Trick-or-Treating... Tonight?

[Erana]

Yeah, trick-or-treating tonight. As in October 30th, this Saturday. Some of my mother's co-workers told her that they're doing it now so as to not be doing sacrilegious things on Sunday. Personally, I find the tradition so far removed from its origins that it shouldn't have any religious connotations at all, but to each his own. Its kinda disappointing, really; we're going to a dinner tonight, and I wanted to hand out candies to all the cute little children. We'll see how popular this notion is at sunset, I suppose.

My question for yall is: Is this a widespread phenomena?
And since that's a bit sparce of a conversation on its own, why not also share what you do when you're handing out candy. Do you wear a costume? Do you scare the kids? Is your house decorated for the occasion?
Between my being under the weather and the rain lately, I haven't decorated. I feel a bit guilty, yes. I was just going to sit on the bench swing in the front yard, trying to not squee too loudly at all the cute little children.

(Also, if we can rein in possible religion bashing, that would be nice. I'm asking if people are abstaining from trick-or-treating on Sunday, not your opinion on the nature of Christianity. This is not meant to be a religious debate.)

 

[Lemon Of Life]

This is England, and yeah, we have quite a few kids who do this, though I'm probably going out tonight, so their fate remains undecided.

 

[Woodsey]

"Some of my mother's co-workers told her that they're doing it now so as to not be doing sacrilegious things on Sunday."

What are religious people allowed to do on Sundays?

OT: I've never been trick or treating, but I am getting smashed at a party tonight. I know which one I'd rather be doing.

 

[smearyllama]

I dunno. Monday, middle-schoolers have school, so they might not be staying up late, and elementary kids have that day off. Saturday would be better for staying up late for the traditional Halloween feast, but I'm not sure.

 

[Pielikey]

Wait, there are people are doing that tonight? Shit, I have to make sure I actually have candy.

 

[Jark212]

I'm too old for trick-or-treating (19), So I'll have to restrict myself to verbally abusing collage age hipsters that ask for candy...

 

[Olikunmissile]

PARTY

PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Going out tonight, you know what makes all hallow's eve great?

Miniskirts. Beer.

Sure it's not the real Halloween tonight, but who goes out on a Sunday unless it's bank holiday? So imma celebrate it like it is the real thing!

 

[Girl With One Eye]

Not going to be doing any trick or treating but plan on watching a horror movie tonight!

 

[Merkavar]

ill be tricking anyone how comes treating at my house. if your trick or treating in australia just hang your head in shame.

for shame.

 

[SturmDolch]

No way would people do that here I think, Edmonton Canada. If some kids came to our door today and said trick or treat, we'd give them some big WTF looks.

I won't be passing out candy tomorrow because my parents are on vacation and I'm home alone. I'll be under the warm embrace of my 7.1 surround sound headsets and most likely Fallout: New Vegas so I wouldn't hear the kids. But when I have my own house, I'd like to decorate it.

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

It lacks any semblance of what it once was, so I don't see how sacrilege is the issue with that. Maybe for convenience's sake since the kids have school on Monday, but I see no other reason.

 

[DigitalSushi]

I stayed in yesterday specifically to give candy to children (and if their costumes weren't good enough, take it away from them after), I got precisely zero trick or treaters, which saddens me somewhat, I live in a community that has become suspicious of its own neighbours.

Not even my nephews or my little cousin on holiday from France came to see me, and she's been banging on about her costume all week.

Funny story, my cousin is 15 and we went looking for a costume for her on Thursday, as we walked past a shop called "Cherry Pie" she saw an outfit and went "oh I can buy a costume from here" to which I replied
"this place is not what you think"

Cherry Pie is a sex shop.... poor girl went bright red when she realised the nature of what they were selling.

 

[Angerwing]

Nobody actually does Trick or Treating in Australia (or at least Canberra). That being said, I did go to a party last night (it's Sunday night in Australia atm), but that's because everyone has either work or uni on Mondays, so it's just pragmatism.

 

[DJDarque]

Yeah, trick-or-treating tonight. As in October 30th, this Saturday. Some of my mother's co-workers told her that they're doing it now so as to not be doing sacrilegious things on Sunday.

Its ok to be sacrilegious, but not on Sunday. Now thats funny!

Seems more and more like it now a days.

"Yes, you can dress like the devil and beg strangers for candy, but not on Sunday. Our religion matters on Sunday."

 

[Superior Mind]

I'm not seven so no trick or treating for me.

As to the question of religion and Halloween... to be honest I have no idea how they even got tied up in the first place. Just because Halloween, the celebration of the harvest, isn't a religious holiday like Christmas, (aka Saturnalia,) or Easter, (aka "Jews have Passover, why can't WE have something?",) never made it sacrilegious just... you know, not religious. Is dressing up as a reanimated corpse or a mythical bloodsucker or a dinosaur somehow deemed offensive by religious dogma? If so why have they never said anything about it, (as an institution, rather than the Christ-brigade mothers and whatnot.)

Then again the links to the harvest and dressing up as zombies and junk is pretty flimsy. Same with the link to nailing a guy to a cross and bunnies and chocolate.

I remember one local community church did a "saints and nuns" party day on Halloween to try and take away from kids in the community dressing up as monsters. Fucking ridiculous. Childhood is short. Maturity and being concerned about what's appropriate lasts for the rest of the fucking time.