Kilts and costumes

[Bryan]

I don't think you understand what I'm saying, but you're right about the Halloween thing. Maybe people in Europe and other parts of the world don't realize how big Halloween is here. Halloween is HUGE.

It's sort of like the St. Patrick's Day celebrations here. We do St. Patty's up big, but I think Americans (and our Canadian cousins up north if I'm not mistaken) are really the only ones who do. Correct me if I'm wrong, but St. Patty's, like the majority of our Halloween traditions for that matter, come from the Emerald Isle, but it isn't much celebrated there, is it?

[Archangel]

I don't think you understand what I'm saying, but you're right about the Halloween thing. Maybe people in Europe and other parts of the world don't realize how big Halloween is here. Halloween is HUGE.

It's sort of like the St. Patrick's Day celebrations here. We do St. Patty's up big, but I think Americans (and our Canadian cousins up north if I'm not mistaken) are really the only ones who do. Correct me if I'm wrong, but St. Patty's, like the majority of our Halloween traditions for that matter, come from the Emerald Isle, but it isn't much celebrated there, is it?

Oh, I fully understand what you're saying but let's go to another field.

My understanding is that St. Patrick's Day parade is completely a New York invention. From there, it went across the US and into Canada. It's not as big in Canada but still a major event. There is some discussion to making an actual holiday since there isn't a spring one. Apparently, it's also getting to be a big event in Japan.
After it was well established in NA, then it became an event in Ireland. It's primarily tourist bait there. Tourists expect one so the Irish supplied one.

Not sure about your reference to Halloween as an Irish tradition. That seems to have come out of New England and built up from various European traditions. I think the main source would be resulting from stories of witch hysteria in Scotland and England in the 1700s.

[Bryan]

Oh, I fully understand what you're saying...

Obviously not.

Not sure about your reference to Halloween as an Irish tradition. That seems to have come out of New England and built up from various European traditions. I think the main source would be resulting from stories of witch hysteria in Scotland and England in the 1700s.

Not New England:

Halloween , Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints' Day , observed with traditional games and customs. The word comes from medieval England's All Hallows' eve (Old Eng. hallow = "saint" ). However, many of these customs predate Christianity, going back to Celtic practices associated with Nov. 1, which was Samhain , the beginning of winter and the Celtic new year. Witches and other evil spirits were believed to roam the earth on this evening, playing tricks on human beings to mark the season of diminishing sunlight. Bonfires were lit, offerings were made of dainty foods and sweets, and people would disguise themselves as one of the roaming spirits, to avoid demonic persecution. Survivals of these early practices can be found in countries of Celtic influence today, such as the United States where children go from door to door in costumes demanding "trick or treat."

[Nick the DSM]

i say if the guy is wearing the kilt as a costume with pride and not as a joke or stabs at a true kilted man, let him wear it!

[Archangel]

Not New England:

Halloween , Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints' Day , observed with traditional games and customs. The word comes from medieval England's All Hallows' eve (Old Eng. hallow = "saint" ). However, many of these customs predate Christianity, going back to Celtic practices associated with Nov. 1, which was Samhain , the beginning of winter and the Celtic new year. Witches and other evil spirits were believed to roam the earth on this evening, playing tricks on human beings to mark the season of diminishing sunlight. Bonfires were lit, offerings were made of dainty foods and sweets, and people would disguise themselves as one of the roaming spirits, to avoid demonic persecution. Survivals of these early practices can be found in countries of Celtic influence today, such as the United States where children go from door to door in costumes demanding "trick or treat."

I'm leaving your first subject alone.

Your next subject is the long version of what I said. The modern American Halloween grew out of....

BTW, I remember in Scotland, there was an expectation to have a trick prepared. It would be college age people doing the rounds not kids.

[Larry124]

I’m attending a camp-out three-day house party that is a combination Bluegrass Music Jam and Halloween Party.
My planned compromise is to wear a tartan kilt on Friday -- the non-Halloween party day.
Likely the Black Watch. Bill Monroe was the “Father of Bluegrass”. The Clan Munro Hunting tartan is “Black Watch” yes?

Then on the Halloween Party night I’ll wear an AK with otherwise ordinary clothing. I don’t think that anyone will mistake that for a costume.

Although as plan B I’m tempted to wear a Hawaiian type kilt with a Tiki pin and call myself “Clan Tiki Bar”.

Or might the “Tiki” idea be offensive to Pacific Islanders? Sheese, what a world we live in…

[Makeitstop]

There are far too few opportunities to dress as Robin hood, Zorro, The Phantom of the Opera, a Highwayman, Sinbad, Hamlet, The Crow, and other delightful swashbuckling characters...

Who's stopping you the rest of the year? I know I don't always wait for October 31st or December 5th to break out the old ninja mask. Granted it's not that out of place in the middle of winter, or at midnight in the woods, but still...

Actually, something the Scots might not be aware of is the practice of Halloween in North America. It is a bigger event than Christmas in some areas. More often than not, it at least matches Christmas. Halloween is promoted strongly starting around September 1.
It has become as much an adult event, again, sometimes more so, than the children's event.

Overall I believe it is second only to Christmas. Halloween supplies are being sold earlier and earlier and from a retail perspective it is by far the most important holiday other than Christmas.

Christmas still remains number one though. The Christmas season officially starts in September now (I remember a time when it hadn't even fully conquered thanksgiving) and is still growing. It's also celebrated by roughly 96% of America (sorry, I have no international figures) and the Christmas sales make up a disturbingly large part of the economy. About the only negative indicator when it comes to Christmas is the trend of replacing references to Christmas with generic "holiday" and "seasonal" terms. But that's another topic entirely.

BTW, I remember in Scotland, there was an expectation to have a trick prepared. It would be college age people doing the rounds not kids.

Same here, only it's more like junior high and high school kids. The basic idea is that you give them candy or they egg and/or tp your house (or worse if they're creative). And then later they do it anyway. Then again, that was never a problem when I was a kid, as my family knew how to make sure they were too afraid of us to ever try anything.

[beloitpiper]

The basic idea is that you give them candy or they egg and/or tp your house (or worse if they're creative). And then later they do it anyway. Then again, that was never a problem when I was a kid, as my family knew how to make sure they were too afraid of us to ever try anything.

I'm usually the one handing out candy at my house (usually a good zombie flick on TV, too), and I always make sure there's no vandals, either. Flood light on outside and a bat behind the door.

[Woodsheal]

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh:

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