Halloween - I don't like it!

It's Halloween, and I don't like it.
I don't really understand the excitement that Halloween seems to induce in everyone. Everyone except me it seems.

America especially enjoy celebrating Halloween in a seriously big way, with parties and fancy dress costumes.
Now it is also very popular here in Britain too, and becoming more so each year.

I know what Halloween is supposed to be about, but as I tend to ramble on and on, I'll just say this-
Or, better still I won't say anything, I'll quote what the Encyclopaedia Britannica says about Halloween -

'In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic Festival of Samhain was observed on October 31, at the end of Summer.......
The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day and the Autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, goblins, black cats, fairies and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. 
It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. 
In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. 
It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.'

The main thing I don't like about Halloween is being disturbed by the knocking on the front door, the ringing of the doorbell.
I spend all evening unable to relax because I'm waiting for the knock on the door.
It's not that I begrudge giving sweets to children, I am more than happy to do that, although I always feel slightly uncomfortable handing sweets to the children of complete strangers.

I mean, when we were children, weren't we all told not to accept sweets from strangers? I know I was.
And yet at Halloween people take their children out and let them take sweets from strangers.

I suppose it's not so bad if you live in a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone, but I'm a Londoner, and it's pretty 'normal' for most Londoners not to speak to their neighbours unless they have to. And we wouldn't know our neighbours children if they stood up in our soup, let alone if they're dressed up in Halloween costumes and turned up uninvited on our doorsteps.

If I lived in a small friendly village I'd happily leave loads of sweets outside our front door so that any passing children could help themselves without knocking on the door, but as I'm unable to do that, I guess I'll have to grin and bear it.

I don't have a relevant Halloween photo, so here's a church. 

It's gloomy - like my feelings about Halloween.

I was going to doodle something more Halloween-esque, but it seemed hypocritical - so I didn't.

You may think I'm a misery for not enjoying Halloween.
Maybe I am. But just because everyone else likes something doesn't mean I have to.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow evening, when Halloween is all over, and I can sit and relax without any disturbances.
Are you a fan of Halloween?
Do you dress up and party?
What will you be wearing this year?