Ha-Ha-Happy Ha-Ha-Halloween!!!

Andrew

this fad hit France 5 years ago, peaked 2 years ago and is still hanging on. You can buy pumpkins and paraphernalia at the local Carrefour...

As for Big Macs and George, they are well established, there are over

1000 MacDonald's in France and growing... 6 in the area of Toulon alone!

If you ask _nicely_, we could also export you some KoolAid drink mix, Diet Coca-Cola, MadDog 20/20 wine! LOL

Next year, we'll send you the Easter Bunny, how 'bout it?

Dan-O (in smarta$$ semi-troll mode)

Condolences, St. H. and fie on that humo(u)rless father! Over the past two decades, we've seen the opposite trend here in the USofA: parents have become so scared of their own neighbors that little Johnny and Jane are no longer allowed to trick-or-treat on their own or in the company of their peers, but now have to be shepherded around by fearful parents looking for signs of LSD, strychnine and razorblades in their progeny's ill-gotten gains -- or, worse yet, gated communities have a "private," stage managed, Halloween trick-or-treat in some central location . The real tragedy is that, when media reports of doctored candy and fruit are examined, it's found that there are only two credible reports EVER, both of which have been characterized as copycat acts spurred by media reports of urban legends. And so, another urban legend essentially ends a part of the US lifestyle and drives us (no pun intended) further apart from our fellow citizens -- quelle dommage.

Mark Lipton

"Dan The Man" wrote ......

Gee thanks Dan!!! Just imagine the positive effect on our antipodean culture!!!!

Now, to this I take exception!!!

The Easter Bunny originated in Germany (circa 1500ad or so)

Typical!! Steal someone else's idea and pass it off as an American cultural icon!!!!

(written with large Polynesian tongue firmly in *both* cheeks!!!!)

"Mark Lipton" wrote ..............

Hi Mark

OK maybe I overstated the "strong arm" tactics employed by the little girls - in fact I do recall twisting my own arm!!!

But I am not exaggerating about the reaction of their father when I jokingly suggested the wine (I mean I was carrying my glass when I opened the door!!!) - Kathryn did find a couple of Bendick's Bittermints we brought back from the UK.

I guess my point is that here is yet another "foreign" urban legend being foisted upon us, as if it had some value or relevance, by commercial interests, just to sell a bit more junk.

And us dumb NZers get sucked in to the hype.

Hell's teeth, every year on 5th November we celebrate "Guy Fawkes Day" - a failed attempt to bomb the *English* parliament dating back to 1605 - some

40 years *before* the first European (Dutchman Abel Tasman) even laid eyes on these fair shores and over 230 years before the British annexation of NZ.

Hey Dan - where is that 20/20?

I need a drink!

in article dVt9f.3940$ snipped-for-privacy@news.xtra.co.nz, st.helier at nospam@thisaddress.4me wrote on 10/31/05 11:04 AM:

Can't say I completely disagree with your sentiment but, having just completed an evening handing out candy to about 200+ extremely well-behaved, cute-as-a-button 3 to 10 year-olds (shepherded by their parents in 98% of the cases; and with the parents most often dressed in costume as well), I would tend to come down on the side in favor of the practice. In fact, if my neighbors would serve Shiraz to the of-age trick-or-treaters I think I'd have been out looking for a size XL Harry Potter suit myself.

LOL! Reminds me of the Coneheads episode on Saturday Night Live when Beldar was giving the trick-or-treaters beer and fried eggs. :^D

Tom S

Not quite the same as here in the States though. My sister and I stopped at one on the way to Lascaux for a bite. I ordered a cheeseburger and a diet Coke, and ended up with a cheeseburger and a Kronenbourg!

I can assure you that would _never_ happen here in the USA (unfortunately).

Tom S

"Midlife" admitted...........

In my case XXXL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your right, that might not work. For a start, the 20/20 would have to be shipped as "Hazardous Waste" to comply with truth-in-labeling laws.

We're good at stealing ideas, whether good or bad. It doesn't surprise me if the Easter Bunny is a German invention - there are large numbers of people of German descent in this country (especially my home state).

By the way, you could have mollified that crusty father by pointing out that Australian Shiraz is typically low in residual sugar!

Dan-O

p.s. If possible, I will avoid shipping you Americans' tendency toward obesity - I could just imagine all of your sailboats capsizing!

Of course, Hallowe'en originated first with the Picts and others (whose first day of the year was what is now Nov 1), and was then given the modern name by corruption of All Hallows' Eve after the Catholic church attempted to subsume it. I think the only US addition is the paranoia Mark mentioned :).

On the plus side, it's almost Nov 5th, time to burn an effigy and set of fireworks...

Actually, according to Snopes, while there have been no true poisonings (excluding non-random acts), there have been needles etc, though none that caused serious injuries.

Oh count yourself fortunate. There are so-o-o many more things that the US could have exported! BTW, I do not believe that you would really count Zin in with the Big Macs, Cadillacs, et al, now would you?

After the wave of 5-10 year olds in my little neighborhood, we usually get the older teens, and the parents, who WANT some of my wine! I limit it to ONLY the parents, however.

Besides, we inherited the event (holiday, whatever) from the Celts, the Germans, the Scandinavians, etc. so it is not *entirely* our fault.

Hunt

Now, which wine was it, that you recommended with bunny, or was that a hare?

Hunt

Yes, it is unfortunate that the "times in which we live," actually reinforce the idea, that it COULD happen, so everyone becomes wary. In my little enclave, the party still disbands to the neighborhood (behind locked, monitored gate), so there is still some of the tradition. Besides, my Bulldogs think that Halloween is the *best* night of the year, as they get to greet the little ones. It is usually the trick-or-treaters, who are scared, but with no basis, other than the media reports on vicious pit-bulls, of which mine are not. Oh well, I suppose that I'll have to quit hanging hooks on the cars parked at the local "lover's lane... "

Hunt

Mi e' parso che Mike Tommasi abbia scritto:

Same as here. Thankfully my father is traditionally-minded so, when they rang the bell, he just opened the door, heard that never-heard-before "trick or treat" and politely answered "No, thanks", smiling, then closed the door. LOL

Lucy was also very excited to see all the kids. Basset Hounds scare no one. :)

"Hunt" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@news3.newsguy.com...

The Scandinavians? No. But it has spread here too.. However, this year there were no one around, for some reason. The biggest difference seems to be that these kids don't need to have parents along, nor do they fear being given poison or needles with the candy. I sincerely hope that these aberrations don't come here too. Anders