Halloween culture of your country?

[tyckspoon]

the movie Zombie Strippers

In case anybody is wondering, this movie is exactly what you think it is and what the title says.

[Serpentine]

It's also surprisingly good from a feminist perspective, and even passes the Bechdel Test!

[Avilan the Grey]

After working at a haunted house, I've started to find zombie and evil clown costumes kinda hot... I'm not sure how I feel about this development.

Evil clowns? Disturbing. Sexy zombies? Yes!

[Matthias2207]

I my country (Denmark)there is no native halloween traditions. There are in fact no late fall feast, special events or so. There are some who celebrate Saint Mortens evening (10th of november) (same origin as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Martin%27s_Day). But the only real tradition is that you eat goose or duck on that day - very few people know why it celebrated and very few even remember it.

We have to some extent importet american halloween since it apears in a lot of pop culture (and shops want to fill an otherwise boring season with some sales).

We do have candied apples, i dont know how old the tradition is though. But in the beginning of winter/christmas (which seems by to start about now in the shops....) we have candied almonds (brændte mandler - translates to burnt almonds, but its almonds heated/fried with sucker and a bit of water - does that exist in America or other countries?).

But generally the fall is not our season of traditions - they are from christmas to easter. Our "dress up" tradition is "fastelavn" before lent. WHere such activities as dressing up "making trouble" to you get candy and so on goes on. It is also the day when we beat the cat out of the barrel - yeah I will let you look that one up and see if yopu can find it (look for danish carneval or something like that I asume)
It is not as cruel as it sounds (though it used to be a hundred years ago).

I think you mean roasted almonds. Roasting nuts is pretty common.

You don't get candy on St. Martin's? In the Netherlands we have (or at least had) some sort of trick or treat on that day. It died a while ago, but it's supposed to gain popularity in the cities again.

[dehro]

After working at a haunted house, I've started to find zombie and evil clown costumes kinda hot... I'm not sure how I feel about this development.

Rule 34 springs to mind

Roasting nuts is pretty common.

for some reason, it makes me think of marriage.

[Asta Kask]

After working at a haunted house, I've started to find zombie and evil clown costumes kinda hot... I'm not sure how I feel about this development.

Yes, well, the girls were about ten so I didn't really feel sexually attracted to them. But I thought there had been a car crash in the area or something.

[Roderick_BR]

In Brazil we don't have much going on. On November 2nd (tomorrow), we visit parents, go to familiar reunions, visit loved ones in the graveyards, sometimes with a little cleaning/repairing job...

And that's it. No parties like Halloween or Dia Del Muertos. If we do have something with friends, it's usually just mimicing these two.

[t209]

I thought Halloween started in Ireland, minus Pumpkins and apples. I wonder why it didn't spread more on neighboring britain?

[Matthias2207]

I thought Halloween started in Ireland, minus Pumpkins and apples. I wonder why it didn't spread more on neighboring britain?

Ireland Catholic, Britain Anglican? Or something like that?

[nedz]

Ireland Catholic, Britain Anglican? Or something like that?

I thought Halloween was pagan ?

[noparlpf]

I thought Halloween was pagan ?

Wikipedia says it has some Old Irish influences among a bunch of other stuff.

[Wardog]

Ireland Catholic, Britain Anglican? Or something like that?

Probably more likely: Ireland (& Scotland) Celtic, England Anglo-Saxon. (I don't know Wales did traditionally).

[t209]

Ireland Catholic, Britain Anglican? Or something like that?

As in celtic Ireland and Irish culture. I know that America got the holiday from Irish Immigrants who came there.

[Matthias2207]

I thought Halloween was pagan ?

I thought Christmas was pagan?

[Asta Kask]

Oh, yes. Cromwell made it illegal.

[Eldan]

I thought Christmas was pagan?

The date is celebrated in pretty much any religion. But the trees, candles, red balls and assorted other accessoires certainly are.

[Ceric]

For the last couple of years I've ignored costumes and just put fake blood on my face. Not warts or zombie makeup or the usual Halloween stuff, but actual (fake) injuries. This year I even bought sterile gauze pads and tape so the bandage would be realistic. Most people see me and freak out before they realize that I probably didn't split my head open or loose an eye, and even then they keep getting startled when they see me out of their peripheral vision (I've been told).

Ironically enough, the dentist who lived in our neighborhood always gave out the best candy... full sized chocolate bars and the like. I think it may have been an in-joke with the other adults about "generating business."

Lucky, the dentist on our street gave out toothbrushes. (Then again free toothbrushes aren't necessarily a bad thing.)

[noparlpf]

For the last couple of years I've ignored costumes and just put fake blood on my face. Not warts or zombie makeup or the usual Halloween stuff, but actual (fake) injuries. This year I even bought sterile gauze pads and tape so the bandage would be realistic. Most people see me and freak out before they realize that I probably didn't split my head open or loose an eye, and even then they keep getting startled when they see me out of their peripheral vision (I've been told).

Heh, I did that one year. Ripped up and dirtied some old clothes, put on a couple of bandages with some fake bloodstains on them. Had enough real miscellaneous scratches from regular life that it worked pretty well.