Definately money!

We used to have turnip lanterns too, and fancy dress is relatively modern. I recall in the early l950's going out in ordinary warm clothes, but when I went to Tynwald Street school, in the juniors which would be the second half of the 50's, we used to dress up as witches, and made pointed witches hats at school, and had brooms made out of twigs or 'palm' leaves, etc., and brought our turnip lanterns in for some sort or parade in the school hall. Many of us used our costumes to go out hop-tu-naaing, that night, and that is the first I can recall of dressing up to go out to hop -tu- naa.

It was on the 31st October, only, (not several nights before as is becoming the fashion now), and we only dressed as witches. Lately, children have been dressing as ghosts, vampires, skeletons, and singing other songs such as "The witches of halloween", and carrying pumpkins. And we have actually had children standing there singing absolutely nothing, because they don't know anything to sing - and in one case the mother was with the child (that's ok), but mum didn't seem to know any songs either.

For my part, the children who have turnip lanterns, and sing 'hop-tu-naa'(Ginny the witch) get a bigger reward.

Regards the using of pumpkins for lanterns, I understand that halloween was exported to America with the emigrants, who found squashes easier to dig out, and subsequently, the squashes were exported to the UK along with other American ideas in more recent times. It is my understanding that the Manx hop-tu-naa is different from the English Halloween.

Susanne.