Pumpkins on doorsteps

[T4tomo]

My father in law went through a growing giant vegetables phase.
One year we had a 72 pound pumpkin. It took all weekend to scoop out and carve but looked incredible sitting on the porch.
Unfortunately, due to living down a long dark lane, no trick or treaters came.
We couldn't figure out how to easily dispose of it so it sat there rotting for a few weeks! (Far scarier imo)

lets not forget this if we are talking about big pumpkins...

I actually know this chap...he said it was terrifying and cold!

 

[BoldonLad]

Only done that once when my daughter was about 10

we were staying at her Gran's house for half term - her gran is from a very rural part of Austria and grew up during the war - think girls hiding in caves "because of soldiers"

anyway - she doesn;t like waste so insisted that we used the insides of the pumpkin
so we all made Pumpkin soup - which was lovely - and I carved the rind

That was fun - but most of the ones nowadays just go to waste as far as I can tell
which seems a shame - but probably profitable for some farmers

Apparently UK “Halloween” expenditure last year was £1billion, this year, it is looking like “only” £750 million. Not all on pumpkins of course.

 

[BoldonLad]

Not sure you can totally blame the Americans. As kids in the late 60's early 70's we used to go trick or treating when we were in Glasgow/Carlisle. Don't remember it being a thing when we moved south though

Born in 1947, I don’t recall any trick or treat in my childhood. We did carve turnips and put candles in. My recollection is that the film ET began the trick or treat era. This being my children’s “era” ie later 1970s

 

[Reynard]

My father in law went through a growing giant vegetables phase.
One year we had a 72 pound pumpkin. It took all weekend to scoop out and carve but looked incredible sitting on the porch.
Unfortunately, due to living down a long dark lane, no trick or treaters came.
We couldn't figure out how to easily dispose of it so it sat there rotting for a few weeks! (Far scarier imo)

Been there, done that...

I think my biggest was over 50kg. It's a ridiculous amount of work to grow them that big, and then yeah, it's the whole "what the blazes do I do with it" kind of thing...

 

[BoldonLad]

When I was much younger, pumpkins were used for making soup and not that stupid idea of Halloween . How many people still make soup out if it nowadays ? I bet it doesn't even cross their minds .

I suspect the word “make” prevents further thought, for most 😊

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Apparently UK “Halloween” expenditure last year was £1billion, this year, it is looking like “only” £750 million. Not all on pumpkins of course.

The rest is on cheap plastic decoration massively overpriced and which will be found in the bin the day after

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Penny for the Guy was the firework thing in the 1970s. No to trick or treating in NW England

 

[lazybloke]

I'm anti Halloween and pro All Saints. It's my Protestant upbringing.

Well, I said. I'll go away and hide now.

I quite liked Pure Shores

 

[steveindenmark]

I am not a bah humbuger, usually. But Halloween is an Americanism that as snuck in. We put nothing out and don't get kids visiting.

 

[DRM]

Penny for the Guy was the firework thing in the 1970s. No to trick or treating in NW England

or in West Yorkshire either, mischief night, penny for the guy, bonfire night, that was it

 

[Gwylan]

or in West Yorkshire either, mischief night, penny for the guy, bonfire night, that was it

It's just trainings lads in extortion techniques.

 

[icowden]

The rest is on cheap plastic decoration massively overpriced and which will be found in the bin the day after

Actually, a lot of it is paper and I'd imagine the plastic stuff gets boxed and stuck in the loft. Ours is. It might be there for a while soon as my kids are now 16 and 18 (next month).

 

[Time Waster]

American nonsense. About as relevant, interesting and worthy as school prom, McDonalds, and forced rendition.

Samhain in Celtic traditions is one potential origin. But the known tradition of dressing up and going from house to house, usually houses of the wealthier people, dressed in costumes begging for food was a 16th century thing in Scotland Wales and Ireland. It is possibly the Irish emigration to America that took it over there for you to call it American nonsense.

All I know there's a long tradition of dressing up about this time of year and going about. AIUI there's English traditions along similar lines as the Celtic nations traditions.

Whatever the truth it's certainly a tradition the belongs in the UK. If you don't like it then don't decorate your house and you'll not get bothered.

 

[Time Waster]

In my youth, it wasn't trick or treating , it was "mischief night" on 4th November. No asking for treats, it was tricks like letting off fireworks or turning peoples dustbins upside down etc. Not a great tradition tbh and cared the heck out of vulnerable pensioners etc.

I do recall (after I'm moved away) hearing tales of a major rumpus when two kids set off the village bonfire a night early on mischief night.

Mischief night is American thing unlike Halloween tricks or treating.

I was born in the West Country early 70s and moved to NW England at the age of 3. My older sister I think did Halloween down west country but I only did it in NW England. It was common to have Halloween parties with bobbing for apples, toffee apples home made and other sweet stuffs too. All our costumes were homemade as we're our decorations.

 

[Time Waster]

My eldest (teenager) still loves it. They spend hours dressing up, hanging out with their mates and come back with a bucket of sweets which they don't really want and give to their younger siblings. It's a great night for all concerned and whether driven by commercialism or not, they don't spend much and get plenty from it. Or maybe they should be adults like some on here and spend their socialising money on restaurants and pubs which is far more honourable with no social issues and not commercial....

Round here you see high school kids right up to 18yo and perhaps older dressing up and doing it. Parents dress up too. Houses decorated. People who don't know each other bumping into each other and having a laughter together. Even passing on Intel about good houses to visit that might be out of the way. People take their kids out while one parent or older child stays home to dole out treats to visitors to their house. People who can't do that leave honesty bowls of treats out and nobody steals the whole lot they just take an honest amount to leave some for others.

It is pure community spirit from those who want to do it. Those who don't simply stay in and don't decorate their house. There isn't a single negative about it. Costumes get recycled or are homemade still! Decorations get put away in a box next to the Xmas decorations and reused year after year. Including the plastic, fake cobwebs which aren't the spray on stuff. Not completely perfect but no worse than Xmas.

I'm sure you celebrate that with wrapped pressies often not wanted or liked by those who receive it. I mean people still use wrapping paper that is foiled, coated or with some other feature that means it's not recyclable. Cellotape isn't green. Excessive Consumption and consumerism of Xmas isn't any better than Halloween, indeed worse. If you stop celebrating Xmas I'll stop Halloween.