we the spaniards have been conquered by usa as halloween shows
 

in spain today we used to celebrate the day of all saints when you memory your deceased familiars

http://www.laregion.es/imagenes/galeria/433_PORTADA.JPG

not anymore now its a kids party imposed by america and extreamly sponsored by the media :confused:

has anybody else lived that in his country?

well but seems the capitalist empire is falling isnt it here in spain half of the people my age and under is unemployed

Yep we used to have a thing called "father christmas":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbUVKXdu4lQ&feature=plcp

Its a((mostly)) American) cultural invasion. Especially in English speaking countires and countries where English speaking programs are broadcast. Or where programs are broadcast which are dubbed. Mostly by sheer number these programs are American and so slowley our cultures intertwine (i prefer erroded). Yesterday I heard someone call the pavement "a sidewalk"... :(

Other than the fact its lazy, less creative and mind numbing, its the reason I no longer watch television and I have not done so for 2 or 3 years. I dont even own one.

but what caughts my attention is the media treatment of the issue, i have seen no media mentioning the spanish tradition even though most families kept visiting the cemeteries and leaving flowers, theyre all about halloween

while that happens and the germans do the same with us this is how the italian and spanish leaders are portraited in the press:

http://imagenes.publico.es/resources...660RAJOYdn.jpg

Same here, Halloween has become very popular, especially with the youngest ones. As for me, I still can't seem to care about it...

So kiddies coming to my house asking for candies are quite disappointed, but I guess that next year I will have no choice as my kids (4 1/2 and 3 y.o.) are already asking me what is happening with all the people dressed up as monsters ;)

I'd rather celebrate Day of all Saints and honor the memory of those that has passed than have snotty little brats (and adults, for that matter) on my door in idiotic costumes begging for candy. Here in Norway there hasn't been a tradition to celebrate All Hallows Eve at all until in recent years, and it's pretty much turned into the same rubbish bullshit as Valentine's Day: A capitalistic overhyped idiocy of epic proportions.

Then again, I absolutely abhor both Halloween and Valentine's Day in general. I find both utterly ridiculous.

Well said.The problem is now there are generations of children and adults who have only ever known this to exist as it is now and therefore it has become "the normal".

post 5 and 6,

Agreed. ;)

We should just go back to the wierd Pagan and Druid ones! :-P

Not only the Spaniards. They got the spaniels too! :-(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpvlnhyAHNw

You might be surprised to know that here in OZ we never use to have Haloween .. too American but recently we've given in .. kids love it and what the hell, any excuse for a party.

As to Spains problem, and greece, i feel for you. The current economic system isn't working. We need far more cash in the world system, ALL countries need to keep printing money until inflation starts to bite then stop. Otherwise, like a engine that is starved of fuel, the world economic engine will just keep spluttering and stalling. Needs more fuel .. bigger the engine, the more fuel needed.

We'll that's my take anyway. which is quite strange because i'm a tea-party follower.

.

Bingo. :-P
I would have loved having Halloween in Europe back in the days.

Samhain, (where "hallowe'en" stemmed from) is Gaelic... is that Pagan enough.

and history records that many pagan festivals where adopted by christianity and renamed... it was the only way to keep the peace on gaining control of the populations. Another assimilated, so history tells us, is Ester/ Easter (pagan fertilty festival... it always had me fascinated as to what bunnies and eggs had to do with crucifiction) with christmas coming 9 months later.

The highlight of Halloween this year was walking back from the pub, and going past someone's house where they had a big lit pumpkin in the front window, with the words **** OFF beautifully carved into it.

Priceless.

and some hapless kiddies "trick or treat'n" in one town in the UK received small bags of blow

lol!

Farber!!!! You're not watching "Honey Boo Boo"?????????? :shock:

Hmmm????

Sorry Snapper, did this happen to you?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKk-j...eature=related

Surely it is not the fault of the USA that Spaniards take to Halloween? Any country is allowed to try to export their culture to the best of their ability.

Point your gun somewhere else, namely at all the Spanish media and shops who are happy to sell Halloween and rake in the money, and all the Spanish parents who happily go along with it.

I know Spain very well, estuve viviendo allí medio año, and I think there is a little bit too much "blame everybody else"-attitude in your country. You got yourselves into this economic meltdown, wasting EU founds and investing in White Elephants all over the country, so stop the whining and pull yourselves up a bit. You cannot expect 1st world/Northern European lifestyle and mod-cons if you don't produce goods efficiently and organise society to higher standards.

i don't see people celebrating haloween here, at least not in the cities.
what we have here is saint patrick day, but i suspect is just an excuse to get wasted, i have to check it though.
is that similar in spain or elsewhere? a lot of people "celebrating"(getting totally wasted) on saint patrick day? .

about your second posts, the politicians are vampires that feed from young blood from here to china...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjlYbw9WbHU

Halloween was "exported" merely as another commercial thingy designed to make even more money for the industry. It's got no cultural or religious roots here in Germany, either, and apart from people using it as another reason to party I don't see anything beyond that (and media blabbing about it, that is).

Some of you really can take a meaningless event (in the overall scheme of life) and turn it into something dark. As for America's cultural invasions, sorry. But as to Halloween, if you can't find some joy in handing a simple piece of candy or even a healthy treat to a costumed child who is innocent to the negative side of everything, then I pity you.

That would be Irish but also catholic, Saint Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland.

Not even close! I kept my pants on when I proposed! :grin:

It's probably payback for the Spaniards killing so many in South America.

Personally I like Haloween as I buy sweets for the kids but none visit (because of where I live) so I get to eat them all myself.

Hood

Halloween is getting more popular over here in Australia as well.

When I was a lad Halloween was something we only saw on Snoopy cartoons.

Our big loss in Western Australia was when they made fireworks illegal. It all but killed off Guy Fawkes night over here. Imagine the generations of poor kids that have missed out on blowing stuff up! It’s a complete travesty!

Sigh!

The Spaniards actually 'killed' a small fraction of the South Americans which died during that time. What they did is bring is European viral infections which Europeans had immunity from or stronger protection from and it is these which killed most of the people. IIRC around 90% of the deaths we caused by this (citation needed)

So you prefer to be solemn and miserable looking into the past rather than enjoy the young and future generation enjoying themselves. If they come to your door and you are rude to them then do not be surprised if that affects their attitude in later life. I see nothing wrong with kids dressing up, having fun and getting sweets from their neighbours, in the right spirit it's a nice community event, I can't see why somebody would want to spoil that.

I suspect there were people who didn't want to give at Christmas once (maybe still are)

+1

I was going to add something like this but I would've had to do some research ;) The 'tradition' that is being complained by some here as 'new' is actually way older than the current saints days.

ALL christian holidays are stolen from the Pagans. Christmas was made to offset the winter solstice (the church made up the whole jesus bday thing in 349CE) easter is estre the fertility goddess, the eggs and rabbit represent breeding like rabbits aka fertility. IN goes on and on how religions stole from the pagans.
Yet people keep thinking its all true...sad state our civilization is in, believing in mythology. At least Sweden is over 50% rational!!

I understand the changes and the problems caused by those changes but do not forget Halloween etc. were European before and disappear from our "old" continent.. now it's starting to come back.. also Spain need to change in a big way and to change the way she work and think... The need to come in the Euro Market is also a need to work on the same time as everyone else and keep some habit for the vacations only.. It's hard time.. hard changes need to be made in every corners.

Oldschool they were not stolen but more of accommodated to please a general population of the time.. many Holidays are a mix of old believes and new. At the time everyone knew it but today a huge percentage of people forgot or not thought in school or by parents... and believes false things..

Wolf_Rider yes ;) +1

Recently there was so much coverage on the radio and internet of the US elections I could tell you the names of those being voted for but not names of the ones in my own country that happened not to long ago...

Well at least Al Capone did something usefull at Valentines Day. :twisted::grin: