Trick or Treat, or …

I like Halloween. It’s not a love of Halloween that people across the ocean in America have. But maybe the influences of living there for a year have rubbed off on me a little here. Or maybe it’s the same old feelings for Halloween I had all along, since we’re not exactly immune to it in the UK either.

The best thing about Halloween for me, is the pumpkin carving. I love it, I wish supermarkets filled their storefronts with pumpkins all year round. Next year I plan on buying the battery operated pumpkin carving kit, to make things a bit easier. But for now, I’ve settled for the slightly cheaper standard walmart carving kit with mini knives (thanks trippy!).

Some people have called this years pumpkin a bit sick. But I think it’s really cool, and has turned out pretty well ๐Ÿ™‚

pumpkin2005/pumpkin2005_005.jpg

Pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere, and weren’t even known in Europe until after Columbus. Originally the Celts, witches, and other nature based religions used to celebrate Halloween as the ancient Celtic holiday Samhain (meaning Summers End). Traditionally, the lanterns were made out of gourds, turnips, or presumeably whatever else was at hand. Hot coal was added inside, to give the glow – and these lanterns were placed on the doorstep to welcome spirits of deceased loved ones, as well as to ward off evil spirits.

Since then, we’ve long forgotten the original holiday, and adopted the pumpkin as our lantern of choice, also placing candles inside instead of hot coal. Except for the fact we haven’t forgotten. Since I just told you. Aren’t these history lessons great?

So anyway, finishing up – Halloween is also a time for dressing up. The kids can go trick or treating, and fill huge buckets full of sweets. Though my journey home this evening leads me to suspect it’s getting abit too violent nowadays.

“Trick or treat or die” , screamed the army of children to the couple standing in the doorway.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but “or die” was never the end of the chant when I was growing up. And I think that’s a bit of a huge leap from the previous options.

“Trick?”
“No thank you, I wouldn’t want to be tricked.”
“Treat?”
“Oh I’m so sorry, I’m all out of treats. Great costumes though.”
“Then you must die.”
“What were the first two again?”

First person to post comments about Eddie’s cake or death sketch wins a Lion bar. Ali, I’m looking at you here.

So with that, a Happy Halloween to you all! I hope you all have, or had a safe and enjoyable evening … Preferably without the kind of Trick or Treaters from Watford, that take things a little too seriously! ๐Ÿ™‚

One Comment

    • Ali
    • November 1, 2005
    • Reply

    But I don’t like Lion bars… can I have something else? Before I scrolled down far enough to see what you said, I was already saying ‘Cake or death?’ in my head. And thats just sad.

    Anyway, I’ll have the chicken.

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