Monday, October 27, 2008

Halloween


Halloween is a big deal in Canada. Houses and yards get decorated with scary stuff, kids decide what they're going to "go as" and plan the routes that will get them the most and the best goodies on Halloween eve, October 31. Little ones are taken door-to-door by their parent(s) who stand at the sidewalk while the little ghost/Batman/devil/princess comes up to the door, yells "trick or treat" and opens up the loot bag to receive the coveted candy. Older, savvier kids get to ditch the parents and roam on their own.

When I was a little kid in Ashern, Manitoba (150 miles north of Winnipeg), the traditions were different from what they are now. We didn't yell "trick or treat" - we yelled "Halloween Apples!" And we used to get lots of apples - more than candies - and sometimes a homemade popcorn ball. Nowadays only wrapped candies are given out, for fear that there will be something dangerous in an apple or a homemade treat. Then, in Ashern, after someone came to their door, you had to do a "trick" before you got your "treat". We used to have to tell a joke or sing a song or recite a poem - one guy I knew was really good at crossing his eyes, together or one at a time, and that was his act for the evening. If someone didn't give out treats, the older kids would play another kind of "trick" on them - the most daring and admired of which was carefully moving the outhouse back 5 feet so when some poor old guy came out to go to the outhouse in the middle of the night, he'd fall in the hole. Much frowned upon by the grownups; devilishly encouraged by the kids. Ah, for the good ole days!

It occurs to me that Halloween may be a big deal here in Canada and the U.S., but where else? What, if anything, is Halloween where you live?

4 comments:

  1. okay, that frickin' picture really gives me the creeps. jeez, aaron. i love it though. its very effective.

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  2. Well, when I was a child, growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, we would go out for Halloween, and dressed in the old clothes of our parents, as we didn't have money to buy costumes. But we would yell..... "help the poor"....and then, get candy and lots of it. But in Detroit, the night before was called "devils" night, and many houses were burned, and property damaged badly. But I left Detroit when I was 21, and would never go back if my mother of 87 years, was not there. My official roots are in the South, where I was born. And I always wanted, and prayed to live back where I was born. And here is where the remaining relatives of mine....live. Many are gone now, and the older I get, the more that die. I guess that is a surprise you get, for growing older. I am 61 and will soon be 62. The first of my life was hell on earth, but now, God has changed it all around, and I am very happy for the first time..in my whole life. I have one son.. "Aaron"...and a grand child on the way. 2 step grand children who are growing up, way too fast. But no matter what happens in my life, I have had a wonderful Father to help me along the way. And I have never regretted that for one moment. I have a lot of things that I am passionate about. One is history, and keeping it true, and sound. Not corrupting it...to suit political correctness. And I am very passionate about the life of the unborn.... and those who want to take the right that is given by God... that the constitution even gives us. So, no matter what comes my way, I will continue on, trying to save one life at a time... for those who can not speak for themselves. I will use every outlet I have to try and educate those who do not know what happens to millions of babies, all over the world. I know this is not popular, but the cost to me, is far less than the cost of one life..
    My best regards...Elaine

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  3. I grew up in Ashern! How random.

    Actually, Moosehorn...but whatever :P

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