How do you celebrate Halloween?

Discussion of general Halloween topics
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Dutchess of Darkness
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Post by Dutchess of Darkness » Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:14 am

Hey Silcrest, Sorry to hear that your area isn't huge into Halloween, but sounds like you make the most of it regardless. Well be sure to check out Ebay for any decorations you need that maybe you can't find locally :)
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Dr Strange

Post by Dr Strange » Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:51 am

For those of you living in Canada or Europe, are there ever any haunted houses or community activities for Halloween or are you pretty much on you own?

As for all the "conflict" over Halloween DoD mentioned I experienced that in and around the 1980's in my neck of the woods. I'm sure most remember the Dungeons & Dragons/devil worshippers/razor blades in the apples scares back then. Many mainline protestant groups were out in force in a public way to do away with the holiday (of course they protested, it's in their name :wink: ). Not unlike the Harry Potter "problem" many people see now it seemed D&D was a fast track to the land of El Diablo.

I also remember going home after school in the late 80's to watch a two hour special by Geraldo Rivera on devil worship, just to get a chill; it was like an extra Halloween special at the time. :roll: The emergence of "Hell Houses" as alternatives to haunted houses were briefly en vogue (although there has been recent backlash against those here in the States) but never took the place of a good old spook house.

Again, as I've said before, anyone can take any holiday and twist it to what they want it to mean. And if your kid is going to play a board game or read a book and start waving sticks around to cast spells then it was only a matter of time before the dog would have told them to do so. It's all in your state of mind and what's in your heart.

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Post by Pennywise11 » Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:28 pm

Well I'm from Canada... and well, Halloween is very much a bit deal here too... Now some view it as a one night of the year trick or treat even for kids who dress up... thats fine but for me and I think there are just a few of us in my community that seem to embrace the whole month or two before... it is so strange becuase the rest of the year... people's houses look normal... and when I drive by all is well and plain but for the Halloween people like myself, it seems to happen all of a sudden... last bit of September... little decorations appear on peoples lawns and lights or perhaps window decor is out and about... For me, the street I live on, I hardly know anyone, and to be honest, I hardly see anyone outside of their houses... but there is this one particular house, and I have never seen who lives there personally but always has decorations up early like myself, and it always make me smile almost as if we're a selected few to just show the rest of the people that this holiday is more then one night, more then candy... LOL... Anyway as for haunted houses and events, there is not much by way of publicity or anything, there are haunted houses but nothing that draws crowds I suppose... In my neck of the woods anyway...
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Post by tomanderson » Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:13 pm

I think in most recent years I have enjoyed Halloween at haunted house attractions--these can be a lot of fun, you can go with any size group and have a great time.

Yard haunts are fun to visit but sometimes difficult to find...and my favorite one in Los Angeles (which had been going on every Halloween for 33 years!) closed down a couple of years ago, and can only be seen at its website...

http://www.hauntinggrounds.org

Dr Strange

Post by Dr Strange » Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:23 pm

Wow. What a great tradition that must have been for many families over the years. Wouldn't everyone like to have a house like that for the nieghborhood on Halloween? There were some really good tips on those pages as well.

Who knows, maybe someday.....

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Post by tomanderson » Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:40 pm

Oh, yes...this yard haunt you see there on the website...it was so polished and subtle, so carefully constructed...the computer-controlled lighting and sound effects and everything...so beautiful, I never saw anything quite like it. One of the links, if you look around there, will take you to a site that is selling DVD footage of this and other yard haunts.

I used to live just down the street from this place, and would keep an eye on it during October, waiting for the props to come out. When the show finally got going in the late days of October, people came from miles around to see it, and it nearly caused traffic jams in the area. Many, many people miss seeing this thing, it was a local tradition. An empty spot in countless hearts.

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Dutchess of Darkness
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Post by Dutchess of Darkness » Wed Aug 15, 2007 3:55 pm

Dr.Strange, Yes we have 1 really good Haunted Attraction here in our city, I believe their website is: http://www.reapers.ca check it out! And then there are smaller home based ones. And all the Bars here do huge Halloween themes and activites for the adults and there are house parties also. For the Children there are community based Activities as well. Some churches put on their own activities but call it "Fall Harvest" not Halloween.

And yes, I too remember the whole D&D game being linked to Devil Worshipping, that was a huge thing here, they actually had several Community Wide Forums, just like they held several times last summer on Crystal Meth. But ya, D&D was the traget to blame several years ago.

And I agree with you Dr.Strange that any holiday is subject to backlash from a multiple of groups, and this trend seems to be growing with Multicultural growth-but on the upside so does tolerance at the same time.
But by far, I connect with you about how everything is viewed according to ones state of mind and whats in your heart.
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Post by Nostalgiascape » Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:38 pm

For me it starts early. I keep watch out for the Halloween shops to open. I frequent those stores and soak up the atmosphere. I play mine and my brothers custom CD's full of Halloween music. I watch my collection of Horror movies, The Chiller Channel, and other cable channels marathons. When the commercials come out, I know it's time to start my engines. I begin to plan my costume for the year to wear up and down party rowe.
The dark night beckons. Bear us your soul, it whispers. Expose your wicked delights. Join the rest of us on the wind. The dark night beckons and we answer. Sailing into the shadows.

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