Hallowe'en

[andrewducker]

Last night we bought a small pumpkin and Jane carved it, put a candle in it, and put it on our doorstep, thus signalling to any passing costumed children that we were open to them telling us a joke (or singing us a song) in exchange for some sweets. This is the Scottish tradition of "Guising", which dates back to the 16th century, and is one of the precursors of "Trick or Treating".

Our new home is in a little cul-de-sac, and there are always kids riding their bikes about or throwing a ball, so we wanted to make sure that people knew we were taking part in our tiny community.

We ended up with about 30 kids in total, in groups from 2 to 6 in size, some with parents watching from the end of the drive, some clearly trusted to look out for each other. Mostly they told a joke (and I discovered that 7 year olds don't understand that "That was *terrible*" is a compliment when it comes to jokes), one group did a song all together, and two played instruments (one had a violin, accompanied by her mother on a tiny drum. The other had a melodica).

The older kids made sure that the younger kids all got a go, and they were terribly polite, nervous, and excited. I was delighted with the whole evening, and we're looking forward to next year already. And, in a couple of years, taking Sophia round the neighborhood ourselves.

Sophia loved the pumpkin:


Even more when it was carved and had a candle in it:


This is how you summon the neighbourhood children:

Comments

[darkoshi]

I love jackolanterns too (but haven't had the time & energy to make them in recent years).

We had about 10 trick-or-treaters here yesterday (in 3 groups), in spite of the weather. Much candy left over.

[andrewducker]

Oh no! Whatever will you do with all that candy!

[agoodwinsmith]

I have such nostalgic enjoyment of this. I had so much fun doing this as a child. Very few children go door to door in Canada anymore. I have stopped stocking candy. Usually small towns do a "Trick or Treat Trail" (https://shuswaptourism.ca/happening/events/halloween-trick-or-treat-trail-downtown) in the downtown core, while bigger cities do it in the shopping malls. Not the same, you know?

However, we were never required to perform for our treats. Our approach was more of a shakedown with menaces, meaning that it was understood that any house that didn't dispense decent treats could expect to be "tricked" - toilet paper in the trees, eggs on windows, worse.

My dad grew up on the prairies, and his memories of fun involved groups of boys going around the countryside moving outhouses. "Outhouse" is the euphemism for pre-plumbing toilet facilities. Outhouse always means primitive sanitation. (I think the "fun" was the idea of people going out in the dark and not noticing the building had been moved and therefore falling into the pit.)[1]

[1] - oh come on - all humans go through a developmental period where the thought of someone *else* falling in poo is peak hilarity.

[threemeninaboat]

Someone on twitter says yous carve turnips! And call them something different! But Turnips aren't hollow!!!

[channelpenguin]

When I still bother, I carve "turnips". By which I mean what the English call "swedes" and the Germans "Steckrüben". Medium-sized and orange-coloured. And you are totally correct, they are not hollow. A mix of knife, a *very* sturdy spoon and a fair bit of swearing usually solves that. Pumpkins are cheating! (In fact.. I don't recall ever seeing a pumpkin at all for real as a child in the 70s in Glasgow, in any context!)

[cmcmck]

Great pics! :o)

We were staying in Ludlow and unfortunately for the local kids, Hallowe'en was the one truly dreadful night weather wise- it bucketed and blew a hurricane.

[myka]

I like this post :-)

[andrewducker]

Me too!

[melchar]

I love the pictures and the sentiment!