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What does Halloween celebrate?

Just a place where all John's threads can be kept nice and tidy.
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John Jones
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What does Halloween celebrate?

#1 Post by John Jones » October 29th, 2010, 2:08 pm

What do we think that we are celebrating when we put our masks on and "celebrate" Halloween? I've asked so many people. No-one knows why or what we are celebrating so I think I can guarantee that no-one will know here.

Marian
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#2 Post by Marian » October 29th, 2010, 2:11 pm

Fun and candy
Transformative fire...

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Alan C.
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#3 Post by Alan C. » October 29th, 2010, 2:21 pm

What do we think that we are celebrating when we put our masks on and "celebrate" Halloween? I've asked so many people. No-one knows why or what we are celebrating so I think I can guarantee that no-one will know here.
Samhain, wrong again Jonesey.
Abstinence Makes the Church Grow Fondlers.

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Alan H
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#4 Post by Alan H » October 29th, 2010, 2:24 pm

John Jones wrote:I think I can guarantee that no-one will know here.
And why would you think that?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

Maria Mac
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#5 Post by Maria Mac » October 29th, 2010, 2:26 pm

All those who care enough about Halloween to celebrate it and put on masks say 'Aye'. Then answer the question.

Nick
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#6 Post by Nick » October 29th, 2010, 2:30 pm

I have a close family member who's birthday is November 1st, and she (so she tells us :wink: ) is a saint, Nov 1st being All Saints' or All Hallow's Day. Halloween is merely the evening before.

Your guarantee is busted, Jonesey. Can I have my money back, please?

Maria Mac
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#7 Post by Maria Mac » October 29th, 2010, 2:31 pm

Actually, I do remember learning that in Primary School. Thanks, Nick.

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John Jones
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#8 Post by John Jones » October 29th, 2010, 2:32 pm

Alan C. wrote:
What do we think that we are celebrating when we put our masks on and "celebrate" Halloween? I've asked so many people. No-one knows why or what we are celebrating so I think I can guarantee that no-one will know here.
Samhain, wrong again Jonesey.

THat's the stupid answer I expected. Most people have never heard of samhain and those that have heard of it certainly aren't celebrating an old celtic custom with Frankenstein costumes and joke broomsticks, scissor hands and joke skulls. Have another go. To make it easier, here's the question again:

I asked what do we knowingly, to ourselves, as we are doing it, THINK we are celebrating when we put our masks on? What do we all actually think we are in the process of celebrating?

I can't be bothered to wait for your response so I will give your best possible response now. We do not know what we are celebrating. Popular Halloween is a Christian denouncement of a celtic religion but even that is forgotten. All we are left with is making fun of the dead and plastic horror kitsch. We aren't celebrating anything.

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John Jones
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#9 Post by John Jones » October 29th, 2010, 2:36 pm

Nick wrote:I have a close family member who's birthday is November 1st, and she (so she tells us :wink: ) is a saint, Nov 1st being All Saints' or All Hallow's Day. Halloween is merely the evening before.

Your guarantee is busted, Jonesey. Can I have my money back, please?

Just awful.
Are you saying that your close family member, like you, thinks that All Saints Day is honoured or marked by wearing green and purple outfits, joke frankenstein monster costumes, and waving plastic broomsticks?

Have another go.

Nick
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#10 Post by Nick » October 29th, 2010, 2:48 pm

Doh! Fooled again! We all got it wrong! Even Alan C, who usually knows about such things and burns his house down in January every year! "Fuck-hell-yeah" or something. Quite exuberant I believe. (Did I get that right, Alan?)

So, Jonesey, what are you going to do when a bunch of sweet little kids knock on your door, trick-or-treating? Teach them to suck lemons? Or if they are a different tribe to you, maybe sell them into slavery.
Jonesey wrote:Just awful.

Are you saying that your close family member, like you, thinks that All Saints Day is honoured or marked by wearing green and purple outfits, joke frankenstein monster costumes, and waving plastic broomsticks?
Yikes! That's a side of my old mum's personality I haven't seen! :shock:
Have another go.
Err.... It is "nothing"?


Can I have my prize now?

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Alan H
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#11 Post by Alan H » October 29th, 2010, 2:52 pm

Nick wrote:I have a close family member who's birthday is November 1st
Hey! So do I! What's the chances of that, eh?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

Maria Mac
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#12 Post by Maria Mac » October 29th, 2010, 2:58 pm

Alan H wrote:
Nick wrote:I have a close family member who's birthday is November 1st
Hey! So do I! What's the chances of that, eh?
Well, if you could persuade randomly choose them to go into a room with 365 other randomly chosen close family members, I'd say the chances are about 100%.

Maria Mac
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#13 Post by Maria Mac » October 29th, 2010, 3:02 pm

John Jones wrote: I can't be bothered to wait for your response so I will give your best possible response now. We do not know what we are celebrating. Popular Halloween is a Christian denouncement of a celtic religion but even that is forgotten. All we are left with is making fun of the dead and plastic horror kitsch. We aren't celebrating anything.
And your purpose in starting a thread with a question you 'thought you could guarantee' nobody here could answer then giving us the answer was...? Are you practising to be a deputy cult leader or something? :D

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Alan H
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#14 Post by Alan H » October 29th, 2010, 3:21 pm

John Jones wrote:
Alan C. wrote:
What do we think that we are celebrating when we put our masks on and "celebrate" Halloween? I've asked so many people. No-one knows why or what we are celebrating so I think I can guarantee that no-one will know here.
Samhain, wrong again Jonesey.

THat's the stupid answer I expected. Most people have never heard of samhain and those that have heard of it certainly aren't celebrating an old celtic custom with Frankenstein costumes and joke broomsticks, scissor hands and joke skulls. Have another go. To make it easier, here's the question again:

I asked what do we knowingly, to ourselves, as we are doing it, THINK we are celebrating when we put our masks on? What do we all actually think we are in the process of celebrating?

I can't be bothered to wait for your response so I will give your best possible response now. We do not know what we are celebrating. Popular Halloween is a Christian denouncement of a celtic religion but even that is forgotten. All we are left with is making fun of the dead and plastic horror kitsch. We aren't celebrating anything.
A lot of people here will have heard of samhain, John Jones. Maybe you know a restricted set of people?

Anyway, what was the point of your guarantee, exactly?

I don't put a mask on - at this time of year or any other - despite the howls from others to do so. Since it is mainly 'celebrated' by children, perhaps you should be asking children what they think they are celebrating? I suspect they will say they are just having a good time scaring others and being scared.

What was the point of your question, anyway?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

Maria Mac
Site Admin
Posts: 9306
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:34 pm

Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#15 Post by Maria Mac » October 29th, 2010, 3:25 pm

Alan H wrote:What was the point of your question, anyway?
I like how you think, Alan H. Now, if you really have nothing better to do than this, how about nipping out for some milk?

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getreal
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#16 Post by getreal » October 29th, 2010, 4:13 pm

I was always under the impression that you dressed up to disguise yourself so that the gouls could not get you. I was under the impression that halloween was a scottish (and perhaps Irish) tradition which exported to the US (do they do it in Canada, too?)

I hate the "trick and treat" stuff and refuse to give the kids anything till they do a turn, in the accepted manner when guising.
"It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on his head"-Tyrion Lannister.

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Gurdur
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#17 Post by Gurdur » October 29th, 2010, 6:15 pm

Maria wrote:
Alan H wrote:
Nick wrote:I have a close family member who's birthday is November 1st
Hey! So do I! What's the chances of that, eh?
Well, if you could persuade randomly choose them to go into a room with 365 other randomly chosen close family members, I'd say the chances are about 100%.
Actually, your chances are IIRC pretty reasonable with only 30 randomly chosen people in the room. But I completely forget the stats reasoning behind that. My brain is dead.
Maria wrote:
Alan H wrote:What was the point of your question, anyway?
I like how you think, Alan H. Now, if you really have nothing better to do than this, how about nipping out for some milk?
Man. Harsh, harsh.

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Alan H
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#18 Post by Alan H » October 29th, 2010, 6:44 pm

Gurdur wrote:
Maria wrote:Well, if you could persuade randomly choose them to go into a room with 365 other randomly chosen close family members, I'd say the chances are about 100%.
Actually, your chances are IIRC pretty reasonable with only 30 randomly chosen people in the room. But I completely forget the stats reasoning behind that. My brain is dead.
It's something like 25 people to have a 50% chance of two having the same birth day.
Maria wrote:
Alan H wrote:What was the point of your question, anyway?
I like how you think, Alan H. Now, if you really have nothing better to do than this, how about nipping out for some milk?
Man. Harsh, harsh.
:laughter: Maria finally gave up waiting for me and went herself!
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

Marian
Posts: 3985
Joined: August 23rd, 2009, 2:25 pm

Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#19 Post by Marian » October 29th, 2010, 9:50 pm

getreal wrote:I was always under the impression that you dressed up to disguise yourself so that the gouls could not get you. I was under the impression that halloween was a scottish (and perhaps Irish) tradition which exported to the US (do they do it in Canada, too?)
We celebrate here too. The kids do the 'trick or treat' thing but it's just some words to get candy; it means nothing. It's just a bit of fun for the kids and us too because we dress up but not in scary stuff. The goal is to be as creative as possible so Jr is going as a monster truck (pics to follow a bit later), I'm going as a carton of milk with a missing persons pic sticking out through the front of the carton; it'll be my face. :) Sr is going as a motorcycle rider.
Transformative fire...

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Gurdur
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Re: What does Halloween celebrate?

#20 Post by Gurdur » October 29th, 2010, 10:11 pm

Evidence! Photos!

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