Halloween again

 A few photos from yesterday.

We had lots of Halloweeners/ trick or treaters - all very polite and gruesomely dressed up.

A Halloween poem.

My contributions to a collaborative poem just about hold together . . .

The ancient feast of Samhain

is now approaching fast

that time when we remember

the spirits of the past

Do you dare to read the tombstones

Do you dare to walk the lanes

or wander past the churchyard

blood curdling in your veins?

The veil between our world and theirs

grows thin as night proceeds.

beware, oh mortals, of the mist

that lingers in the reeds.

The time to light the lamps has come

to banish fear and gloom

to welcome friendly spirits home

and give the others room.

A small child holds a parent's hand

and candles banish murk

but just beyond the flickering flame

fearful creatures lurk.

The jack o' lanterns'  dubious light,

trickers and treaters too,

guisers acting out their roles

see the evening through.

Wandering souls are quieted

wandering people fed

and now the magic's over

we can all get to our bed.

Halloween in Brooklyn

Photo from Leonie Wilson

Halloween

A lot of people in the UK (England, in particular) decry Halloween as an American import.  In fact it's based on a long tradition.

From wikipedia

In Scotland and Ireland, Guising — children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins — is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.
 The practise of Guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.

When I first came to Corby in the early 1980s the local kids would dress up and go round neighbours' houses, saying rhymes like:

I'm an Aberdonian
I come from Aberdeen
I've come all the way to Corby
to get my Halloween 

or

The sky is blue
the grass is green
please may I have
a Halloween?

Now they're more likely just to say 'Trick or treat' but it is really just carrying on a long tradition of children 'begging' at certain times of the year. We always had 'Penny for the Guy' and  used to go carol-singing around neighbours' houses - and not for charity, either.

All generally good fun and a way for neighbours to meet local kids.

I spent Halloween 2007 in Brooklyn - it was delightful to see the elaborate decorations on certain houses, where children were obviously welcomed.

I'm afraid the home-made cats' ears didn't work very well.

The shops on one of the main avenues were nearly all open that evening and handing out candy goodies, and there was a good-natured parade with music.

One of the decorated houses

A store giving out candy

The traffic lights are not part of the costume

She looks a bit spooked? It was getting cold!

And another lovely idea - share or give a scary book!