"Halloween goblins scaring off Britain's Guy Fawkes"

[auld argonian]

They've really gone overboard with Halloween over here and I'm afraid that you're getting the spill-over.

It sure is unbelievably commercially exploitable. It has become second only to Christmas in the amount of money that Americans spend on a holiday.

We had several of the members of the Canberra City Planning staff over for lunch and a tour a few years back and they were flabbergasted at the extent to which we decorate for the holiday. It used to be a carved pumpkin/jack-o-lantern and maybe a few spooky paper decorations but now it's full fledged all out decorating of private homes with strings of orange and purple lights and animatronic figures. It's madness. I'm so sorry that the unique traditions of Guy Fawkes are getting swept aside by it.

You'd think that after "V For Vendetta" there'd be renewed interest, wouldn't you?

Best

AA

[O'Callaghan]

We used to celebrate both in England even long ago, with one difference - no trick or treat. Halloween was just for costume parties, telling ghost stories, and so on. I remember the debates whether to have a halloween party or a Guy Fawkes party. Of course, you could combine both, with costumes and fireworks. I think that's the best idea.

Well, two differences, really. We didn't have pumpkins. The Jack'o'lantern was a turnip, too small for a human skull really, but it looked much more like a death's head than a pumpkin does if you disregard the size. Much more difficult to carve, though. You wouldn't let a child carve it, as they might slip and cut themself.

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

...You'd think that after "V For Vendetta" there'd be renewed interest, wouldn't you?...

It did. I see all those masks as Halloween costumes