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Night Rider
11-01-2007, 02:25 AM
Yea we do celebrate it as well. We have firework displays and the kids 'trick or treat' and all that crazy stuff. I would say ur country would celebrate it in a lot more style though, going by movies.

Everytime i sit down, i hear the fucking doorbell lol.
elo
11-01-2007, 02:46 AM
Yes,31st.Bur i havenīt heard or noticed that they go from door to door begging for candy.
Night Rider
11-01-2007, 02:56 AM
They do in UK and Ireland but i'm not sure about the rest of europe
elo
11-01-2007, 02:56 AM
So in Ireland, the kids go door to door but in Germany, they don't?Never heard of it,never seen it.Never had kids on my door begging for candy.
MerriCait
11-01-2007, 05:21 AM
one of the biggest celebrations for halloween in the world is in derry, ireland, i believe its the biggest in europe, they all go crazy there, out drinking from like 2pm and shit. show and bands and fireworks, best time's out were at that event :)
jenlee969
11-01-2007, 05:32 AM
Of course (just to be stupid about it), Halloween is a religious-based "holiday":

It's short for "All Hallowed's Eve", namely, the night before All Saints' Day (November 1st).
Jericho
11-01-2007, 05:33 AM
Back when i was a kid, Halloween was always fairly quiet.
It was Guy Fawkes [Nov 5th] night that was the big celebration at this time of year. Bonfires and fireworks in every back-garden.
But, as people have become more safety conscious, it's been supplanted by the Americanized version of Halloween [Yeah, right, go around to a strangers house begging for sweets...That's much safer than letting off a rocket in your back-garden!]
Nowhere
11-01-2007, 05:59 AM
It originated in Europe, so i'd expect it to:

The modern holiday of Halloween has its origins in the ancient Gaelic festival known as Samhain (pronounced /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 erroneously regarded as the "Celtic New Year".

Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops.

The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, where the 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.

When the Romans occupied Celtic territory, several Roman traditions were also incorporated into the festivals. Feralia, a day celebrated in late October by the Romans for the passing of the dead as well as a festival which celebrated the Roman Goddess Pomona, the goddess of fruit were incorporated into the celebrations. The symbol of Pomona was an apple, which is a proposed origin for the tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween#History
Jericho
11-01-2007, 06:15 AM
Our firework holiday is Independence Day. :)

Ah yes, when we gave it back. :lol: :lol: :lol:



I kinda like how we do Halloween in the states. I had a blast as a kid growing up on that day.
The pranks, the parties, the treats. It was a good time

It always seems like more of a threat over here; "Give us something or we'll put yer windows in".
Coroner
11-01-2007, 06:21 AM
Well I donīt know if we can define this as celebrating. Itīs not a big thing here and people donīt really care about Helloween. There are some commercials on TV for movies they play on Helloween and stuff like that but without big attention. You seem to have much more going on over there in US and A.

And yeah, thereīre no kids here going from door to door begging for candys.
trish
11-01-2007, 06:33 AM
I was once told the UK "celebrates" Guy Fawkes Day in the way that we celebrate halloween; i.e. kids dress up like Guy Fawkes and it's supposed to be kinda scary and they essentially go door to door trick or treating. Any truth to this?
Jericho
11-01-2007, 06:50 AM
I was once told the UK "celebrates" Guy Fawkes Day in the way that we celebrate halloween; i.e. kids dress up like Guy Fawkes and it's supposed to be kinda scary and they essentially go door to door trick or treating. Any truth to this?


I wouldn't say there was anything scary about it, and it was never really as "full-on" as Halloween.
But, kids used to go from house to house pushing a "Guy" in an old pram or whatever, and shout "Penny for the Guy" when you opened the door. Then, at the end of the night the Guy was burnt on a bonfire. Fireworks were let off and sticky treacle toffee dispensed.
Though, it rarely happens now.
The bonfire and firework displays are commercial events and nary a child loses an eye to a rogue sparkler. :wink:
Coroner
11-01-2007, 07:19 AM
It seems to be celebrated in the UK too Coroner...you Germans/Austrians are missing out on all the fun. :)

Maybe youīre right. But people are organizing private parties and my sister was invited to one of them. I was at a Helloween party last year in an Irish pub here in Vienna. Some wore costums, some not..... it was fun. And sorry for forgetting the UK. The British always celebrate something. :)
Sly Fox
11-02-2007, 01:04 AM
In Germany not Halloween is celebrated on the 31st October, but "Reformationstag" (Reformation Day).
The reason is, on the one hand: Halloween is a custom coming from Ireland.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
However, the principal reason is: Martin Luther struck during the day before "Allerheiligen" (All Saints' Day), 31.10.1517 against the door of the castle church to Wittenberg 95 theses to indulgence and coaches. With it he initiated the Reformation of the Christian Church.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformationstag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation_Day
I hope, now you know again a little bit more ... :idea:
Night Rider
11-02-2007, 01:10 AM
I was once told the UK "celebrates" Guy Fawkes Day in the way that we celebrate halloween; i.e. kids dress up like Guy Fawkes and it's supposed to be kinda scary and they essentially go door to door trick or treating. Any truth to this?

England is the only country in UK that celebrates this [as far as i know]
Caff_Racer
11-02-2007, 01:43 AM
I wouldn't say there was anything scary about it, and it was never really as "full-on" as Halloween.
But, kids used to go from house to house pushing a "Guy" in an old pram or whatever, and shout "Penny for the Guy" when you opened the door. Then, at the end of the night the Guy was burnt on a bonfire. Fireworks were let off and sticky treacle toffee dispensed.
Though, it rarely happens now.

Those were the good old days...

cheers