echineko 1 Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 Is it big holiday or festival? I see some movie with the pumpkin and trick and treat or something, and don't realy understand. Is it many country big event? Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 Echineko... I myself do not really understand "halloween". All I know is that the kids get dressed, go around the neighbourhood and try and scam lollies (or "candy" as those seppos seam to call it) and make silly looking faces with pumpkins! We dont really celebrate that over here in Oz so maybe a real seppo could kindly explain to you what it REALLY is?!?! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 It starts on October 5th at Tokyo Disneyland. Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Here's a breif overview on Halloween...... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Next to Christmas, Halloween is the most commercialized celebration in the United States and Canada. This ancient festival originated far from North America however, and centuries before the first European set foot on the continent. The ancient Druids who inhabited what we now call Great Britain placed great importance on the passing of one season to the next, holding "Fire Festivals" which were celebrated for three days (two days on either side of the day itself). One of these festivals was called Samhain (pronounced Sha-Von) and it took place on October 31 through to November 1. During this period, it was believed that the boundaries between our world and the world of the dead were weakened, allowing spirits of the recently dead to cross over and possess the living. In order to make themselves and their homes less inviting to these wayward spirits, the ancient Celts would douse all their fires. There was also a secondary purpose to this, after extinguishing all their fires, they would re-light them from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning at Usinach, in the Middle of Ireland. Samhain was considered to be a gateway not only from the land of the dead to the land of the living, but also between Summer and Fall/Winter. For the Druids, this was the last gasp of summer (it was also the Celtic New Year), so therefore they made sure it went out with a bang before they had to button down for the winter ahead. They would dress up in bizarre costumes and parade through their villages causing destruction in order to scare off any recently departed souls who might be prowling for bodies to inhabit, in addition to burning animals and other offerings to the Druidic deities. It is also a popular belief that they would burn people who they believed to be possessed, but this has largely been debunked as myth. This yearly festival was adopted by the Roman invaders, who helped to propagate it throughout the rest of the world (and at that time, the Roman Empire was the world). The word "Halloween" itself actually comes from a contraction of All Hallows Eve, or All Saint's Day (November 1), which is a Catholic day of observance in honour of saints. This tradition was later brought to the North American continent by Irish immigrants who were escaping the Potato Famine in their homeland. In addition to the festival itself, the immigrants brought several customs with them, including one of the symbols most commonly associated with Halloween -- the Jack 'O Lantern. According to Irish folklore, there once lived a man named Jack who was known for being a drunk and a prankster. One night Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and quickly carved an image of a cross on the trunk, trapping the devil. Jack then made him promise that, in exchange for letting him out of the tree, the Devil would never tempt him to sin again. He reluctantly agreed, but was able to exact his revenge upon Jack's death. Because of his mischevious ways in life, Jack was barred from entering heaven and because of his earlier trick, he was also barred from hell. So he was doomed to wander the earth until the end of time, with only a single ember (carried in a hollowed out turnip) to warm him and light his way. In Ireland, they originally also used turnips for their "Jack Lanterns", but upon arriving in the new world, they discovered that pumpkins were abundant and easier to carve out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope that helps.. Link to post Share on other sites
green 0 Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Silver Shamrock in Season of the Witch. Bad Irish guy who wants to turn kids heads into snakes and snails by a TV message, something to do with Stonehenge. I was confused too. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 In the UK Halloween isn't really much. Bonfire Night - Firework Night, Guy Falkes (who?) - on the 5th Nov is much bigger, with lots of fireworks and treacle toffee. I'd really like to eat some good tracle toffee now. Delicious. Link to post Share on other sites
sachiko 0 Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 It looks fun, but I don'k now what is trick and treat. And what is Bombfire Night? Sorry many question Link to post Share on other sites
sam_casper 0 Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Its not an Aussie thing just a silly american thing..... mind you have attacted a pumkin its pretty fun! Link to post Share on other sites
danz 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 well...sorry you think it is "silly"... nice to see such tolerance on this board! halloween is a great holiday in the states... a wonderful time to be a kid...dressing up in costumes walking the neighborhood in the beautiful fall weather and scoring lots of "candy", as we "seppos" like to say (I don't know whether to be offended by that word or not...) And it also is great fun for all ages...some of the best yearly throw downs are halloween parties! I miss it! danz Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 danz, you ought to be offended. The pedigree of the word is an Australian version of Cockney rhyming slang "septic tank - yank", shortened to "seppo". There's good and thoroughly weird book about Halloween by Ray Bradbury - called the Halloween Tree. Good to read if you want to feel the American fascination with the festival. http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN...6479978-8186610 Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 woywoy - Fatty?? Only bloke Ive ever met who calls yanks "seppos" AHO! Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Yuki's Passion... I am not fatty. But I do know the guy. Lots of people over here, especially surfers and snowboarders, refer to Americans as "seppos". Its not really meant to be offensive so I am sorry if I offended anyone. Is "yank" or some other word better? Is the word "pom" offensive to Brits? Feel free to through any slang words for Australians this way! Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Halloween is a little strange to non americans. But that isnt any big deal. All countries are different. What is a big deal is Valantines day! As commercialised events go, that one is really trucked up. Further thoughts on H'ween: I dont really dig the costume thing, but that is just me. I do however dig the discomfort it causes some religous followings. This crazy Pagan annual event makes them squirm! Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Interesting, the word 'pome' for the Brits. I thought you Aussies were actually the spawn of Mother Englands prisoners! Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Yeah yeah, who cares where we came from. Fact is Australia is one of the most desirable bits of real estate in the world. How silly were the Brits 200 years ago? Giving this prime real estate to their criminals. Big mistake. All we gotta do now is ditch their flag from the corner of our flag. Then, fellow prison inmates, we will be a free land! I am a prisoner and I am 'revolting' Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Thing is deebee, I get to be English and have a piece of the promised land! Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Miteyak, a valid point. I counter with an even better one: I part own* the promised land and I am NOT english. [* along with 19million other people] Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Surely it's better to be two things than one...no? Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Tell that to a schizophrenic! Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 schizophrenics have more fun Link to post Share on other sites
Raury 0 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Higuma, thanks for posting that. Saved me from finding that or a similar passage. It is amazing that so many people think that Halloween is a US invention. Link to post Share on other sites
Rush 0 Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 Halloween - do they "do it" in Japan? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 woywoy, No worries mate - just thought I should give ya some $#&! for that crack!! might see ya up in the north, eh? Thanks Higuma for the 411. Link to post Share on other sites
scoobydoo 0 Posted October 27, 2002 Share Posted October 27, 2002 Anything happen for Halloween here in Japan? (It's my first time) Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted October 29, 2002 Share Posted October 29, 2002 We're having a Numata Halloween Festival. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts