Understanding Halloween

I find Halloween a bit puzzling. It seems to be a festival of evil and mischief, but for some reason, I am told that I am not allowed to terrify the people who knock on my door to terrify me. Why is that? It all seems a bit one-way.

Well, that's Halloween out of the way without too much trouble, now we have the festival of traumatising animals with explosions to look forward to.  

As you well know it is a celebration of safeguarding the nation from terrorists - even in the guise of Catholics as was once deemed to be the case. Collaterol damage - happens all the time - animals have been terrorised by man ever since he emerged from the trees and 'bigged' it up.

Tell you what - let's do nothing at all then that way we won't upset anybody or anything. Then we would all be dead in six months or less. Give me a break - .

The chances of dying within six months due to safer, quieter, but visually pleasing fireworks that lack explosions seems remote. It would be a lot easier on pets and animals though. You can have a break at Christmas.

I have to confess to letting of some fireworks tonight for my grand-daughter and they were very loud & colourful ,but the smiles and laughter from her
made it all worthwhile  
Its only once a year and we don't want to lose it do we ?

You did seem to miss the point of 'Let's do nothing' - as being a safer more desirable option - in the wider context that if we banned everything (because it might upset someone or something) then we 'would' all be dead inside six months, if not a darn sight sooner. Some people don't like us digging in the earth for example and extracting fuels and minerals - so we can then all live on grass!!
There are much more worthwhile crusades to pursue if you really want to pursue one. But in this instance leave celebrations out of it - and give us all a break.

I did miss the wider scope and context of your comments, Atlas, about human activity in a more intellectual or philosophical sense. I was only thinking of the effect the explosions of fireworks have on animals, feeling sorry for them, and hoping people might give them a thought.

Not sure about the mining for minerals question, it must be an important one though, it is a very central human activity, with far reaching consequences.

Sports clubs don't seem very good at organising firework displays.
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/83470/child-hit-by-firework-at-littleborough-cricket-club
It was seeing a man badly burned at an 'orgainised' display at Todmorden cricket club a few years back that changed my ideas about firework safety.

cyfrifia wrote:I did miss the wider scope and context of your comments, Atlas, about human activity in a more intellectual or philosophical sense. I was only thinking of the effect the explosions of fireworks have on animals, feeling sorry for them, and hoping people might give them a thought.

Not sure about the mining for minerals question, it must be an important one though, it is a very central human activity, with far reaching consequences.

Sports clubs don't seem very good at organising firework displays.
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/83470/child-hit-by-firework-at-littleborough-cricket-club
It was seeing a man badly burned at an 'orgainised' display at Todmorden cricket club a few years back that changed my ideas about firework safety.

Forgive me for pointing out that this thread is about Halloween and not Bonfire? . Tragic though this event is, Im sure the relevant peopel will be investigating and reports will be issued in due course.

Chill37 wrote:Forgive me for pointing out that this thread is about Halloween and not Bonfire? .

Mind numbing thread drift? Halloween leads on to bonfire night, and then to Christmas. These winter festivals still have something of original tradition in them, so we want to keep them, but all have been changed and commercialised as society has changed.

Halloween has been americanised and zombiefied, bonfire night become something of a festival of flashing blue lights, and Christmas a bit commercialised. It would be nice go back to the genuine old traditions.

Ahhh. I remember zem well.  

Still three totally seperate themes to me.


Ah well.

Could start a new thread for bonfire night then? Here's a little roundup of the fireworks fun so far.


http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/127967/horse-killed-in-stampede-after-tanyfron-fireworks-go-off.aspx
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/three-girls-hurt-after-rogue-6269844
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/spectators-hurt-at-broadway-fireworks-display-8919449.html
http://www.itv.com/news/london/update/2013-11-04/food-van-destroyed-during-fireworks/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-24772676
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Firework-sets-fire-to-a-house-in-Cambridge-20131104091101.htm
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/519050/20131102/firework-worcester-explodes-crowd-west-midlands.htm

Yet no actual RMBC run events on November 5th. Actual Bonfire night nothing to be seen.