Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of 31 October. Despite the fact that Halloween is not an official holiday, in the USA this evening is most popular right after Christmas. But this article is not supposed to be another description of this holiday, I was hoping to introduce you to some interesting facts and curiosities about Halloween.
1. It all started with Celts!
Halloween comes from the Celtic celebration of the end of autumn, which
said that on that night the line between the world of the living and the dead
is blurred. It was called the Samhain and to this day there is still an Irish
ghost festival in memory of it, where the Celtic celebrations are being reconstructed.
2. These masks have meaning
The Celts were afraid that on the night of 31 October they might meet an
evil spirit. They wore masks so that they would not be recognized and would
ward off lost souls.
The tradition has turned into a business and the Americans spend a total
of $2.6 billion on it, plus $330 million on costumes for their animals!
3. Halloween diet
During the holiday a game of trick or treat is very popular (children
walk around the neighbors and collect candies, if they do not get candies they
can make a trick). This results in a huge consumption of sweets that day. An
average American eats about 1.6 kilos of candy during Halloween. Children eat
about 7000 calories (you would have to eat sixty-six bananas to get the same effect!).
4. Why so scary?
We all surely associate Halloween with pumpkins, or more precisely with
lanterns from them called "Jack-o'-lantern". They usually have hollow
terrible patterns. This also comes from Ireland and was also supposed to scare
away ghosts, except that they were originally made from turnips, swedes,
potatoes and beets. The Americans added pumpkins during the commercialization
of that day.
5. For kids only
I've already mentioned the trick or treat. Despite the great popularity
of this game, only children can play it. Some cities in the USA have gone even
further, forbidding children over 12 years old to play. In some places,
teenagers who have broken the ban can pay a fine of up to a thousand dollars.
6. Sometimes it's good to meet a spider
It is believed that if you see a spider during Halloween, it is the soul
of a loved one who watches you from above.
7. Meeting with a witch
According
to tradition, you can see witches at midnight on Halloween. To do this, roll up
your clothes on the
left side and come backwards.
8. Every country has its own Halloween
In every country at the end of October and the beginning of November
there is a holiday connected with the dead. Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de los
Muertos) is very often confused with Halloween. Despite many similarities, it
has completely different grounds. People are not afraid of the spirit there; on
the contrary, it is a day when they invite them back to their homes. This
tradition is derived from the Aztec times and has been linked to the Christian
All Saints' Day.
Questions:
1) Do you celebrate Halloween?
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
https://www.factretriever.com/halloween-facts
B
Comments
As for the superstitions, I did hear about them, but I'm not superstitious at all and I don't care about them. I was born on 13th of May, believe me, I broke all the bad luck I could ;) I also owned a black cat, broke a lot of mirrors, I'm walking under ladders, black cats cross my path and well, nothing ever happened to me. All superstitions, whether they are connected to Halloween or just to life in general - for me, they're just humanity's way to put blame on something instead of themselves, or a way to comprehend something we don't understand or know for sure (like being safe from lost spirits, but we don't know for sure, if they exist).
And I would never spend that much on Halloween. I think spending so much money on costumes or candy is just a waste of money. When I do dress up as someone on Halloween, it's usually a character I can resemble with some of my clothes or accessories I already have at home. I have never bought any Halloween stuff, not even a teeny tiny decoration or piece of clothing.
But after all, I understand that people want to celebrate Halloween the way they do in America and I'm not saying it's wrong. It's just that it doesn't seem reasonable to me, but it doesn't mean it's bad or stupid or anything.
I heard about some Halloween superstitions, but never felt very interested in them. I think that sometimes knowing too much and being scared of it happening to us or a bad luck, can make us notice things we would not otherwise and reinforce a belief that a cause of misfortune lies in connection to superstition and not random occurrence.
In a way, what we strongly believe in can seem real to us. For example, If we believe in ghosts, we might associate unexplainable situations to them.
To answer the third question, I can't imagine spending so much on costumes or candies, not because I don't see it as enough reason to, but because I don't eat that many candies or would have people to share them with nor do I celebrate it.
I've never heard about these superstitions, but i guessed there has to be some connected to halloween. I don't believe in them, but are interesting from psychology or sociology perspective. Human mind will easier find example od bad luck if person believes in it. Superstitions about ladders, cats, mirrors etc probably have some weird yet very interesting origins. Maybe when people that believes in them will learn about how it all started, they will have a different perspective. I generally find them funny, but sometimes i see someone changes their way of life because of them, by spending money or hurting themselves. Cultivating them in a serious way is harmful and far away from logic.
I really don't like candys or even sweet things to eat. When i was around 8 yo a waiter in restaurant asked me if i want a dessert. I answered that i want a cheeseburger because it's a perfect dessert for me. Since then nothing realy changed. 7000 calories in candys sounds to me imposible, but 7000 calories in fast food is worth a consideration.
I've bought only one costume in my life. Banana costume with black sunglasses. Just a huge banana with open spaces for face, arms and legs. It wasn't expensive and i find it extremely hilarious. My friend also bought one and on halloween parties we are famous Banana duet.
As a child I did not understand why I should celebrate Halloween when I have Kolyady. Basically, I did not see any differences between them. Nevertheless, Kolyady were a part of a winter series of holidays, while Halloween had a lack of context for me.
I have two friends-dentists and they really enjoy reminding me how much they earn for their work. I advise everyone who has problems with eating too many candies just repeat all these six-digit numbers sotto voce and suddenly it could become easier to say “No” to all the sweet things.
I would not spend a lot of money on costumes because it is too irrational for me to invest to a disposable item
About superstitions, I don't believe in them. I generally don't believe in no ghost, zombies, witches or afterlife, pretty much atheist attitude to life. But for the party, everyone is a believer. We love to make a big fuss about ANY superstition, It's just fun.
Costumes are usually really creative and really cheap. As long as we like to party in Halloween themed room, we just don't want to spend too much on costumes because, well, we're cheap and we hate to focus on not soiling the costume instead of having fun. My last years' costume was a long wig, wooden staff and a bedsheet - the costume of a Jesus. Luckily I have a beard so I didn't have to buy that.
The fun part of Halloween is it's diet, containing candies, spooky drinks with skull-shaped ice cubes and some more candies. Of course, nowadays I don't eat as many candies as I used to as a child. Back then my appetite for candies was limitless, I could stuff my face with sweets all day long and feel great. I think my way of Halloweening simply evolved since then, but the key idea has been kept - to have fun!
Those old wives' tale that you've mentioned are very interesting, as I've never heard those before. There are some similar ones in the polish language, like a black cat crossing the street will bring you misfortune, although I don't think they are linked with any specific holiday. Before Poland's christianization, on the night of 31st of October, people celebrated and performed rituals called 'Dziady'. Those rituals are somewhat similar to the ones from Dia de los Muertos.
A major disadvantage of Halloween celebration in the US and across the globe is not only overconsumption of sugary snack, but mostly the waste that is produced due to overbuying of Halloween decorations and costumes, that are used only once. I hope that more and more people will notice how problematic this is, and that it could change in the future.
I’ve heard that Halloween is associated with night when the line between the world of living and the dead is blurred regarding superstitions. I know that this holiday is connected to Celts but the fact that sometimes it’s good to meet a spider shocked me! Anyway I still don’t want to have this type of appointment ughhh.
In my opinion fun with costumes is something different from every day’s reality, so I could agree for that. But I can’t imagine eating so much of sweeties. It’s so irresponsible and unhealthy from the parents of these kids! I know that the culture and the cuisine in every country is different but it drives to disease and obesity.
No, I don't and when I was I kid, I also didn't.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
I probably have heard about them but I don't care much about any kind of superstition.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
I don't enjoy parties on which you have some kind of costume or any role playing type of parties so I would like to do that.
2. I haven't heard nighter about the way to summon witches and the spider loved ones, but from now on I will remember it. I am not a superstitious person, but I love those kinds of sweet beliefs, they warm my heart.
3. The candy thing... I couldn't eat so many. To be honest, I don't like sweets at all. I couldn't imagine eating at least half of it, no wonder that Americans are so obese... However, the costumes and decorations I understand. Those may be avoidable expenses but so are all the fun things. People should loosen up and don't judge people for the way they are spending their money. Somebody feels better when they buy themselves new shoes and the others like to have a skeleton in their back yard, I'm all for it if it makes them happier.
2. I have heard about them but I don't really believe in it. I prefer to believe that in some sort of way we attract what we think about. So, for example, if after breaking a mirror I'll be spending all day waiting for something bad to happen-obviously something unpleasant will happen or I will give this small thing more attention than I would normally, just because I was waiting for something like that.
3. Well, I've got a HUGE sweet tooth, so eating 7000 calories in sweets doesn't seem that hard (let's not forget that sweets are really calorie-dense). Even so, I don't think I have ever eaten that much, to be honest, I don't see it as much of a problem if somebody with quite a healthy diet will do it once a year. Gotta keep that life balance, you know. But that's if we talk about adults that have some more control over what they put in their bodies. As for kids, it's definitely too much and should not be done.
And if we talk about costumes, for me it all depends on the person. Some like to go all out and have the best costume possible, others will be happy with some DIY costumes from what they already have. Personally, I would spend as little as possible as it really only a one-night activity and I will get no use of it later, so might as well ruin some old clothes that I'm already getting no use from.
Usually i do but not this time because of covid. When i was younger i was collecting candies but in last years i just go to some parties with my friends. I really like this day because there is a lot of interesting events in Warsaw. Anyway this year everything was canceled and i had also invitation for a houseparty but unfortunately it didn't happen too.
2. Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
A lot of superstitions are used in movies to make it more attractive. To be honest i am not superstitious and i don't believe in any of this kind of things.
3. Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
To be honest i didn't expect this kind of portion. 1.6 kilos which can be equal to 7000 calories sounds scary but this is halloween it should be scary don't you think so ? ;)
Usually, I don`t celebrate Halloween, as it is not so popular in my country like in America. However, yesterday I was watching Hocus Pokus. It is a popular comedy about three witches who are resurrected accidentally before Halloween. And it has brought some mystic Halloween atmosphere for me. Next year I am going to cook creepy snacks and desserts.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Yes, I have heard about most of the superstitions, except one about meeting spiders. I haven`t known that it can be the soul of a dead relative. It is interesting.
Also, I like the idea to wear masks and costumes on Halloween. I saw yesterday a lot of inspirations in social media: The Incredibles, Star Wars, and Wizard of Oz.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
To be honest, I have a sweet tooth. And it will not be hard for me to eat a lot of candies in one day. That is why I like some holidays because I can allow myself to eat desserts. :) What about costumes, in my opinion, you don`t need a lot of money to make a great one. But if people have a cool idea and enough resources for it, so why not?
I've heard about the most common superstition which is black cat. On this day, black cat should be avoided because the crossing of its path woith ours may bring bad luck. In my opinion, that kind a thing doesn't matter. I am deciding about my life and none of animal has something in common with that.
I can imagine spending so much money on costumes, because it's a tradition for them like
All Saints' Day for us but eating so much candies is so reckless. It can lead to obesity, organ failure and the most serious - death. But it's Halloween so let's go crazy.
I have never walked around the houses on Halloween, but every year we meet with friends at parties where we are dressed up in Halloween style.
I like the Halloween theme very much and I think it is a good excuse to meet with friends in unusual circumstances like a Halloween party which is not a normal party.
Often children come to my house and ask us for candy, I always gave it to them.
2) Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
I've watched a lot of horrors and movies about Halloween so I've already heard about Halloween traditions and superstitions,
To be honest I don't have an opinion about it so it's hard for me to say anything.
3) Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
Halloween is very popular, a lot of people attending this, 'event' but nowadays a lot of people spend a lot of money on their Halloween costumes.
Often they do it just to take a nice picture on social media.
I have never spent much money on candy nor on a costume on Halloween.
When it comes to eating sweets, I practically don't eat them at all, so I can hardly imagine eating as much as some people on Halloween.
I perceive Halloween as a family holiday - it's so great to make a funny costume together with the guys and treat yourself to unusually decorated goodies.
I agree that the holiday is already everywhere. It is held in schools, themed parties are thundering in clubs, store shelves are full of paraphernalia, social networks are full of pumpkins and ghosts. It is very difficult to hold on.
On the contrary, Halloween is considered a good reason to remember fears, death and even remember the dead.
We celebrate every year. Love pumpkin cut with little sister. They are like lanterns that shine beautifully around the house.When the celebration of Halloween is accompanied by carving pumpkin lamps, decorating houses with them, begging for sweets, visiting attractions associated with ghost legends, pranks, as well as visiting parks: pumpkin fields and a maze of corn
Last time when I celebrated Halloween it was about 10 years ago. Me and my two others friends walked around our town. I was disguised as a vampire. My disguise was only to paint a vampire's teeth and nothing else :) My friend was disguised as a ghost. It was also a very simple outfit. It was enough to put on a sheet with cut holes for the eyes. Unfortunately we collected little money but we didn't hungry. We get lot of donuts and candies. I haven't celebrated Halloween since then. Why? I think the main reason is age. When somebody will see a werewolf 183 centimeters tall it's unlikely to open the door.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
I have never heard about Halloween superstitions before. From the point of view of an adult like me, they seem silly, but the kids are definitely having fun. The superstition of a witch's encounter seems particularly strange to me because even children won't believe this superstition. However, I liked superstition with a spider, as the probability of meeting a spider is quite high.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
I can't believe they might eat so much. It's an incredible amount of sweetness in their bellies. It's strange that their bellies won't burst ;) But seriously, I think it's incredibly unhealthy to eat 1.6 kilograms of candy. This can contribute to aggravating excess weight in children so it will be better if parents keep an eye on their children. Fortunately, it's only one day a year.
I have never heard about those Halloween superstitions before. I’m very scared of spiders so I pass on that one, but meeting a witch would be amazing, so if I don’t forget till next Halloween I definitely try doing this.
I can’t imagine eating 1.6 kilos of candy, but I understand that it’s part of the tradition on this day in the US, but I can imagine spending so much on costumes though. If I wanted to dress up as something specific, I would certainly do anything to look exactly how I wanted, including paying a lot or trying to make my costume by myself.
Yes, I do celebrate Halloween, when I was a kid, I took part in trick or treating with my friends but as mentioned in article that’s for kids only. Currently on 31 of October usually I go out to party with my friends, but we do not care much about our costumes, Halloween is just another excuse for us to meet and have a good time. Yesterday we had to make an exception (everyone knows what a reason for that is) and we met only in a group of 5 people and watched a marathon of horror movies. Not one of us is a fan of horror movies but since it was Halloween, we made an exception to feel the spirit of this Holiday. In my opinion what is most important in every holiday is to have a good time with your friends or family and so we did.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Yes, I did hear the ones mentioned above. I must say that I am fond of the way it is celebrated in Mexico (Mexican Day of the Dead). For me Halloween should be more ‘spirit friendly’ holiday because why would they want to do us any harm? It should be more a moment of reuniting with lost loved ones rather than a moment of fear. I personally think that if ghost would exist, they would have better things to do than to scare us (especially if that would be a ghost of a loved one). Meaning that, I am not sure why ghosts are associated with evil. I would rather see them as lost souls of living people.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
I could imagine spending that much on a costume, Americans are much more into this holiday than us and I can see how many of them would like to impress one another. Also, I think creating such costumes could bring more joy than showing it off. I cannot imagine eating that much candy, even thinking about it makes me sick but we all know that we had a different perspective on this when we were kids :)
I dont and i have never been celebrating halloween. For a few years now im only visiting my sister because she's making halloween for my nephew and she always makes a lot of food with a climate of halloween. But i have never have any need to celebrate it myself.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
I have never heard about halloween superstitions before. I considere it interesting how different coultures approach to holidays like this one so it was nice to read about the masks and why pumpkin is a sign of the Halloween.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
For eating so many candies the answer is no, i couldnt eat so much of them mainly because im avoiding eating too much sugar in my diet but a totaly understand spending money on costumes, even so i propably wouldnt spend so much. Probably as little as possible. Im creative so i would likt to make costume of the things i have at home.
I have heard about some of the Halloween superstitions before, mainly because of my English teacher from my primary school, who was obsessed with Halloween. However, I don’t really believe in any of them. At least, I really want to think so, but it is like with the black cats… I am not superstitious but whenever I see one, I’m always a little worried.
When it comes to candies, luckily I hate them. I would really like to visit homes and collect them but after all I would just give them to a random kid, except of chocolate - chocolate is holy. When It comes to spending so much on costumes, I would never do it. I would rather spend money on makeup and cosmetics to create my own look, than to pay for a costume, which was made by someone else.
my favorite costume was the soldier's uniform, I had a toy weapon, helmet and Army combat uniform. I was always hanging out with my friends knocking door to door in order to collect some treats. Now the things have changed but I am trying to maintain the tradition in a changed formula for example in costume parties.
I've never heard about these superstitions that you have mentioned but I really don't believe in superstitions at all. I don't understand how they assign spiders to the soul of loved one, but like to most of superstitions they have no sense.
I can image spending so much money on costumes, we have to remember that in USA Halloween is the second most profitable holiday after Christmas. So I think that it is really important for them to look uniquely and stylish. I think that I won't eat these much candies during one month so it is a really big number for it.
Do you celebrate Halloween?
I do, but not in the common way. I am carving pumpkins before halloween, I am planing my costume. But walking from house to house collecting candies is a activity rather for children, than the adults. I am spending this time with my friends, usually partying in the spooky theme. I am often making most popular halloween food such as apples in caramel or pumpkin pie.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Of course I have heard about Halloween superstitions before, but I don't believe in them. In my opinion our attitude can really change the situation we are currently in. When the black cat crossing our way we can do two things: 1st option is to take few steps back and spit through your arm, hoping that this will magically protect you from the bad luck. 2nd one is... To simply ignore it. Believing in something can really change the way you see the world around you. Our attitude can really change the world around us.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
I don't. As long as I love doing makeup and hair and the like, I am always looking for the most optimised solution. By that I mean that I do like crafty things, and I am always choosing the cheaper way of doing things, when it is as efficent as the expensive one. With candies I am not sure... It depends a lot on my mood. Sometimes I have a days on which I am eating lots, and lots of candies, like unlimited quantity of them. But most often I don't eat a lot of sweets, I am more of a salty snacks person.
I don’t really celebrate Halloween. I don’t like the role-playing and wearing weird costumes but I understand that some people may like it.
2. Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Of course I’ve heard about them but they make no sense for me same as any other superstitions. It’s funny how people are scared of black cat crossing their way for example.
3. Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
I can imagine spending so much money on costumes. People in USA really care about this holiday and they pay a lot to look great and uniquely. Although as I said before it’s not for me. On the other hand I really like sweets so this part of this holiday is pretty cool for me.
I’ve already heard about history of Halloween, traditions and their significance in Celtic culture. The most interesting fact for me is that, nowadays, this holiday is known in most of countries and it has become really commercialized.
I remember that as a child I was really excited about collecting candies. My bag was every time full of any kind of sweets, which later I was eating for a whole month. These days I am not such a big fan of eating them anymore, but I understand that it might be a pleasure for some sweet tooth. When it comes to Halloween costumes, I must say that I really like to see some best celebrities costumes, which may be really inspiring.
2. As I was never interested in Halloween, I haven't heard about the superstitions you mentioned before. It is quite interesting to get to know the fact of how this started before it got so commercial as it is now.
3. That is the thing that surprised me the most! Let's say I am used to facts that people in the USA eat quite big portions of meals, but 1.6KG is an amount I could not eat even in one week! For me, this is absurd. About the costumes, I think that the amount of money is big, but not really matters. People buy these clothes and, for example, go partying or playing trick or treat. This makes some use of these costumes and makes this one night in a year different.
I don't know much about Halloween. The only superstition I've heard about is that children born on Halloween can communicate with spirits.
I can't believe that the average American eats 1.6 kg of candy. I mean some people can eat that much, but I don't think that is the average. When it comes to money, you only gave us information about total spending, including companies, so I did my own research about it and, according to the article I found, in 2019 the average shopper spent $86.27. I think that it's reasonable amount of money considering Halloween only comes once a year.
No, i dont like Halloween. I dont like superstitions. I don't really understand this habit.
On the other hand, i really like to admire, when people have outstanding costumes.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Yes, i have heard, but i dont understand. I don’t really believe in any of them.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
As i have said, i admire, when people have outstanding costumes. I wouldn't spend money at all on costume, but it is fine for me if somebody wants to do it. About eating candies i would say only, i really like sweets.
2.Never heard of Halloween superstitions. I was not interested in this holiday and I only knew about it that on this day people change clothes to get sweets.
3.I can imagine eating so many sweets because I love sweets and I could eat them endlessly. As for the costumes, I can't judge it. I would never spend any money on it myself, but if someone likes to do these things, this is a good opportunity.
Well, I am not a big fan of Halloween. When I was young I have never celebrated Halloween. However, I got older and the Halloween parties appeared. I started disguising myself and meeting my friends, but we have never played a trick or treat - referring to the article we were too old for that anyway. In my opinion this holiday is not so popular in Poland and that's the reason why I was never interested in celebrating Halloween.
2. Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
To be honest I have never heard about Halloween superstitions before. I think that there are quite interesting, but I do not believe in any of them.
3. Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
I definitely do not imagine eating so many candies! This is unbelievable for me and I think it is a very serious problem. In my opinion, no one should eat so many sweets - not an adult, much less a child - especially now when many children and adults are obese!
According to the costumes - I do believe spending so much on them :) I like to disguise myself and put on makeup. I am able to spend some money just to look good.
To be honest I have been walking around houses only until I was 8. Then I have a long break with doing anything on Haloween but since I am adult every year I meet with my friends at night parties where we are arranging some costumes or even a little things like face painting and having fun with this specific vibe
2. Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Halloween is really catchy thing, especially for our generation so yes - I've heard about supersititons. I don't have any particular opinion - Haloween is cool event with cool tradition.
3. Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
Yes, I believe that it is very fair - probably it is the most fair 'cheat day' in the whole year becacuse all those candies are kind of loot. You firstly needed to put a lot of energy to get that 'many' candies so it is completly ok to eat them all at once!
I really wanted to celebrate it when I was young. The opportunity to dress up and get candies from my neighbors was an exciting idea for me, but unfortunately, I couldn't celebrate it, because my parents forbade me from going out on Halloween evening. I had to watch my friends going around with bags of candies and money, which was the most unfair thing for me. Now I'm trying to celebrate it by dressing up in some scary outfits, which is the most enjoyable part of Halloween for me! I also would love to take part in some halloween role play game, but I haven't found anyone to play with me yet.
2. Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
I didn't know about any superstitions, and I wasn't really interested in them that much, but I guess it's an interesting thing to know.
3. Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
I can imagine it, but I wouldn't do it myself. Candies are good, but I prefere hand-made costumes, that aren't connected with any existing show. But it isn't weird that a lot of people would love to feel like their favourite character for a while! And to get a good quality costume, you really have to spend some money, or else you will end up in getting plastic-like, baggy piece of cloth, that won't even look good on you.
If I think about it I don't really celebrate it as I assume most Poles don't celebrate it as well. Even though it's quite popular in mainstream culture and it was often
mentioned in English classes throughout my education I don't see the appeal of Halloween.
2.
I haven't heard about the spider supersition mentioned in this blogpost. I don't really believe in any supersttitions, the more halloween related.
3.
Personally not, but I can imagine some people enjoying to do so. Cosplaying is huge in nerd culture and I think halloween is a more mainstream version of it.
1. Not anymore, unless cutting out the pumpkin, playing board games and drinking drinks counts as celebrating Halloween, but when I was a kid we used to do a proper trick or treating at my friends neighborhood. It was amazing, like in these American movies. We would choose and prepare our costumes, go trick or treating and after all the fun we would swap candies. All the houses were decorated, some of them were creepy. It was a really fun time.
2. I have, but as I am not a superstition person myself I never gave them a second thought. I don’t treat any of them too seriously, but my dad does. He truly believes that 13th is not a good day for any kind of paperwork, business deals etc. I used to find it quite funny, but this guy truly has a bad luck every time the 13th comes. Its either wrong goods delivery, broken tap, car accident or some kind of injury. It’s like he attracts bad luck by believing in it.
3. I have a huge sweet tooth, but I eating 7000 calories during Halloween makes me sick a little bit. I don’t think kids should be allowed to eat everything they get during one day or one week. It should be a fun day but also a safe one. I also cannot imagine spending thousands of dollars on my costume, as Halloween is not an important event for me, but who knows how would I react if I were to go on some kind of Halloween Oscars or something … I guess maybe then I would go crazy and but a costume worth 2- 3 average salaries.
This year was the first time for me celebrating Halloween. Although I was a little disappointed with a party I was invited to just because it was more like a regular gathering with friends. The only ”spooky” decorations were plastic spiders and other cheap stuff you can buy everywhere near this season. I love my friends but I hate plastic decor.
One day I would like to organize a true Halloween vibe party. With carved pumpkins, games, and climate.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
I have never before heard about them and they were interesting to read. The one about a spider is very romantic for me. About superstition, I like the idea of them but I don't truly believe in them.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
That sounds crazy! But on the other hand, we do similar things during Christmas days here in Poland. We have huge meals with our family and as well we spend a lot of money.
I first heard about Halloween superstitions from this article and as all superstitions sound absurd, but it's always good to have one more reason to smile. Suddenly, every spider you meet doesn't seem so scary.
I do not think that eating such a large amount of sweets has a positive effect on our health, but one such day in a year should not have serious effects. However, I would suggest dividing the collected sweets into several portions to be able to sweeten your life rather than just one day. You can also share sweets with family and friends who did not attend Halloween to convince them to join the party for the next year.
If casually meeting my friends that day and having some kind of party can be considered celebrating halloween, then yes. However, we never dress up or do anything halloween-like, so I guess it's just a regular meeting, like every other weekend and halloween is a simple excuse.
2) Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Before reading this article, I was not aware of Halloween's origin. All I knew that it's somehow associated with death, but it looks like I wasn't totally right. Regarding superstitions, I don't believe in any of them and I find them rather funny, not only the halloween related ones. I think it's human's psychology and they are only being made up to put blame on something else, not people's sometimes stupid/irresponsible actions. Some of them also make us pay attention to things, which we wouldn't ever notice or care about without being aware of these superstitions.
3) Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
No. I don't find eating candy enjoyable, I'm more of a cake/ice cream person. My taste buds and stomach are unable to handle bigger amount of sugar and it usually makes me nauseous. Same goes for costumes - I'm not a fan of dress-up parties, so I probably wouldn't feel like spending any money on it.
2) I have heard about them and I think that every superstition is the same. They have nothing to do with the reality and I don't know why would anyone even believe those anymore. I mean, seriously, it's 2020 and people still believe that breaking a mirror might cause 7 years of bad luck? Please...
3) Answering to the first part of the question - yes. When it comes to the costumes - not really. It's fun when it's funny and original. Dressing up as the 1000th Dracula at the same party is as stupid as it can be. Beautiful costumes and a fitting atmosphere - I like it. No decorations and just people just badly dressed? I'll pass.
I have never heard of superstitions like this, but for me they are still just superstitions not to be afraid of :)
I guess I wouldn't spend that much on some very elaborate costume. I would be more inclined to do something symbolic. And candies... I would eat a lot of them, but I probably wouldn't be able to do everything :)
Hahah, I don't believe in superstitions either, although I admire that you've overcome them so much.
Wow, I admire you because I'm afraid of everything and if I watched a horror movie I wouldn't sleep a few nights. I similarly look forward to Christmas, when during these sad short days there is something that makes everyone happy.
I'm glad I was able to show you new things because they were a big surprise for me too.
The United States is probably a very specific country and it is hard for us to understand its people.
I never had a Halloween celebration when I was a child, because I come from a very Catholic family, so I am very jealous of you. It wasn't until I was older that I started going to Halloween parties, but unfortunately this is not a typical celebration of this holiday.
I also think that children shouldn't eat so much sweetness, I think that kids should mainly eat fruits in order to make good eating habits.
I understand you perfectly well, I had exactly the same... Unfortunately, it seems to me that when we are already an adult it is not the same. I hope to be able to see my kids having fun during Halloween.
I don't like sweets, so I don't understand it much. I am more of a pizza and fries person.
I heard about a few of them. Some of them are interesting and you can have fun while participating in Halloween
Yes i can imagine dressing up in a haloowen costume because i like dress up parties.
I do not like candy, I would not like to eat that much
Nowadays not, but during my childhood, I have been walking from doors to doors collecting sweets. These days I am spending Halloween's evening in one of two ways, first is partying with my friends, second is doing nothing special, just some ordinary things.
2) Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Yes, I have heard about Halloween superstitions before, but like every other superstition, I am not convinced that they could be real. I have never met a witch or a spider, so I cannot tell more about it.
3) Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
Youth has its own rules, so when I was a child, it was possible to eat a lot of candies, but nowadays I think I would not be able to do that. When it comes to spending so much money on costumes, personally I would not spend a lot of money just for the clothes, but everyone is different, and I think that people are doing so many silly things, that it is not so especially strange. It is all about having fun, partying with friends, and creating amazing memories, so I think it is all worth it.
2. As for the origin of halloween, I heard that it was actually entrepreneurs who artificially created this holiday in order to sell costumes and sweets, and the connection with the Celtic tradition is Christian propaganda. I've never heard of Halloween superstitions. The only superstitions that come to my mind are those related to the black cat or the chimney-sweep.
3. I cannot imagine eating that much candy, I certainly wouldn't be feeling well. I can understand spending money on costumes, but instead of buying new ones, I always wear the ones I already have.
I hear about most of Halloween superstitions because on all English lesions in primary school before Halloween we had special topics and curiosities about this day. But surprising for me is that children over 12 years old can't play "trick or treat" and even in some states you need to pay a fine when you do this. I think that everyone can join to this game.
I'm a person who don't like eat to much sweet food, one chocolate bar is too much for me so 1,6 kg of candies is unimaginable for me. I understood when somebody need to buy expensive costume to show up on the party but it completely not for me.
2. I actually haven't heard about Halloween superstitions. I'm not a superstitious person, so I don't really care about it.
3. I can't imagine eating so much candy, I would definitely get sick after that. I can, however, imagine myself spending a lot of money on a costume. For me the best part of Halloween is dressing up as monsters of fictional characters, and I can see myself doing that.
1) Do you celebrate Halloween?
No,I do not celebrate Halloween but the only thing I buy and it can be connected to Halloween is a pumpkin. I really like soup which is made of it. The other thing is that I like watching horror movies in that day I don’t know why but I feel better the atmosphere of Halloween.
2)Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
No I haven’t but the most surprising thing that was mentioned in the text is that I didn’t know that children could eat so many calories in one day. In my opinion this is very unhealthy for kids and I think it should be some kind of an alert for their parents.
3) Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
No I can’t. I am not a fan of eating candies or sweet things. This comparison with bananas helped me understand the scale of that problem. Personally I think that this is a little bit disgusting – eating so many calories.
I have never heard about superstitions before, but I was almost sure that they have to exist. Almost every tradition has an old background with some superstitions, so I’m not surprised that halloween has some too. I do not believe in superstitions and simply don’t care about them at all, but I know people who do. And for them, superstitions are important in some cases, so I believe that during halloween for some people they are really important too.
One thing I don’t like is confusing halloween with Mexican Day of the Dead. I think it's a pretty awesome holiday, and their beliefs are much more important than halloween.
If you ask about eating so many sweets, I wouldn't do that, not because I don't want to, because I would like to try, but I know my limits and after few of them I would got a heartburn.
I'm not. Maybe it may sound strange but i don't celebrate a lot of things. I consider it as a fun time with friends. Spending time together, hanging out but I can't name it as celebration.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
I have heard a lot about Halloween superstitions but they all sound funny. I feel like people actually do need these superstitions. It makes the world better, makes people forget about worries or I'd rather say make them think about worries that doesn't exist. Take the mind off from hard things.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
Thats a tough question! I can imagine eating so much but not moving afterwards. But collecting candies would be an excuse for me just to hang out. I'm not really fond of sweets. And when it comes to costume that is a different story. I'm surprised people can afford spending so much money on a costume they will wear only once.
No, I'm from Ukraine and people there don't celebrate it except some parties that use Halloween as just another one reason to make a party, but there are no real traditional celebrations of it. But yeah, I think in the future I will make a cool costume for it and celebrate properly.
Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
Yeah, a lot, cause Halloween is a popular event. It's well-known in the media and so on, so a lot of people heard about them without even little trying, just by accident. Like all other superstitions in the world, some of them are funny - others are entertaining, but a part of them are just silly. That's all.
Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
If you can eat a lot of candies avoiding health problems and hating them after it - you're welcome. Moreover, if people want to spend money on costumes, why not? We spend enough money on other things which purpose is only entertaining, why not include costumes? No difference.
I don't know if there is much to hear about Halloween in the Polish media. I didn't know most of the things until I became an adult, and a large part of it I learned by writing this article.
I also think that sometimes it is worth spending more on a costume and dressing up as something cool!
Parties and terrible things are very cool. Although I dream of spending halloween in the USA, this must be fun!
2) Yes, I've heard about Halloween superstitions before, but not all mentioned in the article. I heard about a "meeting with a witch" and we even tried to do it with my friends, but nothing interesting happened. Maybe we just didn't pay enough attention. Interesting are the superstitions that are related to the history of older cults such as the Celts and the Aztecs. They are more reliable than the one with the spider
Aside from the subject, what surprised me the most was that only children can play trick or treat. Coming back to my Erasmus, as a 20 year old student who played "trick or treat" I didn't think it would be considered a crime in any country. All the people I met were friendly and didn't pay attention to my age.
3) I like to eat sweets, but I prefer picking them up during Halloween. I don't enjoy eating a kilo of sweets at once because it's neither healthy nor fun. I think there will be some fanatics who are very serious about costumes and are able to spend a very large amount of money on it. I prefer to make a costume out of accessible materials because creating a costum is also part of the fun.
No, I've never did it and I'm not planning on doing that. It's not that popular in Poland and I just find it really pointless. Only positive things involved with it are all kinds of events in games that are Halloween themed.
2) Have you heard about Halloween superstitions before? What do you think about them?
No I've never really heard about superstitions, only things I know about Halloween are pumpkins and trick or treating.
3) Can you imagine eating so many candies and spending so much on costumes?
Eating so many candies doesn't sound that bad, but spending a lot of money on costumes is not for me.
1. No, I've never celebrated Halloween, and it's a pagan celebration. But as attractions, costumes and candies overall it looks fun and interesting, especially for kids
2. No, I have never heard about Halloween supersitions before, so I can't answer this question.
3. No, I can't imagine spending a lot of money on costumes. You can eat candy;)