It's called Halloween because-

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:05 pm

Once upon a time, long, long ago there was a little girl that lived outside of town whose mother was gone and her father was a woodsmen so most of the time he was out in the woods chopping trees. The little girl had to make do for herself so she would walk to town each day and sell little sausages from a box. One day the witches that lived on the far side of town kidnapped all of the towns people. When the little girl got to town with her box of sausages she could not find anyone to sell to. She walked for a very long time and could not find anyone anywhere. She saw foot prints leading out of town and she followed them. She came upon the witches mansion which she knew nothing about and unknown to her the witches had all the towns people down in the cellar and getting ready to boil them. The front door was open just a little bit so the girl walked up the steps and pushed the door open and said ''HELLO WEENIES''. That scared the witches and they feel down the stairs into the cellar and the towns people jumped on them and tied them up. When the towns people came up the stairs there was the little girl still saying ''HELLO WEENIES''. The townspeople told her that she had saved their lives and from this day forward the day would be called HELLO WEENIES DAY. And over time it gradually was shortened to Halloween.

And what was the last costume you wore as a trick or treater?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:29 pm

Tommy wrote: And what was the last costume you wore as a trick or treater?

I made a two-person camel costume out of chicken-wire and brown corduroy fabric. I was the head and my friend was the hump. We were 12. I stopped after that year.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:30 pm

Interesting etymology . . . I had not known that.

Last costume was a nun suit, but I often wear deelie-bobbers of some sort.

Antlers for Christmas. Bunny ears for Easter. Deelie-hearts for Valentines. Deelie-shamrocks for St. Pat's. And so on. Any occasion to wear foolish headgear.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:39 pm

So you and your avatar both like to dress up for occasions! That's what your avatar should be---an incarnation of you. I think.

I think I was, as we called them in those days, a "gypsy" for all of my later years of trick or treating. It seemed to be the only costume that I had stuff around to make. I used dress-up clothes and my mom's make-up I guess. I don't really think I was into costumes that much, even then. I didn't really try that hard.

I just wanted to get some candy basically.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:42 pm

I tied a leaf on my hat and when someone asked what I was I would blow it and say, “I’m a leaf blower!” (That was for last Friday’s party.)

scarhand · Post by **scarhand** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:19 pm

in france the kids go 'round on Nov 1, All Saints Day, during the day in costume to local business and ask for money. with their "proceeds", they buy stuff for a party, and party that evening. my class did not have a theme, so i went as a pirate becuz my ratty jeans fit right in. that was the last time i was in costume

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:22 am

I've never been a trick or treater. When I was a kid it just wasn't done in the UK. This time of year we were all too busy making guys to go 'penny for the guy' collecting.

I've been to Hallowe'en parties recently and though I say it myself I make a damned fine Death. My ability to remain silent and just stare at people has given a few drunks quite a turn when I'm in costume.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:43 am

So it's not named after an empty Frankfurter casing?

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:20 am

Walden wrote:So it's not named after an empty Frankfurter casing?

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:37 am

jbarter wrote:This time of year we were all too busy making guys to go 'penny for the guy' collecting.

Could you explain this? I've never heard of this custom.

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:17 am

fearfaoin wrote:
jbarter wrote:This time of year we were all too busy making guys to go 'penny for the guy' collecting.
Could you explain this? I've never heard of this custom.

Part of the run up to Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night. In England it's usual to burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes on a fire on the 5th of November. Youngsters would build their guys and go round from house to house displaying the guy and chanting the 'Remember remember' rhyme. They would often get money depending on how good the guy was and how well they did the rhyme. Wrenning on Boxing Day (St Stephen's) is very similar.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 12:22 pm

Uh...I never stopped dressing up for Halloween! I stopped trick or treating when I was about 15 or so, I guess (in my neighborhood, it was quite socially acceptable for teens to go trick or treating, so long as we were civil and didn't try to pull any stunts, such as going to the same house over and over). As I recall, I went with a friend, and we both wore our Catholic school uniforms with clown makeup.

After I "grew up," however, I continued to dress up for Halloween...for parties in college, to go out on the town as a young adult (One year I dressed up as a monk and wore a sign that said "Out of Order." My hubby that year wore a nun's costume and wore a sign that said "Trans-sister"), and to go trick or treating with my daughter when she came along!

These days, my husband always wears our Tigger costume on Halloween because he gets so much positive feedback on it. He wears it to ride his motorcycle to work, and people honk and give him a thumbs up! Then, when we go trick or treating with Jo, he goes into a full "Tigger act," which the little kids adore!

I'm lazy this year, and usually wear my RenFaire garb. A couple of years ago, though, I affixed a plastic rat to my shoulder, carried a whistle, and went as the Pied Piper (with a sign on my back reading "P. Piper's Pest Control and Day Care. We treat your children as if they were our own!")

I LOOOOVVVEE Halloween!

Redwolf

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 12:25 pm

Redwolf wrote:My hubby that year wore a nun's costume and wore a sign that said "Trans-sister"

And thus I have found my costume for next year.

That's entirely too funny.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 12:36 pm

jbarter wrote:Part of the run up to Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night. In England it's usual to burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes on a fire on the 5th of November.

Oh, penny for that Guy.
Most Americans are unfamiliar with Guy Fawkes
(he unsuscessfully plotted to blow up Parliament in 1605, see <a href="http://www.bonefire.org/guy/">here</a>)

jbarter wrote:Wrenning on Boxing Day (St Stephen's) is very similar.

Oops, lost me again.

I love cultural holiday customs. Prarie Home Companion had a
Swedish group (no surprise there), talking about the Santa Lucia Day
custom in which the girls of the household dress up in white, with a
crown of candles on their heads, and sing the Santa Lucia song to
awaken their parents. Adorable.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:41 pm

Congratulations wrote:
Redwolf wrote:My hubby that year wore a nun's costume and wore a sign that said "Trans-sister"
And thus I have found my costume for next year.

That's entirely too funny.

It definitely works best if you have a beard...or at least significant five o'clock shadow.

Redwolf

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