Something in my Celtic DNA makes me love this love the Halloween season. I wait all year for this. It's my super bowl, my world series, my St. Patricks Day, my best month of all.
For me Halloween season runs from the week proceeding All Hallows Eve until the monday after Thanksgiving. It includes Halloween prep, The day of the Dead, Election Day, Katy Day, all the exciting Thanksgiving prepartions, the big day and let down afterwards after everyone returns to school or home. The rest of the year is just the waiting for this time of year.
Not that I particularly do anything special, but I do have my routines.. I reread Washington Irving's stories, epecially Rip Van Winkle and the Legend of Sleep Hollow. Build a scarecrow at the foot of the drive, watch Sleepy Hollow for the hundreth time, chop firewood, and prepare for my annual argument with Mrs. T about how much trick or treat candy we should have on hand.
This is our only major argument throughout the year. 5+ lbs each of Snickers, Butterfingers and Baby Ruths seem appropriate to me. Mrs. T sees the world through very dark glasses and believes we really don't need any. This is from a woman who lives for Christmas, go figure.
Just becasuse the grandkids are all out of town this year, and we have never had a trick or treater, nor are we ever likely to, she feels we can do without. Bunkum.
There is something fundamentally right about both hard and sweet apple cider, candy apples, harvest festivals, jack-o-lanterns, fall leaves, dove hunts, wood fires, and all fall activities.
Bit of Halloween trivia. How many of you realize that it was on Halloween, 1517, that Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany, beginning the Protestant Reformation?
Be safe and have fun. What kinds of fun stuff do they do in your neighborhood, maybe I'm missing out on something good?
Toad
Posts
3 comments:
That's why we sang A Mighty Fortress in church this morning. It's Reformation Sunday (even though Methodists are not really part of the Reformation because they came via the Anglicans).
I grew up a Lutheran, though, so I love that song. DOTR always says it reminds him of "Davy and Goliath", that early claymation series hosted by the Lutheran church. We catch it once in awhile on an obscure cable channel.
And while I'm on a roll, I always love all the churches that won't celebrate Halloween but instead opt for "Harvest Festivals". Totally Pagan celebration, there, but they're clueless.
I like the fall, too. It's my birthday, there's no hype for gift giving, and in Nebraska the weather was nice (usually, at least better than spring).
Happy Harvest!
It's a feast celebrated more in the abayance than reality in the Catholic Churches of my youth.
I can't stand Halloween but as a Trad and for the kids I always hand out full sized Hershey and Reeses Cup. I like the brown and orange - - reminds me of a Hermes box. This year I forgot to take the carved lantern in. Attacked by racoons by next morning. Pumpkin everywhere. I hope those kids appreicated the full size candy...Your blog is looking great by the way.
Post a Comment