Bryce Harrington wrote:
On Tue, Oct 18, 2005 at 10:47:28AM +1000, Kinsley Turner wrote:
What is halloween for exactly? Is it a religion thing?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
I was under the impression it was an Irish tradition, but we don't really have it down here (AU) significantly.
Yes. It is similar to 'Day of the Dead' in some cultures.
Speaking as someone who grew up in Ireland in the 1970s, Halloween is largely an American invention. It was not an adult holiday. Children would go house to house, getting nuts, fruit, and candy, and we never said "trick or treat". It's taken much more seriously in the US than it was there. I suspect that may no longer be true, as Ireland has imported a lot of American culture since then. I moved to the US in '89, so I'm not up on current trends.