This is Gordon our youngest son just about to go out ‘guising’ with his turnip lantern, I think he’s about eight years old and his brother Duncan, who was all of nine and a half had decided that he was too old to get dressed up for Halloween. It’s a shame that they grow up so quickly. Gordon is a pirate in these photos and trying to look fierce in the one on the right but in previous years he was a wizard, long before Harry Potter. He’s supposed to have a beard rather than look dirty. When I was wee I usually dressed up as a witch but I remember one year around about 1969 when I was ten I went as a flower power hippy.
The word guising obviously comes from disguise but it’s only used in Scotland, in fact until quite recently people in England didn’t celebrate Halloween because it’s originally a Celtic thing.
There have been lots of people in the media complaining about it all because they see it as an Americanisation but they’re comnpletely wrong about that. They don’t seem to quite understand how it’s meant to be celebrated either. People have been having trouble with kids who are using it as an excuse to behave badly and cause mayhem around their neighbourhood, throwing eggs at houses and the like. They should just be visiting houses that they know they’ll be welcomed at and after singing a song or reciting a poem or something then they might get some sweets or if they’re very lucky a small amount of money.
I think it’s strange that the parents in my neighbourhood decided to celebrate Halloween on Saturday, surely the whole reason for doing it is that it is done on All Hallows Eve which is definitely October the 31st. Would they change the day of Christmas?!
Anyway, have a good Halloween. Don’t let the ghosties get you!
My mother was an excellent seamstress, something she did out of necessity, and she always made our costumes. One year my sister and I went out as Pilgrims, with little white caps and aprons over our grey dresses.
We, also, only went to the houses of people we knew. Part of the fun was for them to guess who we were. And our parents always went with us, staying at the end of the walk so as not to give us away. Today, in the city, we get hoards of kids, none of whom we know, and there are always quite a few who seem too old to be ‘kids’!
Dressing up in costumes can be so much fun, leaving yourself behind and becoming someone else.
Joan,
You must have looked adorable, I’ve seen wee girls dressed like that on TV but it was for another celebration I think, maybe Thanksgiving. Yes nowadays you get ‘chancers’ who are almost demanding money with menaces. It has been quiet here, I think they all went ‘guising’ on Saturday when we were out, we certainly saw plenty of them around on our drive back from Stirling.
What a dashing pirate he made! I am wearing cat ears at work today to celebrate the day. We won’t be handing candy out at my house tonight though as we only ever get 5-8 kids at the door and husband and I decided there was no sense buying candy for so few kids.
Stefanie,
Miiaow , what – no tail to swish! I hope you had fun at work anyway. We have had no guisers at all tonight.
I do not get any trick or treaters – 2 floors up in flats they tend not to bother. Lots of people on the estate though have pumpkins outside their doors and they look really good.
Do your sons know you have embarrassed them as such? Before Jack Sparrow there was your boys.
Jo,
I carved a pumpkin once and although it looked good and was much easier to do than the traditional turnip/swede which we use in Scotland – it smelled really disgusting. I’m not surprised that they are outside their doors!
No, wheesht – don’t tell anyone!
I always loved Halloween. We didn’t have money to buy costumes, so we made ours, with mom’s help. Brother still does a fabulous job decorating his house (better than Christmas!) and putting together professional quality costumes. I just do up the house…and make Halloween jewelry for friends and staff. Earrings this year.
Unfortunately last night all we got were 2 groups of 3 teens…no costumes, just begging candy. We shut down the front at 8pm and retire to the back family room, figuring that the little ones would be done by then. Our neighborhood is mostly retirees these days, so none of them any more anyway. Sad.
Pearl,
We didn’t have any either and I didn’t even hear any footsteps and giggling outside. I think they most have all gone guising on Saturday and we were eating out at Bridge of Allan then.
I was never allowed to go guising and used to get quite upset at my parents for not letting me. Nor did we have guisers at our house. It was because pagan festivals were not my parents’ thing. Their religion superceded paganism. All very fine for them, I suppose, but it was all fun for the kids!
Actually we DID get to dook for apples – bob for apples? – but I don’t remember much else.
When I lived in Yorkshire they had Mischief Night on 4th November, when kids went out to cause mischief and mayhem! Ringing doorbells and running away was one thing but overturning flower planters was quite another. I had to go and retrieve my front gate each year after it had been lifted off its hinges and carried along the village a bit! I didn’t mind that, but drew the line when my hanging baskets were upturned and emptied onto the ground one year. It turned out not to be local children who did that! They couldn’t have reached the baskets far less upturn them! I agree trick and treating from America hasn’t done Halloween in Scotland many favours. It would have been a festival taken by the immigrants from here to the new world, and it has now come back to haunt us –
Evee,
Yes dooking for apples was good fun and we had crumpets which had been spread with treacle hanging on strings and you had to stand on tiptoes to reach them, hands behind your back., ending up with black treacle all over your face and hair, horrible. I’d vaguely heard of Mischief Night. Somebody once did that with my gate but I think they were just drunk!
Evee,
Were your parents ‘wee frees’ they seem very strict! I think we had a Brownie Halloween party in the church hall. My husband comes from a long line of ministers but even they celebrated Halloween. Poor you!