Questions for Our Brothers and Sisters Across the Pond

[SarahLee]

And depending on where you are from in the UK, the bread part of a sandwich (if not made from sliced bread) can be a bun, a batch, a cob, a cake or breadcake, or a roll.

You forgot a "bap" Steve

The number of regional variations across the UK, really does fascinate me.

[kangacaught]

I think the Psychoville boys have got the fear of clowns thing down to a tee.
When it was a kid in worcestershire there was zero interest in All Hallows Eve much to my frustration but now it's a multi million pounf industry in the UK. I also think the Harry Potter phenemom has helped legitimise interest we also lack the religious fundamemtalist lobby to push back.

[Robert]

I think clowns must have a good profile generally, or Macdonalds wouldn't have picked a clown as its symbol.

[Steven Russell]

You forgot a "bap" Steve

The number of regional variations across the UK, really does fascinate me.

Oh yeah. You should know, Sarah Lee.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Red Zeppelin]

Bonfire night is by far the best time to see impressive fireworks displays in the UK.

Hehe not where I live (Cowes, Isle of Wight). The end night of Cowes Week in early August has a much better firework display than Bonfire night here.

[johns]

I haven't got an "issue" or "problem" with Bonfire night or Halloween, but what does annoy me somewhat is that in some parts of Britain, Halloween starts about a week before its actual date.... then bonfires and fireworks start appearing... often before Haloween is done with and continue on for a week or so after the 5th November.... So we get 3-4 weeks of it.

It's like a British disease.... "Oooh Christmas is 6 weeks away.... better start saying merry xmas to everyone" etc blah blah blah...

[Errata]

I haven't got an "issue" or "problem" with Bonfire night or Halloween, but what does annoy me somewhat is that in some parts of Britain, Halloween starts about a week before its actual date.... then bonfires and fireworks start appearing... often before Haloween is done with and continue on for a week or so after the 5th November.... So we get 3-4 weeks of it.

It's like a British disease.... "Oooh Christmas is 6 weeks away.... better start saying merry xmas to everyone" etc blah blah blah...

no, the Christmas thing totally happens here. The day after Halloween the Christmas music starts playing in the stores, the decorations come out for sale, and the day after thanksgiving (Nov 25) the decorations are up, the music is blaring, the Santas are in place, and if you work in a mall you want to kill everything in red or green.

[c.d.]

Hi Erratta,

Here in Washington, D.C. we experience all of that several weeks before Halloween. I was in Cincinnati, Ohio last year for a wedding. It was about the 20th of October but the department stores already had their Christmas decorations up. So I think it is becoming the norm.

c.d.

[Limehouse]

no, the Christmas thing totally happens here. The day after Halloween the Christmas music starts playing in the stores, the decorations come out for sale, and the day after thanksgiving (Nov 25) the decorations are up, the music is blaring, the Santas are in place, and if you work in a mall you want to kill everything in red or green.

Believe it or not - here in the UK - Christmas stock arrives in the shops just as the children return to school in September. By November 1st or thereabouts - decorations in shopping centres and cities and towns go up and Christmas lights are usually switched on soon after.We get a full three months of Christmas.

Then - on Boxing Day or the day after - Cadbury Creme Eggs appear in the shops. In fact - last year - the day before Christmas Eve - I saw my local W H Smiths wheeling a display of Cream Eggs on to the shop floor.

It is such a shame that our traditional customs and festivals have been highjacked by big business and no one has the time or motivation to create anything from scratch any more.

[Robert]

Over here there is a Hindu festival (Duwali?) which almost exactly coincides with Nov 5th, so there are two lots of kids who can't wait for the big day but instead set off their fireworks for several days in advance.

[c.d.]

Here in the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving in November. Traditionally it is a day for family gatherings, a day to give thanks and a day to eat turkey and pumpkin pie. Of late, it has become a day for buying things on sale. People get up in the middle of the night and are in line at 4:00 in the morning at department stores. Great way to teach your kids values.

c.d.

[c.d.]

I live in Washington, D.C. and of course we have a huge 4th of July fireworks on the National Mall. It is illegal to own fireworks in D.C. and the police really crack down trying to catch offenders. Too bad they can't apply such zealousness to murder, robberies and muggings the rest of the year.

c.d.

[caz]

I think the Psychoville boys have got the fear of clowns thing down to a tee.

Indeed:

http://www.focce.co.uk/site.html

And:

http://www.focce.co.uk/coulrophobia.html

And:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/psychoville/about/world-of-psychoville.shtml

I wonder who our American clown fanciers would favour - our lovable Mr. Jelly or the late Mr. Jolly?

Love,

Caz
X

[Fleetwood Mac]

You forgot a "bap" Steve

The number of regional variations across the UK, really does fascinate me.

Bread bun in the North East; barm cake in the North West.

When I moved across to the North West to go to university, it took me half an hour to procure a bread bun in the fish shop - just ended up pointing, grunting and generally using sign language to get the point across.

[Fleetwood Mac]

I haven't got an "issue" or "problem" with Bonfire night or Halloween, but what does annoy me somewhat is that in some parts of Britain, Halloween starts about a week before its actual date.... then bonfires and fireworks start appearing... often before Haloween is done with and continue on for a week or so after the 5th November.... So we get 3-4 weeks of it.

It's like a British disease.... "Oooh Christmas is 6 weeks away.... better start saying merry xmas to everyone" etc blah blah blah...

I'm a massive fan of christmas, a great to time wind down and spend time with family and friends.

But, I've never understood why people buy their presents in January for the following December, and I know a few who do that. I know the sales are in January, but it's planning the life out of the thing for god's sake.