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It surely is.

It's such an Americanised tradition, and like all things American has been adopted wholeheartedly by this nation's retailers.
The annoying thing is that it seems to be promoted in preference to bonfire night, which is a much nicer thing to celebrate (people tortured to death as opposed to ghostly dead things and graveyard crazinesses). As an example, this government wants to ban the sale of fireworks!

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wheelybird mreee!, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:31, archived)

It's a Celtic tradition

(done properly) but with added monstery goodness

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HappyToast Groat froth, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:34, archived)

Well it's Celtic festival,

but the trick or treating and all that silliness is surely a modernish Yankee thing?

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wheelybird mreee!, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:37, archived)

Well Samhain was to celebrate the end of the Summer Equinox (I think)

so the gathering of food to see you through the Winter one was probably undertaken during the three day festivity.

so.................. it's not that big a leap, especially as kids don;t want to eat Barley as much as they used to.

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HappyToast Groat froth, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:43, archived)

The impression I got (and this is confirmed by the ever reliable Wikipedia)

is that Halloween was ditched as something to celebrate in England and bonfire night celebrated instead. It's only recently (the 1980's according to Wikipedia) that there was a resurgence, and the American style of Halloween celebrations used. Hence it being imported as a tradition.

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wheelybird mreee!, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:52, archived)

It was resurgent well before the nineties.

Edit:(sorry misread your post)

I remember as a student in the mid to late eighties keeping a battery powered water pistol near the front door to soak any trick or treaters who came knocking.

I believe the whole thing was started off in England by US servicemen's families in East Anglia.

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F5 F5 F5 Can't be arsed., Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:57, archived)

There's no such thing as a summer equinox.

You have a summer solstice (June 21/22), an autumn equinox (Sept 21/22) a winter solstice (Dec 21/22) and a spring equinox (March 21/22).

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F5 F5 F5 Can't be arsed., Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:54, archived)

which is why I said "I think"

I'm no expert, mainly due to not being alive hundreds of years ago

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HappyToast Groat froth, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 10:14, archived)

Hundreds of years?

How dare you! I'm not forty yet.

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F5 F5 F5 Can't be arsed., Tue 31 Oct 2006, 10:21, archived)

well, fireworks are more likely to take your face off

than a witches costumes,
but yes, we're british, we can bob for apples
but the main focus has always been (and should remain) on november the 5th

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mictoboy shitting in your cunt since, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:35, archived)

^ This

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mugatu, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:37, archived)

I love that bonfire night.

It is a good night. Our little town of Stansted Mountfitchet puts on a lovely display in a big field each year, and there's a big bonfire that you can stand near. Shame they don't sell mulled wine.
Also, November is a lot warmer that it was when I were a kid. I remember being absolutely freezing on bonfire night, but these days I can go in shorts and a light shirt.

I wouldn't buy fireworks myself, but it's silly to ban them when you need to be over 18 to buy them anyway. What next? Ban bleach? Ban cars because they might possible kill someone. I mean, how many people are actually killed by fireworks each year anyway? It's probably a lot less than people who die of alcohol poisoning. Grrr.

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wheelybird mreee!, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:41, archived)

^ this

I've died of alcohol poisoning, many, many times. (well, it fucking feels like it!)

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Tesco Quality 60.825659, -0.788337, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:45, archived)

i'm in harlow

what a small world

and i agree wityh you about the fireworks

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mictoboy shitting in your cunt since, Tue 31 Oct 2006, 9:47, archived)