Please To Remember...

[poliphilo]

The shops used to carry Guy Fawkes masks. This year I haven't seen a single one. There probably weren't any last year either, but I wasn't looking.

Oldham used to mount a  big civic firework display in the park. That was dropped several years ago- round about the beginning of the millennium- and no-one seems to have complained- or even noticed.

Bonfire Night has been edged out by Halloween. Ghosts and witches instead of Catholic terrorists with Van Dyck beards. It's understandable. Ghosts and witches are perennially fascinating; most of us stopped being frightened of pointy-bearded Catholics a while ago.

I did wonder whether V For Vendetta might reverse the trend. Apparently not. Alan Moore's novel is a period piece- which could be why the film didn't do that well. No contemporary freedom fighter would think of wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. Apart from anything else, he wouldn't be able to find a shop to sell him one.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That is weird- and not in a good way.

I'm a shy, private person. I don't like strangers coming to the door.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way about strangers at the door, so I only keep my porch light on until about eight, when the children who are accompanied by parents have finished up for the evening. The older children--some teenagers--come to the door later, so I turn off my lights and read in a back room.

Sometimes I leave candy on the porch, to forestall people knocking loudly.

But I do think Trick-or-Treating is dying out here slowly, partly due to the efforts of community organizations to find safe alternatives.