I think there's something missing from their expert's analysis - the problems that come with Halloween, and Australian culture mixing. I've only seen trick-or-treaters the last three years. Every...
here we have kids, tweens and young adults getting together, face to face, and out in the community. I'd pick something else to fight."
If people enjoy doing it, what's the problem," he says.
I think there's something missing from their expert's analysis - the problems that come with Halloween, and Australian culture mixing.
I've only seen trick-or-treaters the last three years.
Every year, there have been multiple groups of teenagers who turn up at my un-decorated, unlit, house. If I answer the door, they threaten me with property destruction if I don't hand over chocolates and lollies that I don't have. If I don't answer the door, they proceed to the property destruction.
Five smashed windows, in three years.
The sense of entitlement given to people by this celebration is the problem I have with this holiday. Entitlement isn't something that belongs in Australian culture - we strive and work for everything, to a fault. There are problems with it. But entitlement isn't something I think many Australians welcome.
It isn't that the holiday is American - it's that it's stereotypically American (sorry guys), believing you deserve something, without having done anything to get it.
Uh... I don't think the problem is the holiday, you just live in a shit area. And not the good sort of shit area where kids wouldn't do that because they know people in the houses would sort them...
Uh... I don't think the problem is the holiday, you just live in a shit area. And not the good sort of shit area where kids wouldn't do that because they know people in the houses would sort them right out with a tire iron. I've never even heard of trick or treating property damage.
Well property damage was somewhat popular at the very beginnings of Halloween and I think existed well before the candy. So maybe Australia is just getting right to the essence of what the holiday...
Well property damage was somewhat popular at the very beginnings of Halloween and I think existed well before the candy. So maybe Australia is just getting right to the essence of what the holiday was.
EDIT: I found a lot more interesting information once I went back to an article I'd read a year ago. Particularly this bit about Halloween in the 1800s.
Kids strung ropes across sidewalks to trip people in the dark, tied the doorknobs of opposing apartments together, mowed down shrubs, upset swill barrels, rattled or soaped windows, and, once, filled the streets of Catalina Island with boats. Pranksters coated chapel seats with molasses in 1887, exploded pipe bombs for kicks in 1888, and smeared the walls of new houses with black paint in 1891. Two hundred boys in Washington, D.C., used bags of flour to attack well-dressed folks on streetcars in 1894.
That's quite a lot of mayhem. It seems the history of Halloween was mainly kids causing problems and the community attempting to steer them towards more productive/acceptable behaviors like politely asking people for candy.
I moved to the US from down under. You are misinformed. In the US, you do not bother a house if the porch light is off. At my house, if you have a crap costume, you get crap lollies. No costume,...
I moved to the US from down under.
You are misinformed.
In the US, you do not bother a house if the porch light is off.
At my house, if you have a crap costume, you get crap lollies. No costume, no lollies. Amazing costume, I will rain down the good shit on your ass.
Threaten me with destruction of property, and I will take a photo of you and then threaten to call the cops on your ass.
I make my house as scary as fuck. It is the one night of the year I get to scare the pants of the little ones, and I take full advantage of it. I've overheard little kids whine that my house is too scary, and they don't want to go up to my front door. The mums will drag the little kids up the path anyway. You want lollies from me? You earn it. My neighbors kids are spooked by my house. My own kid is spooked by his own house. I may have taken it too far, but I don't fuck around.
Most kids have no idea what trick means. I had one teen show up with no costume, and when he said trick or treat, I asked him what his trick was. He did a little dance. He got lollies.
There is a lot of fucked up shit in this country, but Halloween is not one of them. It gets you out, talking to your neighbors. It involves little kids in cute costumes.
That's awful. I'm American and can say that level of vandalism and violence is not really a thing with Halloween in America. This seems like something that Australian culture is contributing to...
That's awful. I'm American and can say that level of vandalism and violence is not really a thing with Halloween in America. This seems like something that Australian culture is contributing to it. The worst I've seen is the night before Halloween (known as Cabbage Night in my area or Mischief Night in others') teenagers sometimes throw toilet paper, silly string, and occasionally eggs around but those are pretty easily washed off or they smash pumpkins and jack o' lanterns left outside. Halloween night people are usually on pretty good behavior and nobody feels entitled to be given candy when they trick or treat. They certainly don't get angry and violent when someone doesn't participate.
I think there's something missing from their expert's analysis - the problems that come with Halloween, and Australian culture mixing.
I've only seen trick-or-treaters the last three years.
Every year, there have been multiple groups of teenagers who turn up at my un-decorated, unlit, house. If I answer the door, they threaten me with property destruction if I don't hand over chocolates and lollies that I don't have. If I don't answer the door, they proceed to the property destruction.
Five smashed windows, in three years.
The sense of entitlement given to people by this celebration is the problem I have with this holiday. Entitlement isn't something that belongs in Australian culture - we strive and work for everything, to a fault. There are problems with it. But entitlement isn't something I think many Australians welcome.
It isn't that the holiday is American - it's that it's stereotypically American (sorry guys), believing you deserve something, without having done anything to get it.
Uh... I don't think the problem is the holiday, you just live in a shit area. And not the good sort of shit area where kids wouldn't do that because they know people in the houses would sort them right out with a tire iron. I've never even heard of trick or treating property damage.
Well property damage was somewhat popular at the very beginnings of Halloween and I think existed well before the candy. So maybe Australia is just getting right to the essence of what the holiday was.
EDIT: I found a lot more interesting information once I went back to an article I'd read a year ago. Particularly this bit about Halloween in the 1800s.
That's quite a lot of mayhem. It seems the history of Halloween was mainly kids causing problems and the community attempting to steer them towards more productive/acceptable behaviors like politely asking people for candy.
I moved to the US from down under.
You are misinformed.
That's awful. I'm American and can say that level of vandalism and violence is not really a thing with Halloween in America. This seems like something that Australian culture is contributing to it. The worst I've seen is the night before Halloween (known as Cabbage Night in my area or Mischief Night in others') teenagers sometimes throw toilet paper, silly string, and occasionally eggs around but those are pretty easily washed off or they smash pumpkins and jack o' lanterns left outside. Halloween night people are usually on pretty good behavior and nobody feels entitled to be given candy when they trick or treat. They certainly don't get angry and violent when someone doesn't participate.