Are you thinking of our Thanksgiving perhaps? A yearly festival giving thanking for abundent harvest.
No, thanksgiving has been there ever since though we don't celebrate it either - at least not outside of churches. I remember celebrating it when I was in kindergarten, but never again since then. That day never was as important to us as it was for Americans. And the date is usually different also if I'm not completely mistaken.
Halloween is Celtic in origin.
Yes, and most likely it was the celtic feast that has been taken to America by the pilgrims. German tribes had a feast called "Asenblod" (might be something like "ancestors sacrifice"? Perhaps Tex can help out on that, because I honestly don't know) with the same dates. Everything was partially similar to the celtic celebrations and traditions, but still different.
All Saints Day in certain Christian religions here.
Just like with us. I believe it is a high ranking catholic feast, because here in bavaria it is a holiday.
But another thing: the 31st of October is Reformation Day, one of the most important dates in the protestant calendar.
Sorry to export more tasteless crap your way but its fun for kids to dress up and pretend. Its an excuse for adults to dressup and have parties. Anyone who comes to our door that night; kids get candy, adults get beer, what's wrong with that?
I don't like leaving the house the morning after and finding my car wrapped in toilet paper, just because my family and I are not willing to support something which has been hyped and promoted by some TV programmes and clever industrialists who try to make money at every occasion. What I am pissed about is that this thing is becoming a damned fashion thing and no one here cares about the traditions and what is really related to that feast and that after all that day had no special meaning to us for many centuries or at least a completely different one. And of course: The obviously plain commercial aspect.
And about that dressing up thing... AFAIK you don't have a real carnival over there (besides Mardi Gras in New Orleans) - but we do. It takes place somewhen around February and March, children usually have one week off from school and many employers give their employees a few (usually monday and tuesday) days off also. People dressup, everyone gets sick - the adults because of alcohol and the children because of candy - and everyone (besides of people like me and those who have to work or just don't care at all) is all happy.
That time has heathen roots also - but it is a tradition that has been kept alive here during the past several centuries, completely different from "Halloween". Young children are being taught about our "carnival" and its traditions in primary school, they at least learn something about it - though most of them forget all that real soon again.
I guess you are mad about the Christmas Tree thing too?? :wink:
Uh, not really, but I'm ineed mad because our "Christkind" has been widely replaced by "Father Christmas" or "Santa Claus" - and all that in the last 5 to 6 years, about the same period of time when Halloween made its way into our stores and the minds of those who are unable to think for themselves.
Please, don't get me wrong: I don't mind Americans (and all other countries where that day and this way to celebrate it have their traditions) celebrating and loving Halloween. Go on and have fun with it.
But what I do mind is obviously being forced to participate and what I do mind is another plain commercial fashion waving over this country, leaving only devastation and aborted traditions behind. I don't like traditions so much after all - but I still prefer them to trends.
There's nothing wrong with people dressing up and children eating candy until they throw up (at least unless they throw up where I stand or live) and so on, but what feels wrong to me is the simple fact that once again my people are ready and willing to blindly follow every trend that is given to them - and the critics are either ignored or just not speaking oud loudly enough to stop that.
