I don't know, in 'my day' my dad used to launch into battle with a couple of turnips (swedes if you're a southerner) and after hours of work we had a couple of hollowed out lanterns with triangular eyes and a rough-toothed mouth. Bearing these items and cunningly disguised under bedsheets, my sister and I would venture forth to frighten our neighbour. Mrs Brennan would dutifully express dramatic alarm and the two ghosts would instantly shout 'It's us!" We didn't want to frighten her. No sweets exchanged hands but my dad got a cup of tea (or possibly something stronger - I'll have to ask). It has to be said that the foreign pumpkin invaders lend themselves considerably better to creativity but I have just had to prevent the first three trick or treaters taking the entire bowl of sweets (blimey - it's been a battle all week stopping Adam eating them all - they've got to last all evening!) While I am nostalgic about the non-commercial, low expectation days of my childhood, I do like the little ones coming round - and around here the kids only visit where there's a pumpkin out so my elderly neighbour doesn't get harassed. The students at Christ's have produced some very nice pumpkins again - 1st, 2nd and 3rd on the right, commended bottom left, 'Wizard's favourite' (which says, 'Beware the scary porters') bottom middle. My own version is a shadow of its usual complex self - I just didn't have hours to chisel away this year, Adam is off to a party and Nigel away on business - so it's just me and the ghouls tonight.
Three good things:
1. My neighbour's little girls who are the cutest Halloweenies in the world.
2. Over-editing and collages where you try and hide the fact that you got fed up over-editing half way through!!
3. The most gorgeous group of tiny Japanese Trick or Treaters I've ever seen - all being VERY careful to only take one thing.
Wow brilliant carving love the bottom right one. what a good idea putting out a pumpkin to let the TT know it is OK to visit. we are out in the sticks and have never had any to our house
Great collection. I can't stand Halloween :/ If the kids went round in the daylight I think I'd be ok. As it is we're sat in the back of the house with the lights off at the front - the kids aren't here. Saying all that though, I do like the dressing up and history behind All Hallow's Eve and shall be dressing up on Saturday for a party at a friend's house!
That's probably why we never get any trick-or-treaters - we don't put a pumpkin out! We've had a couple of little girls any way - all dressed up nice and ghoulish. We'll just have to eat them ourselves as we do every year. Nice montage.
A wonderful display of amazingly carved pumpkins! Love the accompanying text too. Carved swedes Judith? You were lucky . . . All we had were apples to bob for . . . :)
Yes, we do exactly the same as you, putting the pumpkin out. Just brought mine in though as it's blowing a gale and I've had all the village teeny tots around for their treats. As for me, home alone, I've eaten an apple and a Mars bar and now going to pour a glass of wine! Nice balanced diet and a Happy Hallowe'en to al 365ers.
@julieco Sounds like a perfect night. I'm just contemplating a G&T but I think I'll have to stick to a cup of tea in case I have to go out in the car at some point (I don't expect to but there's only me in a teenager at a party so you never know...)
Well that's just the most impressive selection of pumpkins I've ever seen. Your collage is terrific and your story-telling even better! I do remember the Halloween turnips and how long they took to carve - yes we're from 'up North'. It wasn't until I was a teenager that we went out with a sheet and tried to frighten the neighbours and there were never any sweets exchanged. We lived in Canada for 7 years and our boys took part in the
Halloween festivities with great enthusiasm - there was never any trouble.
Fantastic carvings, the funniest one I saw today on facebook was a mummy pumpkin giving birth to a baby squash! I'm not a big fan of halloween, I don't like answering the door when its dark or to masked people, I let Darren and William deal with them!
Oh I love these carvings. I wish I'd had time myself this year (it's usually something we all do together as a family) but it was just me this year and a tiny harlequin squash which didn't lend itself to anything very artistic :o) xx
nice collage judith....yes turnip lanterns for us too in Bolton....I had to laugh when you said you and your sister were under sheets with your turnip lanterns...i assume they were lit ones.....no such thing as health and safety in those days ...glad you didn't set fire to your bed sheets !!!! My wife tells me when she was a girl one child in her classes hair caught fire at a Christingle service !!!
@phil_howcroft Hahaa! Yes lit...my mum was an infant teacher and used to spend Christingle services poised to leap into action - they were not relaxing at all!
I love this collage and the hint of nostalgia in your story. It's a fav for me, because these are really pieces of art and also because I haven't seen a single pumpkin here - the Halloween hype just hasn't hit Germany, yet it seems.
Wonderful collection of carved pumpkins & the cat! Loved the story of what use to happen, with a great lack of consumerism. Getting to have innocent fun.
November 4th, 2012
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Halloween festivities with great enthusiasm - there was never any trouble.