A scary Halloween to everyone!

[Lardmeister]

For those of you who live over there, let me explain:

Even though the USA is a Christian country, every fall we lapse into a pagan ritual at the end of October. Folks dress up their kids in scary costumes, the girls usually are witches and the boys are cowboys. Then they send their kids to knock at doors in the neighborhood and yell "Trick or Treat" this frightens those neighbors, and they quickly hand copious amounts of sweets to the scary children. The large amount of sweets will give the kids bad teeth, to the delight of the neighborhood dentist.

Well, this year the most popular costume is a stylish business suit with a necktie. This way the neighbors think that a banker has arrived to foreclose their home. They will plead for mercy and may even add a few greenbacks to the loot of sweets. I am short and dumpy enough to pass as a kid, need to give this a try.

Do you have similar rituals in your country and what is your favorite costume to scare folks?

[Salem]

So pagan rituals which xtians have hijacked don't count?

> Do you have similar rituals in your country and what is your favorite costume to scare folks?
Yeah, they're called "hoodies" and they're about all the time.

[jbennet]

So pagan rituals which xtians have hijacked don't count

christmas is pagan too

lol loved the hoodies comment.

[Lardmeister]

christmas is pagan too
...

Oh Jesus! Next thing you tell me is that there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny!

[jbennet]

they just chose the 24th/25th of dec as Xmas because it happened to be the day of an existing pagan festival. Its not even christs real birthday.

[Salem]

Here's a geek joke.

Programmers can't tell halloween from xmas because oct 31 == dec 25

[Dave Sinkula]

I just picked up my Halloween candy from Sam's Club last night. I like to get "the good stuff":

• Kit Kats
• Nestle Crunch
• Whatchamacallit
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• M&M's Plain
• Hershey Bars

(At least it's what I like just in case there are leftovers.)

And I get the full-size stuff -- none of those mini-candies for me.

[jbennet]

I like 1,2,4,5

hersheys tastes funny

i prefer british type chocolate like cadburys to the america hersheys type stuff

[Lardmeister]

I like 1,2,4,5

hersheys tastes funny

i prefer british type chocolate like cadburys to the america hersheys type stuff

Cadbury group's chocolate products have been sold in the U.S. since 1988 under the Cadbury trademark name, the chocolate itself has been manufactured by Hershey's and can be found in Hershey's chocolate stores.

[Lardmeister]

I just picked up my Halloween candy from Sam's Club last night. I like to get "the good stuff":

• Kit Kats
• Nestle Crunch
• Whatchamacallit
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• M&M's Plain
• Hershey Bars

(At least it's what I like just in case there are leftovers.)

And I get the full-size stuff -- none of those mini-candies for me.

I like all the candy bars you have Dave! I will stop by at your house this year! :)

[jbennet]

hersheys still tastes different...

[GrimJack]

For those of you who live over there, let me explain:

Even though the USA is a Christian country, every fall we lapse into a pagan ritual at the end of October.

I would like to point out, just to be pedantic, that the USA is not a Christian country. Christ is not mentioned anywhere in our constitution nor is god (or God) and religion is first mentioned in Amendment 1 - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I bring this up because it is a constant battle to keep religion out of government and the price of freedom is constant vigilance; and Amendment 1 is the most important amendment because all the rest of the amendments rest on it and so does the Constitution itself.

[Dave Sinkula]

I bring this up because it is a constant battle to keep religion out of government and the price of freedom is constant vigilance; and Amendment 1 is the most important amendment because all the rest of the amendments rest on it and so does the Constitution itself.

Some might argue that the 1st is there to keep gov't out of religion. And the rest are to keep gov't out of other things. Because the Constitution is not a document allowing natural human freedom, rather one that is expressly there to limit gov't.

[GrimJack]

Some might argue that the 1st is there to keep gov't out of religion. And the rest are to keep gov't out of other things. Because the Constitution is not a document allowing natural human freedom, rather one that is expressly there to limit gov't.

Oh, I agree with that interpretation. I am sure it would bother true Christians if the gov't tried to get into their faith. Either way, it does not bode well for the individual.

[Salem]

> Christ is not mentioned anywhere in our constitution nor is god (or God)
> and religion is first mentioned in Amendment 1
But it is all over that other important document known as the dollar bill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust
Now that's scary!

[GrimJack]

My wife and I put the candy in the freezer - we sort of fight for the Kitkats, then snickers,

[Lardmeister]

hersheys still tastes different...

I consider myself an expert on chocolates, and I have to agree with you. Hershey chocolate tastes more gritty because they don't spend the time milling the cocoa beans properly. I like Belgian and Swiss chocolates the best.

[jbennet]

yeah i love belgian chocolate

[Dave Sinkula]

My wife and I put the candy in the freezer - we sort of fight for the Kitkats, then snickers,

I gotta keep the 'stash' in my truck. Otherwise the girls (wife included) would clean me out before Halloween.

[steven woodman]

mmmmmmmmmmmm Belgian chocolate. Man you guys are makin me hungry. Where I lived until the past year, would never get any trick ot treaters. So me and the women would end up eating it all.

[GrimJack]

I gotta keep the 'stash' in my truck. Otherwise the girls (wife included) would clean me out before Halloween.

We have been trying to find a candy that neither of us like so that there are some left for the kids - hasn't happened yet so we keep our lights out. Fortunately, kids today do not understand the threat implied by 'trick or treat'. If kids knew what that meant, Homeland Security would have its hands full with all the terrorist threats.

[vmanes]

Oh Jesus! Next thing you tell me is that there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny!

Yep, they're not real. The Tooth Fairy told me so.

[vmanes]

I just picked up my Halloween candy from Sam's Club last night. I like to get "the good stuff":

• Kit Kats
• Nestle Crunch
• Whatchamacallit
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• M&M's Plain
• Hershey Bars

(At least it's what I like just in case there are leftovers.)

And I get the full-size stuff -- none of those mini-candies for me.

I just buy a couple big bags of Jolly Ranchers. The kids in my neighborhood are always happy about getting them. And what's left over will easily last till the next year.

[Dave Sinkula]

Even though the USA is a Christian country, every fall we lapse into a pagan ritual at the end of October.

The Pastafarians are making a play for it:
http://www.venganza.org/2008/10/08/halloween/
:icon_razz:

[sneekula]

I only give out last year's candy. You can buy it real cheap right after Halloween is over.

[GrimJack]

Ooh, left over peeps, then Halloween candy for Easter.

[GrimJack]

I consider myself an expert on chocolates, and I have to agree with you. Hershey chocolate tastes more gritty because they don't spend the time milling the cocoa beans properly. I like Belgian and Swiss chocolates the best.

Milling! That is the word I have been looking for when I try to explain the difference between good and bad chocolate. I tried to tell them that chocolate has to be mixed long enough to smooth off the rough edges of the little bits. Chocolate is just a fine powder held in suspension; your tongue and palate can tell if the little bits are smooth/fine enough.

White chocolate is just chocolate with everything that makes it chocolate removed.

[HiHe]

I was trying to find a McCain mask to scare the neighbors, but had to settle for a Bush mask.

[sneekula]

Palin costumes weren't in demand until actress Tina Fey famously caricatured her on Saturday Night Live. Now they are all sold out! Folks in the know say she is scarier than the old man.

[R0bb0b]

I would like to point out, just to be pedantic, that the USA is not a Christian country. Christ is not mentioned anywhere in our constitution nor is god (or God) and religion is first mentioned in Amendment 1 - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I bring this up because it is a constant battle to keep religion out of government and the price of freedom is constant vigilance; and Amendment 1 is the most important amendment because all the rest of the amendments rest on it and so does the Constitution itself.

That is unless the religion happens to be science and theory which gets shoved down my kids' throats every day.

Oh, but that's different. :)