chapotraphouse @hexbear.net doublepepperoni [none/use name] @hexbear.net 1 yr. ago

Stop pretending Halloween is a thing in Europe

Tired of all this pumpkin and plastic skeleton crap everywhere. Thanks, marketing ghouls rage-cry

What, are we going to start celebrating the 4th of July next? Might as well with the NATO membership I guess

152

You're viewing a single thread.

152 comments

I'm not sure how to break this to you, but Halloween is European. Halloween was invented in Ireland, from the pagan celebration of Samhain. Even the practice of dressing up in costume and going from door to door asking for food is recorded as of the 16th century at the latest. Pranks, as well as "Mischief Night," also dates from the 18th century at the latest. This is all pre-Americanisation. It's not a continental European tradition but it's certainly European, not American.
- Sure, but this shit started not really being a thing in non-anglo European countries sometime in the 90s
  
  you'd best take back your comment calling Ireland an "Anglo country"
  
  And now its back, like many religious and non religious celebratory traditions before it.
  
  I file Halloween with Valentine's Day under "Fake American holidays imported to sell tacky plastic crap"
  
  That's ok, you still celebrate the biggest, fakest and most tacky plastic holiday of them all; Christmas.
  
  nah christmas rocks I get to see all my family and just enjoy the vibes and goodwill to all men
  
  plus past a certain age christmas presents become books and socks (this is one of the main reasons to keep reading as an adult)
  
  How is that any different from halloween? Just that your personal family dont bother to get together for it?
  
  because halloween isn't a holiday anyone celebrates with family gatherings, and the themes of goodwill to all men is a very explicit cultural aspect of christmas when it isn't for halloween.
  
  You don't even get a day off for halloween because it was never a big deal culturally
  
  I always thought it would be interesting to declare some random dates as paid holidays, and tell people to figure out their own traditions for them.
  
  that's just bank holidays and nothing happened the tradition is to take a long weekend
  
  Well there should be more
  
  God I wish
  
  Thats, again, a personal you thing. Around me halloween is such a family thing that people without good family ties do a friends-giving style celebration to replace it.
  
  And goodwill to all is a pretty common harvest celebration theme that halloween carries just as well as christmas, especially with how immensely cynical christmas has become.
  
  I dont get a day off for most of my holidays, and christmas is included with that. Not sure why your bosses opinion on holidays matters tho.
  
  It's not just a me thing because also everyone else in my country celebrates those two holidays the same way or at least a significant proportion enough to make that the default cultural understanding.
  
  Is it a cultural understanding because everyone does it like that?
  
  Or is it a cultural understanding because a lot of movies and shows show it like that, and people arent doing what movies do as much as you would think?
  
  We don't get a day off so we celebrate the Friday or Saturday we have off before. They only give us shit off if it has supposed religious or historical importance, like Washington's Birthday or Colombus Day, they're federal holidays but ain't no cultural significance behind those
  
  It definitely is a big deal culturally, especially for young people. Kids and parents go on haunted hayrides and carve jack o lanterns, teens and 20s dress up and party with each other. Hell plenty of people in their 30s and beyond still dress up and party. It's an informal holiday but still a ton of people's favorite holiday
  
  But its not fake, or american, and every holiday is used as an excuse to sell plastic crap.

You've viewed 152 comments.