Halloween.

[AdeDunn]

David, it's the same thing as has always happened in the UK. Younger folks decide to embrace something, older folks decide they don't like it and decide it must be from the US, so point fingers and claim it's American...

The truth is, Halloween is actually more British than Christmas is... It was on our shores long before Christianity even reached them, in the form of Samhain. Pumpkins originated in the US though, but heh I'm not about to complain about them.

Trick or treat, and penny for the guy, are both believed to have originated from the same "halloween" tradition of "souling", which is apparently referenced in John Brand's Popular Antiquities of Great Britain written in 1779 "On All Saints Day, the poor people go from parish to parish a Souling, as they call it."
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/trick-or-treat.html

That article actually suggests that the earliest records of trick or treat proper were in Canada, so maybe we should be blaming the Canadians rather than the Americans? lol Who wouldn't have had the idea in the first place, if Europeans hadn't travelled there in the first place, with memories of souling.... Export - Import -Export again... lol

As to advertising, can't say I ever watch any. The only actual TV I ever watch is Dr Who on iPlayer. I do however see American influence in my children regularly, having to correct them when they say diaper rather than nappy, and butt instead of ****....

 

[ITMA]

David, it's the same thing as has always happened in the UK. Younger folks decide to embrace something, older folks decide they don't like it and decide it must be from the US, so point fingers and claim it's American...

Pfff. All these people who say that younger folks embrace things and older folks decide they don't like it....that's definitely a bad habit that's been imported from America.

 

[Gunge]

That, and it's also one of our daughter's birthdays... Oh, and tomorrow it's our weeding anniversary...

Well it's the missus' birthday today too. But she isn't really a Mrs even tho' I refer to her as such. But she will be tomorrow cos we're getting married... 25 years after getting together. Am I being a little hasty? Now sat in the pub necking some slop called 'Doombar'. Hope that 's not prophetic.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Am I being a little hasty

Congratulations Gunge best to be sure so a long test drive is always recommended.

 

[Bigcol49]

we're getting married... 25 years after getting together. Am I being a little hasty? Now sat in the pub necking some slop called 'Doombar'. Hope that 's not prophetic.

Hi!
You old romantic!
Barnsley wedding reception - 6 pints and call in at the chipoyle on the way home.
I've been married twice . . . . to the same woman.

 

[divrack]

Hmm. The not really existent pc lot wouldn't be listened to if didn't sell such outrage and copies of the daily mail to the anti pc lot.
Like the never happened banning of Christmas that gets moaned about every year "winterval!!! THE END IS UPON US!" And has never been a thing (winterval was a series of festivals that contained Christmas). Also the X in Xmas means Christ.
Let's just agree to call guisers guisers and not trick or treaters which is almost as bad as movies instead of films.
Personally I'm slightly scandalised at the l lumpen masses celebrating the torture and horrific death of a guy called Guy (interestingly the origin of the word, as in 'i bet you guys never knew that')

 

[Mr Fro]

maybe we should be blaming the Canadians rather than the Americans?

They're the same thing though aren't they? :-|

 

[divrack]

They're the same thing though aren't they? :-|

What are ye talking aboot eh?

 

[divrack]

What are ye talking aboot eh?

Canadians are the dull middle brother. Australians being the feckless younger hallion.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Christmas was banned in Britain during the Commonwealth - old Cromwell was a tarter!
Things have changed a lot. When I were a lad - yes, believe it or not, I can remember that far back - Halloween was simply another excuse to extort money from gullible neighbours, a practice run for Guy Fawkes Night. "Penny for Halloween" was our cry, and once a fund had been amassed, off to the shop to buy bangers.
Valentine's Day is another occasion that has morphed into something else. On that day we would send cards to someone we admired from afar, anonymously, and that was the putpose - the recipient did not know the identity of the sender.
Now the unrelenting juggernaut of avarice and profit has changed forver the nature of our "special" days. Our reach has not exceeded our grasp, sadly.

 

[AdeDunn]

Poor Guido Fawkes.... He seriously fell foul of the great British tradition of "blame an immigrant" eh? Yet we still celebrate his brutal end to this day.... We should just go back to having Beltaine bonfires I reckon... Lol

Gunge, so if I understand you correctly, you're getting married today then? Congratulations bud! You'll be having your anniversary on the same day as us (15 years today...).

 

[divrack]

Poor Guido Fawkes.... He seriously fell foul of the great British tradition of "blame an immigrant" eh? Yet we still celebrate his brutal end to this day.... We should just go back to having Beltaine bonfires I reckon... Lol

Gunge, so if I understand you correctly, you're getting married today then? Congratulations bud! You'll be having your anniversary on the same day as us (15 years today...).

Guy changed his name to the more local Guido when he was fighting in Spain.
E wur a Yorkshire lad actually.

 

[divrack]

Hi!
Christmas was banned in Britain during the Commonwealth - old Cromwell was a tarter!
Things have changed a lot. When I were a lad - yes, believe it or not, I can remember that far back - Halloween was simply another excuse to extort money from gullible neighbours, a practice run for Guy Fawkes Night. "Penny for Halloween" was our cry, and once a fund had been amassed, off to the shop to buy bangers.
Valentine's Day is another occasion that has morphed into something else. On that day we would send cards to someone we admired from afar, anonymously, and that was the putpose - the recipient did not know the identity of the sender.
Now the unrelenting juggernaut of avarice and profit has changed forver the nature of our "special" days. Our reach has not exceeded our grasp, sadly.

You remember cromwell? Dang.

 

[Bigcol49]

You remember cromwell? Dang.

Hi!
Good old Crom, I remember him well

 

[Gunge]

Gunge, so if I understand you correctly, you're getting married today then? Congratulations bud! You'll be having your anniversary on the same day as us (15 years today...).

Ye... did the deed this morning. All went well, dunno what I was worrying about to put it off for 25 years! Gathering my strength now for tonight's events lol. At least I can put that hideous suit away until someone else gets hitched or dies.

 

[marshbrewer]

Ye... did the deed this morning. All went well, dunno what I was worrying about to put it off for 25 years! Gathering my strength now for tonight's events lol. At least I can put that hideous suit away until someone else gets hitched or dies.

Congratulations to you both.

 

[AdeDunn]

Ye... did the deed this morning. All went well, dunno what I was worrying about to put it off for 25 years! Gathering my strength now for tonight's events lol. At least I can put that hideous suit away until someone else gets hitched or dies.

Congratulations bud, after 25 years it's about flippin' time too... lol Although, it's going to be a bit bloody weird sharing a wedding anniversary with you... :p

 

[AdeDunn]

Guy changed his name to the more local Guido when he was fighting in Spain.
E wur a Yorkshire lad actually.

So he was. He still took the blame for a much bigger group though eh... I've also never felt comfortable celebrating the torture and execution of a person overly...

 

[brumbrew]

Ye... did the deed this morning. All went well, dunno what I was worrying about to put it off for 25 years! Gathering my strength now for tonight's events lol. At least I can put that hideous suit away until someone else gets hitched or dies.

Congrats to you and the better 3/4's

The wife and I were together for 6 years before we got married. Not as long as you. People often ask.

So what's it feel like to be married now?

Exactly the same as before. Only she legally owns half my debt now.

 

[Clint]

Congrats Gunge!!!...and Mrs Gunge!!!
Mine was a Gretna Green job...