Posted on 10/26/2007 2:32:59 PM PDT by blam
Scottish festival bans 'American' Hallowe'en
By Tom Chivers
Last Updated: 3:31pm BST 26/10/2007
A Scottish Hallowe'en festival is banning "consumerist" pumpkins in favour of turnips.
Jack O'Lantern: persona non grata north of the border
The spooky celebration, at Scone Palace, Perthshire, is being organised by Scottish firm Herald Events as a riposte to the Americanisation of the traditional autumn festival, based on the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain and co-opted by the Church.
Speaking to the BBC, Jock Ferguson from the company said: "We will be having none of that pumpkin or trick-or-treat rubbish.
"Pumpkins are banned and will not be allowed beyond the front gate."
Instead of Jack O'Lanterns and trick-or-treating, which organisers condemned as representative of "American big business and rampant consumerism", the festival will offer traditional Scottish activities such as "dooking for apples" and turnip-carving.
In "De'il Tak the Hindmost", children will be lead around the grounds of the Scone Palace by the ghost of a Jacobite soldier, Dougal Murray, telling of the dark history of the old building.
Heather McArthur, Events Manager at Scone Palace, said: "We wanted to move away from the normal 'trick or treat' type of activities this year and give Hallowe'en a Scottish twist.
"'De'il Tak the Hindmost' combines traditional ghost stories with good old fashioned devilish fun and we think it will appeal to children and parents alike who are looking for something a bit different’.
Those fellers sure know how to have a good time, don’t they? Now let’s see, I’m eight years old and I have a choice between dressing in a costume and getting free candy or half-drowning myself trying to snag an apple from the bottom of a tub with my teeth. “Both” isn’t an option, it’s either-or. Decisions, decisions...
Yeah, but they're scottish, they love that kinda thing--along with headbutting until someone can't stand up....
Will the Scottish teenagers participate in traditional activities like smashing peoples carefully carved turnips in the street?
They seem the same to me.
True, but most british people don’t bother going to the door for a load of freeloading brats
I’m actually named after the Scottish folk song “My Bonnie Annie Laurie” and I have Anglo/Irish ancestry as well as living in England at the moment, however I’m as American as they come AND I was born on Halloween in Naples, Italy...the Naval Base, of course! There is no friggin’ way I would give up free candy and Jack-0-Lanterns even now at, well, considerably older than eight! I’ve been to the Northwest of Scotland and it’s beautiful but the Scots have a “reputation” and let’s just say they are living up to it!
In my day if the adults did not have treats we gave them tricks. Brats unite. Trick the commies.
Brilliant!
Some of those scottish highland ghost stories are scary as heck. I remember reading one that had something to do with a ghost walking down the country road whistling Londonderry Air that had me lying awake for a week.
But — to my Scottish friends, it’s called Bobbing for Apples, not Dooking for Apples.
The second best ‘Chewin’ the Fat’ sketch :)) - the first is of course ‘Taysiders in Space’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcPgsMqPQpI
If your name is McDonald (or MacDonald) don’t go to any Halloween events sponsored by a Campbell.
I was rolling on the floor the whole time I watched and I don't think I understood a word. The air traffic controller skit is pretty bood as well.
The real problem with Hallowe’en for Brits is that is comes too close to Guy Fakes night when we all gather together to ritually burn effigies of catholic terrorists. And you get to set off lots of illegal Chinese fireworks, which is far more fun than dressing up as a witch! :)
They want to give Halloween a Scottish twist, fine. But buying pumpkins and some candy once a year can hardly be considered “consumerist”. ...except perhaps by knee-jerk anti-American liberal idiots.
‘They want to give Halloween a Scottish twist, fine. But buying pumpkins and some candy once a year can hardly be considered “consumerist”. ...except perhaps by knee-jerk anti-American liberal idiots.’
It is to Scots - they take more care and time buying a pint than most Americans would re-mortgaging their house! :D
I liked Scotland. I guess I am the only one here who has skinny-dipped in Loch Ness. With an AF buddy. You hang your clothes on a berry bush and walk over a bunch of rocks until you go straight down. 72F water, 72F air. We shaved too! Before getting on the train from Inverness to visit the Castle on the Mound in Edinborough.
Luckily, there's a solution for your dilemma.
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