Halloween

I don’t think I’ve ever written about Halloween before since it’s mostly a non-event here. Well it used to be a non-event but now it’s become somewhat more popular around here.

Growing up, I enjoyed Halloween as a child and I remember going trick or treating in our neighborhood every year. I even recall a house that was on a little cul-de-sac off our street that never gave out treats and was dark each year. It’s a rather indistinct memory in that I mostly recall it happening and kind of where it happened but almost no other detail.

My trick or treating days were over by the time we moved from Georgia to North Carolina when I was eleven. I really can’t recall exactly when that was but I’m sure if I went out it was only because my brothers did. I didn’t really do much for Halloween during my teens and college years. I did dress up for at least one party which I think was held in our dorm. Once I was working I often was often at work on the night.

Then we had our two boys and Halloween wasn’t a part of their lives. Except for the one year we were in Halifax, Nova Scotia when they did their one and only trick or treating experience. I found they really got into the whole event there, unlike where we’d live before we left the US. (I think it had changed to mostly parties around our area, even for kids). The Scientist took them out while I stayed home to hand out treats. Of course Lego Lover doesn’t recall that as he was only not-quite three at the time. Not sure if Games Fanatic recalls much of it either but he was old enough to remember something of it, I think.

These days, Halloween has become more popular here and they even sell the type of pumpkins we used to use for jack o’lanterns although it’s pretty expensive to buy. I think that was the part I liked the best of the day but I’d sooner use some other foodstuff which was cheaper. After all the original ones were made out of turnips and beets from what I have read. I’m not sure how well that might work though and it’s a bit more than I can be bothered with in the end. I did today see the first jack o’lanterns I’ve ever seen in Australia. I know they must have been done before since the pumpkins are sold here but just never saw one. The one I recall was at an Anglican church having some sort of Halloween Haven. I have no idea what that entailed but I can guess it might be like the events I recall from when I last lived in North Carolina where kids were taken to a community event to do trick or treating instead of going door to door.

Today wasn’t the ideal evening for going out because it’s been windy and rainy off and on. We didn’t get anybody knocking at our door but then I didn’t prepare for anyone to come aside from getting an emergency pack of little chocolates…one of which has mostly been consumed by family members now. The other is still unopened. I did get other chocolates for the boys to eat and they are mostly gone now aside from part of a Toblerone block.