{"id":12784,"date":"2015-10-06T16:03:02","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T16:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=12784"},"modified":"2017-05-10T20:05:58","modified_gmt":"2017-05-10T20:05:58","slug":"halloween-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/halloween-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Halloween Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"pumpkins<\/a><\/p>\n

Hailing from the UK, I think it’s safe to say that nowadays Halloween is a much larger affair than it used to be. \u00a0When I was little it wasn’t half as commercialised, but the celebration still existed.<\/p>\n

I have fond memories of carving ridiculously small swedes (which took forever) and listening to stories of witches cats, \u00a0along with the decrepit looking egg box spiders and black sugar paper (and often crumpled) pointed hats we brought home from school.<\/p>\n

Occasionally, if we were lucky, there might be a Halloween party happening, which usually involved dancing to “Thriller” on repeat, and where bobbing for apples was the order of the day. \u00a0But we didn’t really go trick or treating – \u00a0that’s much more popular nowadays, where the unwritten code of an illuminated pumpkin placed on a door step or in a window usually indicates that trick or treaters are welcome (whilst the lack of any such decoration typically means that someone doesn’t want 55 children knocking on the door over the course of an evening!). \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0When last living in the UK, we were usually welcomers, up until we ran out of sweets or until Small (then positively tiny) People had to be packed off to bed, and out of fear that the constant ringing of the doorbell would wake them up. \u00a0Then the pumpkin would be brought inside (and any left over sweets eaten!), slowly filling the lounge with that seasonal fragrance otherwise known as “Burning Pumpkin Lid”…<\/p>\n

During our Expat life, it’s been really interesting to see how a couple of other countries do Halloween, and it obviously spreads much much further afield than Europe. \u00a0 \u00a0Although dates may vary, there are\u00a0ghoulish celebrations a plenty, from the respectful ancestor worship celebrations such as Obon in Japan<\/a>, and Chusok in Korea<\/a>, and Mexico’s better known Dia Les Muertos<\/a>, to the slightly more gourmet traditions of baking your ancestors cakes such as Beans of the Dead in Italy<\/a>, and Bones of the Holy<\/a> in Spain…<\/p>\n

Here in Germany all knives are hidden away to protect households from returning souls who might have a bit of a vendetta (or who possibly just like to cook?).<\/p>\n

Don’t imagine that the more commercial form of Halloween is relatively new in this part of the world either – I remember being petrified by my first ever trick or treaters when I lived in Germany the very first time around at the grand age of four (far far back in the mists of time…)! \u00a0Unexpected skeletons and witches will do that to you when you answer the door (I think my mother knew we were expecting such spooky guests by the way as answering the door at that age wasn’t typically the norm – but she could have warned me!)… \u00a0 And despite personally finding Krampus and his buddies<\/a> far more scary, it’s even more popular today, with the smattering of trick or treaters increasing every year, and a few fancy dress parties and obligatory school fancy dress day \u00a0(should you be in this part of the world where such shops are scarce, and like me plan on abandoning all attempts of “home-made” fancy dress through lack of time, do pop over to www.Horror-Shop.com\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0(they also have two “real” shops – one in Munich, and one just outside, if you want to visit in person!). \u00a0I think they have every Halloween costume imaginable, together with masses of make up, capes, and amazing translations that will keep you entertained – who’s wants to be Edward Mit Den Scherenhanden, anyone?)<\/p>\n

In Denmark, we also experienced the gradual rise of Halloween and Tivoli is THE place<\/a> to strut your Halloween stuff, putting on the most amazing Halloween Spectacular each year (complete with thousands of pumpkins). \u00a0 We usually had a few trick or treaters visiting as well, making the foreigners house (ours) the first port of call, as we were likely to have the most sweets (or so it seemed)…<\/p>\n

My favourite recent(ish) Halloween Celebration to date though, has to be in the country that probably does it best – America.<\/p>\n

\"New<\/a><\/p>\n

Late night trick or treating – New York…\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

We were days from moving here, and had gone from Florida’s heady heat for my Brother in Law’s wedding, to a unseasonally snowy New York in all of its Orange and Black ghoulish glory.<\/p>\n

\"halloween<\/a><\/p>\n

\"halloween<\/a><\/p>\n

Not wanting to miss out on the trick or treat action, we made like locals and went trick or treating from shop to shop (which we had no idea happened, but it’s done to discourage kids from knocking on strangers doors, and to avoid any nuisance issues, which can only be a good thing right?), and came back with the most magnificent haul of candy, some of which we grown ups HAD to eat out of fear for our infants teeth.<\/p>\n

\"halloween<\/a><\/p>\n

And this year? \u00a0Well we are surrounded by pumpkins anyway here in Bavaria<\/a>, but as for other festivities (as I am fully expecting to be sleep deprived with the arrival of a completely different kind of wailing little monster – who STILL hasn’t arrived), we\u00a0will probably keep things low-key with our usual Halloween Tea at home (which at the insistence of both Small People \u00a0usually consists of witches hair (squid ink) spaghetti, fingers (frankfurters), eyeball olives, spiced pumpkin muffins<\/a> and anything else their imaginations conjure up, and that I am instructed to make as Chief Witch…<\/p>\n

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