marks the beginning of the fall/winter holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's - all of which I love. I've totally bought into the commercialization of it all. I mean, I don't literally buy any of the holiday crap that's out there, but the whole season is kind of...festive.
I love Halloween. It's the only time of year I can relish in gravestones, bats, and skeletons. I'm sorry the kids are getting too old to participate; I don't have any friends who throw parties at this time of year. I enjoy seeing the kids come to the door. Of course, it loses it's fun when they tower over me and make me uneasy.
I'm also one of those who love this whole season - right from Back To School through New Years'. My favorite time of year.
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