this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2025
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Fun fact, it was actually a Canadian import to America, and before that came from Ireland and Scotland.
https://youtu.be/JR61HYVWYPs
Damn now I feel stupid for getting mad at nothing
The American version of Hallowe'en (which is what supermarkets are trying to import into Australia) has only the most passing resemblance to its origins in Celtic tradition. And it's certainly not being important because of its Celtic connections.
How it is now is uniquely American though, and has almost nothing to do with those older origins.
Are you from Ireland or from Scotland?
I'm a Celt from Scotland.
Rothe is correct; that's not how we used to celebrate it. Our Hallowe'en involved carving a tumshie out of the vegetable we call a turnip, but which the rest of the UK calls a swede. A tumshie being a scary face - hollowing it for a candle is out of the question; a turnip is much too hard. Might involve reading some spooky stories and perhaps a fancy-dress party. Fireworks aren't out of the question; we'll have some ready for Nov 5.
No trick-or-treating, no pumpkins - those are Americanisms.
I'm from Ireland. Going door calling is absolutely part of it. Specifically saying "trick or treat" is not, because, y'know, English. But it doesn't really matter what English phrase you use, it's not going to be Irish. So?
I'm with you on pumpkins but there's more interesting hills to die on.