Trick or Treat!
Question for you guys: Do you celebrating Halloween? If so, what will you be doing and what will the kiddies dress up as?
We don't celebrate Halloween in Denmark. Actually, this week is 'Potato Holiday,' a week where school kids get off and would traditionally help their parents harvest potatoes. The just get the week off now. Perhaps they eat potatoes, but that's as close as tradition gets these days.
However, since Danes are always looking for new ways to decorate their homes- especially the windows and doors (maybe they've read your book, Karen!)- a crop of jack-o-lanterns has appeared this year. The first year we were here a few stores sold pumpkins to decorate with. Last year I saw a jack-lantern or two (and assumed it might be the home of one of the 6,000 American ex-pats in Århus). This year has been an explosion. It depends on the neighborhood, but in residential areas I usually see one or two a block.
Apparently, someone has circulated a template of "What Your Jack-O-Lantern Should Look Like" to the locals, because they all carve the same thing: the triangle eyes, nose, and mouth with exactly one tooth. I find that funny.
posted by kris @ 3:52 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
We're doing the Trick-or-treat thing this year. Lucas is going as a Air Force Pilot complete with the flight suit we bought him while on vacation. He's even got the dog tags! My brother is sending us some extra patches to sew onto a hat and a canvas 'trick-or treat' bag. Connor....not yet sure. I was hoping to borrow a costume from the MOMS Club costume exchange but so far nothing in his size. Someone told me I should go to the local shop at the mall and get the Tazmanian Devil costume for him. Cruel, but accurate. I just dont feel like forking over $50 for a costume for him. I suppose I could always put Lucas' field fatigues (the camouflouge stuff) on him and he can be Lucas' crew chief or I'll think of something homemade. They only trick or treat to the 10 houses on our cul de sac and then come home and help pass out candy with us. Wegmans offers a Trick or Treat night a few days before Halloween where the kids get stuff (candy, toys, pencils etc) from the various departments which Lucas' playgroup is going to. Considering Christmas decorations are already in the stores, Halloween has taken a back seat already!
Well, to answer your question, we don't "celebrate" halloween in the truest sense of the word: no burnt offerings to the devil or dressing up like evil stuff. :) But we do take Caleb to a fall festival thing at the school he goes to. Emily will dress up like a little flower, and Caleb will be BILLY BLAZES, CHIEF FIREFIGHTER ON THE RESCUE HEROES(tm) cartoon. He's got a cool costume, with a CB radio, a fire ax made with real plastic, and a fire hose that puts out imaginary fires with imaginary water. He's all set. Oh, and he's got a fireman's hat. We'll get pictures.
So it sounds like your expat neighbors will instantiate a new holiday over there in Arhaus. I mean, besides Potato Day. That cracks me up! Maybe if we got enough Danes in Austin, we'd be celebrating Potato Day too. Maybe you can get a Mr. Potato Head and put him in your window, just to celebrate their holiday.
Post a Comment
<< Home