Discussion
I'm fascinated by the rise of Halloween. Fascinated and also delighted.
When I was a child in the 80s Halloween was mostly a "kid's holiday" there were whispers around the edges about danger, satanic panic, devil's nights... but it was not as huge as it has become.
I think the real thing that made it become massive was the pandemic lockdown. When lockdown was over people threw themselves into this holiday.
I think about 200 kids came to the building last night.
@futurebird there were also quite a few pandemic babies. Were a lot of these kids 4-5 year olds?
@futurebird Modern Halloween has been brought to you by a marketing campaign initiated by Big Candy and carried on by Home Depot.
I mean that's part of it, but I don't think it's the whole story. Every single holiday has that collection of hangers on.
@futurebird The opposite seems to have happened in the Atlanta area. Trick or treating used to be really big, but we only got a single kid visitor last night. A lot of parents are only taking their kids to "trunk or treat" events in parking lots--some are at churches, but our town has its own on Main St.
It's very weird to me, but I think a combination of the ongoing "stranger danger" panic and unwalkable suburban development has made it a popular choice.
@futurebird I think about 200 kids came to the building last night.
That is fascinating! It’s amazing how traditions evolve and take on a whole new life across generations. 200 kids is quite a Halloween crowd!
@futurebird okay,And what do you people remember on Halloween's day?
And why did it appear to be satanic and majorly existed for kids in your childhood time?
@2003MugishaPhocit There was a Christian fundamentalist comic writer named Jack Chick who drew "Chick Tracts" that circulated quite a bit in the 1960s and 70s. They were mostly about Satan laying traps for children, who'd end up in hell. Halloween was one of his favourite targets.
@futurebird
@david_megginson @2003MugishaPhocit
I need to remember to search up my group Halloween costume ideas since I have so many but never remember them in time.
@futurebird I love what it's become here-- there are official city hours to trick or treat and we usually get about 100 kids coming by, I'd say.
But when I talk about this online the overwhelming reaction I get is that we're doing it wrong today, it's ruined, too formalized and commercialized, in contrast to whatever thing the speaker did as a kid 40 or 50 years ago.
There's a lot of objection to the idea of even having official hours (which may not even be on Oct. 31), since it's supposed to be vaguely transgressive, not entirely socially sanctioned, mixed up with the occasional cruel prank and mild vandalism.
@futurebird also, I have suspected, pandemic mourning.
@futurebird A lot of Australians of a certain parochial mindset used to deride it as imported commercial US rubbish. But it's become really big here too, now. Indeed it is commercialised, commodified, and imported from the US (well 17th century Europe via the US). But it's probably the most fun and least pain of the commercialised holidays.
@bencourtice@aus.social @futurebird@sauropods.win Similar situation in the UK. It wasn't really on the radar for me as a child in the 80s - I was first introduced to it by the film E.T. and thought it was weird and over the top (but I found the whole film non-specifically uncomfortable - the only relatable character was Agent Keys, who was unambiguously portrayed as a baddie).
The other thing is that it's pretty close to November 5th, which is the traditional British celebration of mindless pyromania, so it often gets roped in with that. (ie. Bonfire parties with spooky elements.)
Of course now all our holidays are associated with commercial plastic tat, and it's just a slightly more tacky one of those. I get the impression that the US version is more about children and candy and an element of theatre, and less about cheap decorations that are going straight to landfill.
ET is a really disturbing film on many levels both intentionally and unintentionally.
The way the government came for ET legit scared me.
@bencourtice @futurebird Many Italians have that same mindset too, few years ago a famous TV host threw a fit about Halloween and smashed plastic pumpkins with a baseball bat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2orqHPe2Jxg
Despite this the celebration is still very popular amongst kids.
YouTube
sorry buddy smashing jackolanterns with a bat is also a halloween tradition. A kind of traditional mischief
Might as well dress up too.
@futurebird @bencourtice That journalist is into costumes too, he used to begin his show with trashy skits made by him often accompained by multiple costumed actor.
How many secular holidays are there that are more kid-centric?
New Year's eve is also big in NYC but the drinking and late hour make it very adult.
@futurebird @bencourtice easter is very kid oriented in Germany
@aesthr Hallowe'en, of course, is the Pumpkin Easter. You can tell by Edeka selling pumpkin-coloured eggs.
@futurebird @bencourtice Over here in Finland halloween wasn't really a thing before but thanks to US media it started to become a thing early 2000's, and within the past few years it has gained more popularity. I had trick or treaters behind my door for the first time yesterday.
The sudden popularity had also gained more popularity for kekri which was a holiday related to samhain and other similar holidays in Central Europe. It was forgotten in early 1900's but it's coming back!
In most large high rise buildings there is a sign up sheet for who will have candy and you put a hanger on your door.
Then someone takes the kids in groups of a few dozen up and down the stairs all through the building to collect their candy.
This arrangement developed naturally, slowly over the past 4 years.
20 years ago we just didn't have trick-or-treating in the building and not much in the neighborhood.
The kids are breathless planing maximal candy acquisition routes.
@futurebird Children form a massively-parallel computer for solving the traveling salesman problem.
If you go to a neighborhood with brownstones you'll see more of the typical door, to door spectacle. and so many goofy decorations.
Everyone has to have the "30 ft Skeleton" These loom up to the second story windows.
I also see a LOT of adults dressed up.
NYC has Halloween fever.
@futurebird I think it really depends on geography and demographics. In the two places I've lived since the early 1990's, we've gotten maybe an overall total of 10-12 kids. Not per year, overall. None, for the last 15-20 years. We decorate, we have candy, no one comes at all. I think most parents take their kids to community Halloween parties. I still carve a pumpkin every year ...