My Halloween memories consisted of watching US programs with trick or treat type scenarios with kids running around the streets with jack o lanterns and scary costumes… tonight I was stunned. Walking around the streets of Brighton (between pubs) I saw so many kids in the street doing the ole give me yer money or I’ll scare the crap out ya kinda thing and parents setting up bar in the park so that their kids could have a true Halloween experience… this gas a gotta be a good thing.
Anyways, I was wondering, anyone else in Europe seeing this taking off and if so, is it a good thing?
Money? They’re asking for money? That’s an interesting variation.
Round here, they’re still asking for confectionary. Unless what I’ve described as muggings were none of the sort 
…
Certainly, when I was growing up in the 80s, with numerous USAF-populated military bases around, Halloween was a very alien American thing to do. Nothing could compare to the hoards of goodies you could get if you had the chance to go trick-or-treating on one of the bases.
I also strongly suspect that Guy Fawkes Night has lost out as a result - the same kids who put on a scruffy hat and say ‘trick or treat’ are the same ones who some time ago would have stolen a scarecrow and sat around asking for ‘penny for the guy’.
But of course it’s not a good thing…Halloween is Satanic. Kids should still to nice wholesome activities like immolating Catholics
Bonus question: if it is in fact taking off amounst children, what about adults? It’s become more of an adult holiday over here. I was trying to describe the New York Halloween parade to my UK SO (UKSO?). Do adults dress up at all? Any gay connection like there is here?
Had to be money really as I didn’t think a smoke would be appropriate. 
Most people have still to get into the whole Halloween thing and don’t stock their houses with candy ready for the trick or treaters. Next year I’ll dress up in a zombie outfit and go out for a stroll offering candy to kiddies … hehe
Do they have net access in prison?
There were also a lot of adults dressed up in the streets and pubs last night. Big parties going on too. Next year i’ll have a party myself and trawl through the costume suggestions here.
Brighton is one of if not the gay capital of England but I haven’t heard of any particular connection between the two.
Think I was over the day before the parade last year (goes through Greenwich?) and was gutted I had to fly back.
I was in a restaurant in north London the other night, and a woman wearing what looked like a gimp mask shuffled in with a toddler (in a normal witch costume) and proceeded to go round the tables asking for money, until the owners gave the child a Fox’s Glacier mint and told the mother to leave. Freaky.
waves to badgery relative
I’m 19, so don’t really remember when people didn’t trick or treat. But I DO remember spending Halloween in America as a kid and thinking ‘Why don’t WE make such a big deal out of it? It’s fun!’