I am a Halloween grinch. I’m not plotting to spoil it for the children, but I am the old guy from another generation shaking his fist saying "We don't have Halloween in this country, this isn't America - what next? Thanksgiving?" Last year was perfect for a Halloween Grinch, there were no pesky neighbourhood children showing up at the door demanding your treat supply. They were all safely home in lock-down, it was only the members of your own family you had to watch.
😁 My sentiments exactly plus I deprived my kids of partaking during their growing years in the 90s and early 2000s because we were in the midst of a mainstream church going phase. I see though that my mokos are joining in so the parents of today are feeling the social pressure. I really struggle to think of anything really positive and uplifting about it all. Think I'll just stay in my happy Grinch mode!
Love this rant! Absolutely agree. Each year I buy lollies but no-one comes round here any more (kids all grown up), so I end up eating them myself. I feel nothing for this occasion. Just wish we could remember the dead in more positive ways.
This happens to me too. I always buy stuff that I can eat later. No aeroplanes or skittles. My teenage granddaughter had a Halloween party. She was dressed as Luke Skywalker and the friends I saw were wearing hi-vis vests. They were tradies and shook my hand. I was releived not to see fishnet tights.
My lovely home help person, and my nieces all have teenage children and consequently were railroaded into agreeing to Halloween parties at their homes. My home help person made Halloween treats for the occasion ,but was pretty grumpy about having to have a group of teenagers partying at her home. Said she and her little dog would spend the evening in her bedroom. Bsck in the 90s when Halloween was starting to become a "thing" in NZ one of my sons, then in his early 20s was invited to a Saturday night Halloween party. His home made "costume" was to dress as Sid Vicious- tight ripped jeans, all blackclothes and Doc Martinss, hair gelled up black eyeliner etc. He went with a friend who was the sober driver. Around 1.00am they left the party, were driving home when he really had to pee. They were on Portabello road at the top of the harbour-an area where there are warehouses. Nobody else around. Along came a police car who wanted to know why the friend was sitting in a car near this deserted warehouse ara. The friend said he was waiting for his friend who was having a pee behind a building. They went to investigate, grabbed my son and in fact roughed him up a bit- he was pretty upset about that!I guess his attire ,and the fact he is polynesian influenced how they treated him. He certainly saw it that way. They arrested him for "lewd behaviour" even though the place was completely deserted. he of course had been drinking at the party- hissober driver had not- they breathalysed him,and sent him on his way,and took my son into custody, and officially charged him at the police station with "lewd behaviour". about 2.30 in the morning I got a phone call from him to say he was walking up the centre of town , had been abused by a group of idiots. His girlfriend drove into town to get him- she -a chef had been working and hadn't been at the party.T-t he same idiots abused her- he reacted -it could have been nasty but he had the sense to get into her car and they came home. He had to go to court the following Monday, the Duty solicitor was incrdulous at the charge the police had laid against him, and asked for it to be dropped. police said no- in the end they agreed to give him diversion if he paid a 400 dollar fine to a charity of his choice. He chose Search and Rescue and paid the fine. He said the police spoke to him a bit differently when he turned up at court in his usual decent clothes. I helpfully said to him that that would probably be the most expensive pee he would ever have. The interesting thing as reported byt the ODT was that the police had a tough night- the students were on the rampage as only Otago uni students can rampage. Very drunk and it seems peeing indicriminately in the middle of the Octogan. Several were arrested but later charges were dropped. A couple were at court when he was there but also had charges dropped. He carries quite a bit of resentment because he feels he was racially discriminated against that evening. Not the first or last time.
How awful to hear how your son was treated. That is just terrible. I know it was the 90s but sadly this still goes on and it's not right. So sorry to hear that. He was racially discriminated against and is entitled to feel resentment. I hope he can channel that emotion into bringing it into the open perhaps with an organisation that will do something for him.
Another grinch here. It's NOT Halloween in the Southern Hemisphere. It's an autumn festival. Our "halloween" is Anzac Day when we commemorate our dead. We don't celebrate a victory, we mourn our ancestors who have passed. If any children darken my door tonight they'd better be prepared to meet a real witch...
Excuse my typos- I have sticky keys, and I'm a crap typist. I also was a little emotional when writing my Halloween story.That particular son , now a well qualified chef in a high end restaurant, has done a lot of shift work over the years. So many times when walking home in the early hours of the morning with his backpack on his back, he has been pulled over ,and he says hassled by police. He sees this as being racist, and has a pretty jaundiced view of the NZ police ... As a pākehā mother of polynesian sons , and the wife of a polynesian man I have many stories of just blatant racism in this country, including from some of the teachers my kids have had, and in my husband's case as a qualified lawyer, a public servant, and the head a government department in one of our cities( whose legal opinions sometimes upset particular people hoping for a different outcome.) The comments from those particular people usually called into question his qualifications, ethnicity, and skin colour.
I think Guy Fawkes Day may have co-opted the lighting of bonfires by Anglo Saxons from what the Christians co-opted to be All Saints Day up to the equivalent to Nov 5/6 in the Anglo Saxon calender. The Anglo Saxons it seems made sacrifices to their gods and dead up until to their equivalent to November 5/6 which was called Winter's Day being the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. November 5/6 was at the midpoint of the Anglo Saxon month Blotmonath.
My hand is up to being a Halloween grinch too Nick. I feel guilted in to providing treats to the little ones that come to the complex. Nowhere to hide the vehicle so nowhere and no way to pretend there is no one home 😂😂😂
I am probably more of a grinch about Guy Fawkes. Halloween has not had much impact on me, but Guy Fawkes certainly has. i used to love it as a kid because we-myself and my brothers used to do the penny for the guy thing. We would make a guy and traipse it around the neighbour hood in a trolley getting money for it in competition with neighbourhood kids. we would also race our guy down our sloping street against their guy.It was a lot of fun. we usually went to a bonfire to let off our crackers-my brothers belonged to a very active Scout troop and their bonfires were the best. These days I hate crackers. I think they should only be available to organised events- like an organised bonfire that people can go to and enjoy. Letting them off in backyards, on the street, and in our local park is just stupid,and dangerous.I have neighbours below me who every year must buy up large because they always have a supply of crackers all year around. They let off a lot of bangers which frighten my dogs. I take your point that it is strange to be celebrating the awful demise of a man who fought for common people's freedoms.
😁 My sentiments exactly plus I deprived my kids of partaking during their growing years in the 90s and early 2000s because we were in the midst of a mainstream church going phase. I see though that my mokos are joining in so the parents of today are feeling the social pressure. I really struggle to think of anything really positive and uplifting about it all. Think I'll just stay in my happy Grinch mode!
Love this rant! Absolutely agree. Each year I buy lollies but no-one comes round here any more (kids all grown up), so I end up eating them myself. I feel nothing for this occasion. Just wish we could remember the dead in more positive ways.
This happens to me too. I always buy stuff that I can eat later. No aeroplanes or skittles. My teenage granddaughter had a Halloween party. She was dressed as Luke Skywalker and the friends I saw were wearing hi-vis vests. They were tradies and shook my hand. I was releived not to see fishnet tights.
And the same this year. No-one came!!! But I have tried to resist eating up the sweets.
I am rationing the leftovers. 1 buzz bar a night. I have about 3 weeks worth.
Luckily our drive way is 35 metres long and our dog doesn't like strangers , so don't get molested by candy seeking kids.
Like you Nick growing up in the 70's there was no mention of Halloween at all.
So very well written - my thoughts exactly!
And mine, consumerism gone mad
Well I feel better having read this. I'll put a sign on letterbox.
My lovely home help person, and my nieces all have teenage children and consequently were railroaded into agreeing to Halloween parties at their homes. My home help person made Halloween treats for the occasion ,but was pretty grumpy about having to have a group of teenagers partying at her home. Said she and her little dog would spend the evening in her bedroom. Bsck in the 90s when Halloween was starting to become a "thing" in NZ one of my sons, then in his early 20s was invited to a Saturday night Halloween party. His home made "costume" was to dress as Sid Vicious- tight ripped jeans, all blackclothes and Doc Martinss, hair gelled up black eyeliner etc. He went with a friend who was the sober driver. Around 1.00am they left the party, were driving home when he really had to pee. They were on Portabello road at the top of the harbour-an area where there are warehouses. Nobody else around. Along came a police car who wanted to know why the friend was sitting in a car near this deserted warehouse ara. The friend said he was waiting for his friend who was having a pee behind a building. They went to investigate, grabbed my son and in fact roughed him up a bit- he was pretty upset about that!I guess his attire ,and the fact he is polynesian influenced how they treated him. He certainly saw it that way. They arrested him for "lewd behaviour" even though the place was completely deserted. he of course had been drinking at the party- hissober driver had not- they breathalysed him,and sent him on his way,and took my son into custody, and officially charged him at the police station with "lewd behaviour". about 2.30 in the morning I got a phone call from him to say he was walking up the centre of town , had been abused by a group of idiots. His girlfriend drove into town to get him- she -a chef had been working and hadn't been at the party.T-t he same idiots abused her- he reacted -it could have been nasty but he had the sense to get into her car and they came home. He had to go to court the following Monday, the Duty solicitor was incrdulous at the charge the police had laid against him, and asked for it to be dropped. police said no- in the end they agreed to give him diversion if he paid a 400 dollar fine to a charity of his choice. He chose Search and Rescue and paid the fine. He said the police spoke to him a bit differently when he turned up at court in his usual decent clothes. I helpfully said to him that that would probably be the most expensive pee he would ever have. The interesting thing as reported byt the ODT was that the police had a tough night- the students were on the rampage as only Otago uni students can rampage. Very drunk and it seems peeing indicriminately in the middle of the Octogan. Several were arrested but later charges were dropped. A couple were at court when he was there but also had charges dropped. He carries quite a bit of resentment because he feels he was racially discriminated against that evening. Not the first or last time.
How awful to hear how your son was treated. That is just terrible. I know it was the 90s but sadly this still goes on and it's not right. So sorry to hear that. He was racially discriminated against and is entitled to feel resentment. I hope he can channel that emotion into bringing it into the open perhaps with an organisation that will do something for him.
Like you Nick, I never grew up with Halloween and my grandchild finds that hard to believe. Loved your article.
Another grinch here. It's NOT Halloween in the Southern Hemisphere. It's an autumn festival. Our "halloween" is Anzac Day when we commemorate our dead. We don't celebrate a victory, we mourn our ancestors who have passed. If any children darken my door tonight they'd better be prepared to meet a real witch...
I did smile that they better be prepared to meet a real witch... Good on you.
Excuse my typos- I have sticky keys, and I'm a crap typist. I also was a little emotional when writing my Halloween story.That particular son , now a well qualified chef in a high end restaurant, has done a lot of shift work over the years. So many times when walking home in the early hours of the morning with his backpack on his back, he has been pulled over ,and he says hassled by police. He sees this as being racist, and has a pretty jaundiced view of the NZ police ... As a pākehā mother of polynesian sons , and the wife of a polynesian man I have many stories of just blatant racism in this country, including from some of the teachers my kids have had, and in my husband's case as a qualified lawyer, a public servant, and the head a government department in one of our cities( whose legal opinions sometimes upset particular people hoping for a different outcome.) The comments from those particular people usually called into question his qualifications, ethnicity, and skin colour.
I think Guy Fawkes Day may have co-opted the lighting of bonfires by Anglo Saxons from what the Christians co-opted to be All Saints Day up to the equivalent to Nov 5/6 in the Anglo Saxon calender. The Anglo Saxons it seems made sacrifices to their gods and dead up until to their equivalent to November 5/6 which was called Winter's Day being the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. November 5/6 was at the midpoint of the Anglo Saxon month Blotmonath.
Blotmonath translates as blood sacrifice month. So they must have sacrificed animals on the bonfires to honour the gods and the dead.
My hand is up to being a Halloween grinch too Nick. I feel guilted in to providing treats to the little ones that come to the complex. Nowhere to hide the vehicle so nowhere and no way to pretend there is no one home 😂😂😂
I am probably more of a grinch about Guy Fawkes. Halloween has not had much impact on me, but Guy Fawkes certainly has. i used to love it as a kid because we-myself and my brothers used to do the penny for the guy thing. We would make a guy and traipse it around the neighbour hood in a trolley getting money for it in competition with neighbourhood kids. we would also race our guy down our sloping street against their guy.It was a lot of fun. we usually went to a bonfire to let off our crackers-my brothers belonged to a very active Scout troop and their bonfires were the best. These days I hate crackers. I think they should only be available to organised events- like an organised bonfire that people can go to and enjoy. Letting them off in backyards, on the street, and in our local park is just stupid,and dangerous.I have neighbours below me who every year must buy up large because they always have a supply of crackers all year around. They let off a lot of bangers which frighten my dogs. I take your point that it is strange to be celebrating the awful demise of a man who fought for common people's freedoms.