It was that time of the year again. The days get shorter, the nights chillier - and shops refuse to sell kids eggs and flour.
What is it with the sudden explosion of Halloween in this country?
Back in the day, I was very accustomed to celebrating Halloween. This involved lots of talk about ghosts, eating barmbrack and bobbing for apples. None of this dressing up in stupid clothes, and going round to people's houses "trick or treating" - or begging, which is the way I see it.
Obviously adopted from America, "trick or treating" in this country has become a way for kids to boost their sugar fix after Jamie Oliver has stolen the sugary part of their school dinners. Last night there were about 100 kids calling to the door in B.C.'s house. Luckily, he loves Halloween, and had prepared by buying three packs of mini-chocolates. Toby had been roped in to scaring the fuck out of the kids (which he did very well - really we should have recorded the reaction of the kids, some of them were shitting themselves).
However, some of the 'kids' trick or treating where at least 14 (maybe more). It leaves me wondering whether this annual event has become a way for teenagers to sponge of others, almost aping their parents in sponging off the state. Why should we (the normal people in this country) have to put up with the constant barrage of kids ringing our doorbells, threatening to harm us in some way if we don't give them something? This is especially true as the latest addition to trick or treating is to ask for money!
The way I see it, Halloween has become a night which, for many people, they have to stay in their houses, with the lights off, hoping that nobody is going to knock or ring on the door. If this was the behaviour of terrorists, the government would have shut down this whole idea years ago. But because it's assumed to be a kids event, then nothing is done about it.
I would vote for a registration scheme. Whereby, if you want to celebrate Halloween you should have some kind of mark outside of your house (much like the Israelites marking the lintels of the door frames to avoid the killing of the first-born [the first passover]). In this way, only the householders who want to give out sweets would be targeted. Therefore the old and vulnerable would avoid the torment of this evening of hell (literally), and I think that the kids would get a better time of it.
We had a little party - some pizza and drinks and watched the football. Then headed off into town (well, to the local). Maybe if Halloween was at the weekend I'd be more up for celebrating it. At least we could have a big party. As it is, it's one American tradition I'd be quite happy to see rid of.
