Halloween Costumes!

[loqu]

I think if some brats came to my door and shouted "¡Truco o trato!", I'd give them a lecture on calques and literal translations. "Truco o trato". Come on, that doesn't even make sense.

That would be just awesome

Trapy, no. These stupid tradition-importing kids don't know anything like that. They just disturb anyway. That's what happens when you copy things (Halloween) without actually knowing anything about it.

[Aleco]

I guess it's different from country to country, what day this is celebrated?
This year Halloween, or Allehelgensaften is celebrated today 'Cause the day after: Allehelgensdag, is celebrated the first Sunday of November. However, we only celebrate it by honoring the dead, so we put a lot of lights on the graves.

[DelBoy]

it's a tradition from Isle of Man where the weeans used to dress up as ghosts to scare the evil spirits away.

Isle of Man?? Isn't it just a general Gaelic thing? It's definitely Irish anyway too - although it's a mixture of the Wren on St. Stephen's day and the Gaelic new year that has come to be what we celebrate as Hallowe'en.

I love Hallowe'en, and I'm having a traditional dinner tomorrow with colcannon and brack (which I'm gonna have to make as they only sell this at St. Patrick's day in Scotland, not Hallowe'en, when it's meant to be eaten.... )! mmm....

Although the Brits really don't seem to do Hallowe'en at all - you wouldn't know it was Hallowe'en in Edinburgh (although later they have the Samhuinn (litriú Gaidhlig??) parade on the Royal mile which is fun...


Beannachtaí Oíche Shamhna chugaibh!

[nighean-neonach]

Needless to say I don't celebrate it. Eoghan does have a point about peer pressure: If you don't go to parties, it's hard to find friends.

At our age? I mean, with teenagers, there certainly is this kind of pressure, but among students, adults? Well, maybe I'm not the most average person in this regard, I don't care about having as many friends as possible, I like having really good friends, and I like spending time talking to them, meeting at home or in a nice café... (actually, some of my best friends live a long way away from me, in Scotland for example, so seeing them usually means spending a holiday there)
I've never considered parties to be very important for socialising. At university you usually first meet new people in your classes, and then if you like each other you maybe go and have a coffee together, and if you really become friends, you meet for a cosy chat at home or you spend an afternoon in town, etc. Parties don't play a big role in all that, do they? And well, about the whole flirting business - I'm happily married anyway, so I'm not interested in that

[nighean-neonach]

Samhuinn (litriú Gaidhlig??)

seann litreachadh: Samhuinn
an-diugh: Samhainn

Beannachtaí Oíche Shamhna chugaibh!

... agus leat fhèin cuideachd!

[Car]

At our age? I mean, with teenagers, there certainly is this kind of pressure, but among students, adults? Well, maybe I'm not the most average person in this regard, I don't care about having as many friends as possible, I like having really good friends, and I like spending time talking to them, meeting at home or in a nice café... (actually, some of my best friends live a long way away from me, in Scotland for example, so seeing them usually means spending a holiday there)

Yes, but I actually started a bachelor last year where most went to straight from school. So there were more than enough people who were 18 or 19 when they started. All they seem to talk about are the uni parties and parties and alcohol in general. At least it's been some while since I last heard comments like "Oh, I was soooooo drunk on Saturday and called so many people from my address book, did I also call you?"... I also know people who spent their holidays together (and I'm not talking about couples here), though.

I've never considered parties to be very important for socialising. At university you usually first meet new people in your classes, and then if you like each other you maybe go and have a coffee together, and if you really become friends, you meet for a cosy chat at home or you spend an afternoon in town, etc. Parties don't play a big role in all that, do they? And well, about the whole flirting business - I'm happily married anyway, so I'm not interested in that

Sure, you definitely get to know people in classes or tutorials and you might also go and eat in the student cafeteria or sit down in the uni café or the uni pub*, but I have the impression that those parties play an important role. Maybe it's also me (I'm not the most social person), but at uni, there's hardly anything else, at least based on what's advertised in the parts I go to. Although there are uni parties at least once a week, many complain that the city is so boring and that there's so little you can do. While it's not the most interesting city indeed, but looks rather small for a big city, I have the impression that there's more than enough. It might just be an image problem.

* Supposed to be an Irish pub, but don't ask me what's so Irish about selling German beer or flat bread called "Leeds", "London" or "Edinburgh".

[nighean-neonach]

Yes, but I actually started a bachelor last year where most went to straight from school. So there were more than enough people who were 18 or 19 when they started. All they seem to talk about are the uni parties and parties and alcohol in general. At least it's been some while since I last heard comments like "Oh, I was soooooo drunk on Saturday and called so many people from my address book, did I also call you?"...

I think I've got a sort of in-built filter which makes me ignore that kind of people. I was 27 when I began studying (again), so I was about 7-8 years older than the majority of people who started together with me. But there are quite a few older students in our department, people who do a second degree or have returned to uni after having a child or after working for a few years, etc. and it was really funny how almost right from the start we were attracted to each other and made up a seperate group, or got together with those who are around our age but at a more advanced stage in their studies, or junior teachers etc.
And well, my really good friends are people I've met elsewhere (years ago, in most cases) and who don't study together with me anyway. So if I don't go to those uni parties, it doesn't matter because no one misses me there anyway

Where do you study again? Somehow I thought you were in Saarbrücken, but now I see your profile says NRW. It must be one of the smaller towns though, as you say it is considered a bit boring.

[Car]

But there are quite a few older students in our department, people who do a second degree or have returned to uni after having a child or after working for a few years, etc. and it was really funny how almost right from the start we were attracted to each other and made up a seperate group, or got together with those who are around our age but at a more advanced stage in their studies, or junior teachers etc.

Well, I'd say most came straight from school or after a year abroad (or military/community service). Some already have an apprenticeship, but hardly anyone has worked for a longer time and when I say/said that I have already studied, most were very, very surprised and asked why I study again. I also tend to be attracted by people my age or who act more maturely, this already was the case during my first studies.

Where do you study again? Somehow I thought you were in Saarbrücken, but now I see your profile says NRW. It must be one of the smaller towns though, as you say it is considered a bit boring.

Saarbrücken? Not at all. No, I'm now studying in Paderborn. Officially, it is a big city, but it doesn't feel much bigger than my hometown which only has 1/3 of the population.

[nighean-neonach]

Paderborn is in NRW? Shame on my, my geography really sucks. For me, NRW ends somewhere east of Dortmund I've actually just gone to look at a map, and I was surprised where exactly Paderborn is. I would have thought it was much further to the north.

[Gormur]

I'm going to a club as myself. That's scary enough.

I never dress up on Halloween cause I guess my family never celebrated it..as a kid I'd just hang out with some friends and eat a shitload of candy, but it was too dangerous to go trick-or-treating in my 'hood anyway, so that probably has something to do with it too.

I'll dress smart casual and wear a stylish hat tonite. When asked what I'm supposed to be I'll say, your worst nightmare.

About peer pressure..well I never felt that way. All my friends are dressing up for the club and every one of them asked me what they should be. To me that just shows insecurity. Simply being yourself and dressing smart on Halloween speaks a lot about character and confidence level, not to mention cool factor...and they respect that. It's cool to dress up tho, if that's your thing, go for it..especially all the kinky ladies.

Anyway, have fun everyone! I know someone's getting their groove on tonite.

[Steisi]

Eoghan, because you asked:



We had a party at my house and one girl had never carved a jack o'lantern before so we let her design it, it was really nice. Now she's like.. initiated into Hallowe'en

[Eoghan]

It's beautiful Steisi! How long did it take to carve it? Mine ended up looking like hell (well they're supposed to look scary but I meant it more like, it looked like garbage with eyes and a crooked mouth)

Anyway, I ended staying at home, quietly celebrating Samhain with two friends, we had a lovely dinner and just spent a lovely evening together. I will go to a Halloween party today instead. It just didn't feel right to skip Samhain in order to go to a club dressed up as whatever. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'll dress up as a druid tonight - we'll see about that.

[Steisi]

It's beautiful Steisi! How long did it take to carve it? Mine ended up looking like hell (well they're supposed to look scary but I meant it more like, it looked like garbage with eyes and a crooked mouth)

Anyway, I ended staying at home, quietly celebrating Samhain with two friends, we had a lovely dinner and just spent a lovely evening together. I will go to a Halloween party today instead. It just didn't feel right to skip Samhain in order to go to a club dressed up as whatever. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'll dress up as a druid tonight - we'll see about that.

All in all it took about 20 minutes. It's a smallish pumpkin so there wasn't much to scoop out. We designed the face in about 5 minutes and then carved in turns. I carved the nose, my finnish friend carved the eyes and my canadian friend carved the mouth. I'm considering making a pie out of it today though

[Car]

Wow, it's really beautiful. I wouldn't have thought you did it that quickly. I don't even want to know what it would have looked like if I had tried my luck.

[Danysh]

My six girl friends convinced me to dress up as a mouse this year since they were all cats. It was a pretty easy costume to come up with actually. I found some mouse ears for like two bucks at a store in the mall and then I just wore gray sweats and my friend put whiskers on my face with her eyeliner. Every girl that saw me was like "Aw, you're so cute!" and every guy just shook their head at me like "I can't believe you let them do that to you".

I only wore the costume to a Halloween dance we had at school on Thursday night though, which was really lame. People basically just used it as an excuse to wear a slutty outfit and bump and grind against each other... pretty much like every other school dance really.

On Friday night I actually just stayed at home and played games with my family. Normally I go to a party at a friend's house or something, but this year all my friend's had other plans so I didn't have any other options. Halloween used to be a really big deal when I was younger and I was always so excited for it, but now it's kind of just a regular day. In elementary school we always wore costumes to school and had a party and a parade, and of course at night I would go trick or treating around my neighborhood. Once I got into junior high, though, Halloween was just a regular school day and I was too old for trick or treating (though I know some people that still go at 17 ).

[Eoghan]

It's beautiful Steisi! How long did it take to carve it? Mine ended up looking like hell (well they're supposed to look scary but I meant it more like, it looked like garbage with eyes and a crooked mouth)

All in all it took about 20 minutes. It's a smallish pumpkin so there wasn't much to scoop out. We designed the face in about 5 minutes and then carved in turns. I carved the nose, my finnish friend carved the eyes and my canadian friend carved the mouth. I'm considering making a pie out of it today though

20 minutes?! That's just insane, Who are you really - Super-Halloween-Pumpkin-Carver Woman?

[Steisi]

20 minutes?! That's just insane, Who are you really - Super-Halloween-Pumpkin-Carver Woman?

No, but BEHOLD for I am.....BRITISH...err, English. Yes. Right.

It really *was* a small pumpkin though Now goes by the name of Petri.

[Eoghan]

20 minutes?! That's just insane, Who are you really - Super-Halloween-Pumpkin-Carver Woman?

No, but BEHOLD for I am.....BRITISH...err, English. Yes. Right.

It really *was* a small pumpkin though Now goes by the name of Petri.

Yeah well ,I am part Scottish and my pumpkin still ended up looking like God-knows-what It must've been the fact that you're 100 % British, one thing's for sure,the pumpkin-carver gene most definately skipped me, didn't help being part Scottish at all there, I tell ye... haha

Say hello to Petri from my pumpkin "Fuling" (Fuling translates as someone looking like crap in Swedish )

[Steisi]

Yeah well ,I am part Scottish and my pumpkin still ended up looking like God-knows-what It must've been the fact that you're 100 % British, one thing's for sure,the pumpkin-carver gene most definately skipped me, didn't help being part Scottish at all there, I tell ye... haha

I'm not 100% but a Finn, a canadian and an englishwoman seem to do the trick I wonder if there could be a pumpkin romance between fuling and petri

[nighean-neonach]

... and lots of cute little baby pumpkins next year?