Editing Talk:2836: A Halloween Carol

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The 'standard' and '2x' sized images had unexpected sizes, so a Trivia section has been automatically generated, and an imagesize paramter has been added (at half size) to render the image consistently with other comics on this website. --[[User:TheusafBOT|TheusafBOT]] ([[User talk:TheusafBOT|talk]]) 19:12, 2 October 2023 (UTC)
:Oooohh... Nice.  (Not a ghostly ooOOoooOOooo, just appreciation of the 'Bot now having the functionality to deal with the (now several times repeated) publishing errors at Randall's end.) Good Bot. Nice detection/stopgap behaviour! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.91|141.101.76.91]] 20:13, 2 October 2023 (UTC)
:the link it gave to the standard size image is actually a link to the 2x image, so maybe this functionality doesn't work right --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.213|162.158.154.213]] 01:26, 3 October 2023 (UTC)
:Also, teach your bot how to spell "parameter". :) Otherwise, cool. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:21, 7 October 2023 (UTC)
::Nice catch, thanks. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 06:20, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

should be noted that the tradition of Halloween costumes may have began as a way to scare off spirits, such as ghosts [[Special:Contributions/172.71.30.203|172.71.30.203]] 06:19, 3 October 2023 (UTC)
: I feel like that isn't "may", that it's firmly established fact, or rather that scary costumes were meant as a way to blend in and stay safe with the spooky spirits who cross over when the spiritual veil is thinnest, the night before it's (somehow?) strengthened on All Saints' Day, November 1st. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:29, 7 October 2023 (UTC)

Should I edit the “Created by a BOT” in the trivia section, or keep it a bit more serious?[[Special:Contributions/162.158.137.60|162.158.137.60]] 13:07, 3 October 2023 (UTC)

This one seems way off base to me... is it not common knowledge that Halloween (or "All Hallow's Eve") is an originally Christian/Catholic holiday? I mean, not as important on the calendar as the usual "we have forgotten the true meaning of" holidays, Easter and Christmas, but still... [[User:Mathmannix|Mathmannix]] ([[User talk:Mathmannix|talk]])
:That's a matter of definition. The Christian holiday evolved from the Celtic holiday/celebration/rituals of Samhain. A strong argument could be made that the traditions of Samhain are the "true meaning" of Hallowe'en. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 15:40, 3 October 2023 (UTC)
::Christian missionaries who tried to take away people's holidays likely didn't survive their mission. ALL Christian holidays inherited a lot from the older celebrations around same time, even Eastern. Of course, the case of Christmas is strongest as there is exactly zero reason for putting it on that date except to override Saturnalia. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 17:49, 3 October 2023 (UTC)
:What's off base about the explanation? The comic is, factually, about taking the concept of Christmas Carol and applying it to Hallowe'en. At a quick glance I see no attempt to EXPLAIN the holiday, and I see no call to do so. Hallowe'en, so ghosts, they say "ooOOOoo" instead of any redemptive message, done. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:36, 7 October 2023 (UTC)

Is one of them not talking because it's the ghost of halloween future? [[User:Umblatz|Umblatz]] ([[User talk:Umblatz|talk]]) 14:07, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
: No - just because not speaking is even scarier...[[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.196|172.70.86.196]] 08:15, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
: (Serious answer, though...) Assuming that they are maintaining the same relative position, all of them do speak (or, at least, oooOOOooo) at some point.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.23|172.70.85.23]] 08:17, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

I think maybe the joke in this comic is not so much that the meaning of Halloween is simple and unsubtle, but that it is perfectly illustrated by the presence of ghosts, so they don't need to explain anything (like they would for Christmas); they just need to assert their presence. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.223.101|172.71.223.101]] 14:57, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

It's all come full circle. Long ago, Beartato and Reginald got in trouble for stealing XKCD's Jokes ([https://nedroid.com/?601], [https://nedroid.com/?602]). Now, XKCD should get in trouble for stealing Beartato and Reginald's jokes! [https://nedroid.com/?640] --[[User:Bc55|Bc55]] ([[User talk:Bc55|talk]]) 14:29, 4 November 2023 (UTC)

Nothing in the explanation regarding which of Inky, Pinky, Blinky, or Clyde are represented (I’m guessing Clyde would be the one ignored) or why the Pac-Man ghosts were used at all.  Is Pac-Man supposed to be extra funny because it’s such an old game, or is there something deeper? [[User:John|John]] ([[User talk:John|talk]]) 11:42, 12 December 2023 (UTC)