Halloween experience from a non-American perspective?

i had some kids in front of my door begging for candy once.
i told them to fuck off.

I can’t link to anything because no one could read the language if I did. I would even risk being modded ~

So I’ll give my experience instead. Halloween is actually just another excuse for some people to have a day partying. There’s nothing of a real Halloween here. People just gather, dress up and have fun, that’s it. Mostly Halloween is celebrated by a group or an organization like a language center, and the fun is limited to the members. Other people don’t really care. There are some who use the day to make more money like offering discounts too.

New Zealander speaking here. People try, but it’s not very big and nobody trick or treats after sun-down. School neighbourhoods are the only places you’ll consistently have people that actually have lollies to give out. The dressing up is dismal. It’s all dismal.

A Scot here. We have a nice tradition that you get dressed up in disguise (fancy dress, in reality ) and go out ‘guising’. You knock on doors, generally if they have a pumpkin or something Halloweeny on show. You are invited in and have to perform a joke, sing a song or something similar. Just a short piece. Then you are offered sweets, apples or money. I think it’s great to have to earn the treats.

Here is an article on one foreigner’s experience of Halloween in America. That is what you were asking for, right?

Sorry I didn’t read the question properly…

@Stinley , while it was slightly different than the answers sought, I found yours an interesting answer. I think that is how it was here long ago, and got altered by commercial greed. When I was very small, some old timers would expect a performance. I was never quite sure what they expected of me. Wish I had been coached. It would have been more fun.

I was eleven when I moved to a community in South Korea. Halloween was big there, lots of Brits and Americans. Does that count?

I loved it. The costumes, the bags of sweets, the songs and the parties.

@Pied_Pfeffer Yes, thank you. :)

Everyone else, it’s alright! I liked your answers just as well. As a matter of fact, I don’t mind if more people chime in and answer the way you guys did.

I argue with the older kids who complain i give more candy to little ones than them. I say you’re lucky to be getting candy at all. Thean say aren’t you too old to trick or treat anyway? They say I’m getting it for my sister/brother/cousin,etc who is sick.

Right. That’s when you close the door in their face. Goodbye you ungrateful brat. Get a job!

@crazyandbeautiful , I was small for my age. My best friend was very tall for her age. We went trick or treating together when we were eleven. She got treated rudely like that because people thought she was much older. She was broken hearted. I gave her most of my candy. She never went with me again.
I think it is kind of mean to single out tall ones. Some kids, even 17, that might be one of the few things they do for fun all year. Maybe they do have a job, to help support their family, and trick or treat is one small thing they allow themselves.
Everybody gets candy at my door, including the parents.

Look I love Halloween Here2. Where I live the kids are the not nicest when getting candy. Yes I do give more to little ones….they are nice and respectful. The older ones want free candy and bitch they don’t get enough or like the candy. Here’s the thing: don’t come knocking if you don’t like my candy. I had one teenager look at me the year before Hurricane Sandy and say to me “That’s it?”. And as he left he said that was a waste of time just for one piece of candy.

Little ones will stand all night and tell you who they are and what they have in the bag. Love it.
But I would not get to see all the other costumes.

That’s why I’m rude to older ones. I have a right to be. So don’t knock on my door if you don’t want the candy bratty teens.