So today in my country is Halloween night.

And of course like a good mummy type person I make sure I have lollies for the kids that come around. I think NZ is a prize place to raise children because kidnapping is extremely rare so you can let your kids out and about by themselves.

Anyhow, I came home and had a little sleep because I was pretty tired and I woke up to my youngest teenage son removing a note off the front door which read, "Sorry, we are out of lollies" And low and behold we are practically out because both my sons had a feast on them.

So the sign is off the door and the kids are everywhere. I have had at least 4 knocks on the door since, OK 5 now while I have written this.

Oh, boy, I don't have enough lollies left. Have to go to the shop.

What is it like in your countries on Halloween night?

Hmmm.... To some it might seem wierd. Spanish and Chinese influences combine.

All Souls night is a time to party-party at the cemetary. Ordinary folk just set up tables and chairs by the graveside. The rich have family mausoleums complete with refrigerator, air-conditioning and TV. But if it's a cool night the roof-terrace of the mausoleum is the party venue of choice.

The aim is to stay up all night. The hours are whiled away playing cards, playing mah-jong or just drinking and chatting. Since nobody drinks without eating, people take their own picnics or buy from the vendors who thread their way among the crowds selling barbecued things on sticks.

At dawn on November the first, everybody saunters (or staggers) home to their beds.

Needless to say, the first is a national holiday.

Where I currently reside, is in a block of flats - thus, no need to worry as the security doors are locked at night

Wow, that is so cool.

The goody goodies (mostly the silly mothers) have even ruined our Guy Forks night. We now have only 3 days to buy fire crackers and they get less worthwhile every year. (November 2 -5)

We are not even allowed to light a fire to burn rubbish in my area. Plus they would never allow us to have something going on at the cemetery.

I remember such a different time when I was growing up. You are so lucky.

Something else the silly mothers have done. We are not allowed to let young boys tackle each other in a Rugby game.

I am starting to think I like where you live. I have bought so many lollies and lolly pops and still I don't have enough. My son's sign is soon to go back on the door. lol

Julie,
You can thank the New Zealand Fire Service (of which I am a part) for that, they listened to all the lobbying mothers with ill-disciplined kids, that managed to injure themselves or set the house on fire after Mum in her infinite wisdom, gave the kids money to spend on bloody fireworks.
Then the NZFS (one of the most PC Government departments next to Wimmins Affairs) basically went on a tirade to get any trace of Guy Fawkes wiped from NZ, there was all the scare-mongering and hype over fires caused by fireworks last year, when in reality, fireworks fire incidents are actually on the decline, it's just that the media has blown it all out of proportion (again).
Personally, I support the sale of fireworks, but on the other side of the coin, the priviledge of buying them needs to be backed up with common sense when handling them, unfortunately, the media only focuses on the "horror" stories.
The minimum age should be 20 y/o for a start, for buying fireworks.

Oops, sorry about the rant Julie, but this is something I feel very strongly about.

Fireworks are not part of our Hallowe'en in Canada, they're sold on Victoria Day (May 24) and Canada Day (July 1). The same trend toward restriction has developed in my lifetime, firecrackers are now very hard to find on the normal market. Hallowe'en here is a children's celebration, costumes and candy predominate.

Here in Brit, Halloween (was usually called Duckapple Night before the Hollywood film came out) is pretty quiet and parochial. Now Guy Fawkes (5th November) is a different matter, whiz-banging going on over the place. When I was a boy the local bonfires took centre-stage. For weeks beforehand we boys and girls used to be building it up until it was about 8 feet or so high, collecting tree branches, cardboard packaging and old paper whatever we could find. Neighbouring gangs used to have their own bonfires and we used to pinch stuff off each others'. We used to pan around town with a GF dummy in a homemade wheelbarrow soliciting 'penny for the guy'. On the night, when the bonfire was going we used to socialize all around it and keep in going all night and into the early hours, chucking the odd firework and potato (for the baking of) into it. Ah, we used to have real fun in those days!

We don't have Halloween, but "The Three Wise Men", same thing but then dressed up like the Magi. You go from door to door with lanterns, singing songs and collecting candy on January 6th. I loved it when I was a kid. We always had a very short song, so we could move on quickly :-)

It was the only time my mother showed any special interest in me, because she loved dressing me up, darkening my face with shoe polish and all that.

Sad brother - it really is. Inside the Citadel - courtesy of 'New Labour' -