h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What has pissed me off this month? The economy perhaps? Right-winged politicians? Left-winged politicians? Strange names? A type of social interaction I find annoying? Well none of these. You see what has pissed me off this month is the one thing quite a number of people like. You see its that fateful date, Halloween.

Now major criticisms of Halloween used to be based off a couple of major things here in Oz:
1. Halloween kills people.
2. Halloween is a stupid commercialized American tradition that should not be continued in Australia
3. Halloween is a chance of pedophiles and there like to have a "free feed" as it where.
4. Halloween is not a Christian tradition and is the worship of idols and black magic.
This rant will help dispute these criticisms while at the same time I make my statement now:
I do not support halloween. I don't like it for a few reasons, but none of the above are included in it. I will spell out my reasons at the end of the rant.

1. Halloween kills people:
This is based on a single report of a serial killer who dressed up as a clown and gave treats to the children of his district on the November night of Halloween. He apparently killed some of the kids. This report was of course false. The serial killer did indeed kill kids. His own families kids on a halloween night by putting poison in the punch, which was only drunk by the kids. He was not a serial killer at all, he only killed once and in the state (in America) he was in the court found him guilty and sentenced. Halloween does not kill people, the only records of people ever killing kids, where just like this one, family members killing one another on the night of halloween, simply because of a family get together on that night. A prime opportunity to kill one another, apparently. In fact more people have been killed at Christmas by faulty toys, equipment and yes apparently family member. At least according to my sources.

2. Halloween is a stupid commercialized American tradition that should not be continued in Australia.
First of all IT IS A CLETIC TRADITION! not a American one! It has its roots in a Celtic Festival (not sure what its name is) the night for which all ghosts and witches and so forth where free of whatever usual constraints that they had on them. Which is precisely what halloween is meant to be in celebration of. The Celtic tradition was continued in british society and has done so a long time before Americans took the tradition up and commercialization took over. Happily enough commercial effects on the tradition have been minimal compared to those now apparent in Easter and Christmas.

3. Halloween is a chance of pedophiles and there like to have a "free feed" as it where.
Actually the "clown report" sited at 1 is pretty much as far as the reports go. Its one of those weird media things played up now and again as a way of filling time and of course trying to increase the general feeling of fear and therefore increase ratings of people trying to find out what to be scared of next. Unfortunately there has been real accounts of this happening, and I can dispute the all, as some of them have been to court and been found to be true as it where. This is the only criticism which seems to work with me, but I still think if you want to go out and about getting candy on November whatsamacallit you can, kids juts make sure your with a parent (unless you are a parent).

4. Halloween is not a Christian tradition and is the worship of idols and black magic.
Now I did say that it is a Celtic tradition. A celtic traditions must therefore be the worship of idols and black magic? No. I don't think it is. Worship of idols is something that Christians are apparently dead against, and there entitled to that opinion. However they can't go round stopping other people doing what they think is all in the name of fun just because it upsets them. Even if it is the worship of the devil or black magic, who cares? Let them have there fun, if they don't go round doing black magic we won't have any reason for Hunter, or Buffy, or even Merlin. Possibly even lord of the rings will loose some of its impact without those strange people who go out on midnight errands to perform things with bats wings and newts that many people don't even think possible. It just makes the rest of us seem that much more sane, and in a world in which there is'nt a single sane person thats a very precious thing.

So despite the fact I in fact hate Halloween it is for none of these reason. My reason is much more complicated but can be summed up in one small sentence.

I'm 20 dude I have grown out of Halloween.

Thats all you have to do people. Just admit your no fun anymore, and prefer sherry and gin to going out at 7:00 to strangers houses, collecting candy, eating far to much and most of all falling asleep at 9:30 before the adults have started to drink to heavily. After all us over 18's have to find some fun somewhere? Why not have another drink for that old celtic tradition that still in our Anglo-Saxon minds today.
Enjoy Halloween.

How can you ever grow out of overmarketized holidays? How can you resist the candy half price the next day? Admit it, you can't. *stalks to pantry and pulls out a hoarded bag of Snickers bars*

I rest my case.

What case? That you secretly love overmarketized holidays for the half-priced candy?

That will do nicely.

What's not to like? There's the half price candy and the opportunity to dress like a freak with no major lasting effect on your social life. And there's two main options for the 20 year old crowd. Go out, party, and get really drunk not that that isn't an option most nights, and, there's always the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW! This year was the first time I'd ever seen it in a theater with audience participation and it is everything you want out of Halloween.

Ahh! The Rocky Horror Picture Show! That is so awesome! Great fun, great fun.

Somehow I think I have missed out on something here, my childhood must have been deprived of halloween.

you have been deprived. surely video stores in australia carry it. you must search it out and be enlightened.

somehow I feel ok not having seen it.

you should see it. its classic.

Classic or classical?

definitely classic.

Definitely about as far from classical as you can get. Also about as frightening, but not in any way you'd be expecting until you watch it. Which you need to do. Rent it! Now!

NOW! order.

alrigtht.

YAAAY!

this is getting kinda scary.

Well?

what do i have to say for myself?