OT: Happy Halloween!

atarango · Post by **atarango** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:45 pm

I live in the woods now so no trick or treaters to be seen or heard- however I carved a huge pupmkin and set him on my porch all alit, and got a fake pumpkin (plastic with a light in it) and its in my bedroom window. Otherwise it is quiet. Tommorrow I will decorate my alter and prepare it for the Day of the Dead (I'm Mexican-American).

My college was in a wealthy communiy- so it was not uncommon for the students to dress up and go trick or treating like the kids because most of the people gave out full-sized candy bars. That and our dorm would through a huge Halloween party in the dining hall with tons of fun food and treats, and decorations.

At home (where my parents live now) there are tons of trick or treaters (we live in a neighborhood that is condsidered "safe") My dad and I used to decorate our house in a big-time way, with bats and ghosts on wires- crazy music and flickering lights- most of my neighbors had fun decor too- the whole area got into it. I went trick-or treating until I went to college- that is just what kids on our block do- it also was not uncommon to get adults in costumes, I loved seeing how people decorated their homes. My dad used wear these crazy masks and scare the kids when he opened the door.

Now though, since I am not there anymore, he doesn't pull out all the stops anymore. He just carves a pumpkin and gives out treats- he says he's getting to old and its too hard for him to do all the decor without me to help.

I love Halloween- its always been lots of good clean fun in my experience

-Angela

Steven · Post by **Steven** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 8:10 pm

In the past 10 years, since I left grad school and started living the life of a real person, I haven't had a single trick-or-treater. Ever. Very sad. However, this year my wife and I bought a house, in a town, with kids all around. We had loads of them tonight! Lots of fun. Of course there are the silly teenagers who go around in their regular clothes, but we also had some kids in very cute costumes, and some very clever ones too, and also a few teens who really dressed up. We went through about 3 1/2 large bags of candy. Wow!!

Our new dog (got her on Thursday) was incredibly excited that all these people were coming by to see her, but after a couple of hours she was peopled out. She's having a nap now.

Whee!!

Steven

Sunnywindo · Post by **Sunnywindo** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 10:00 pm

Just as I suspected.... it snowed the whole evening! Reminded me more of Christmas than Halloween with those big flakes swirling. Hubby stuck a three hundred and fifty watt light bulb inside the pumkin he carved... made it look like there was flames coming out of the face and it lit up our yard, no need for a porch light with that. Didn't catch fire but it's one way to cook a pumkin, steam eminated from the top and all.

We went trick or treating in two parts. Up and down the street one way from our house then home to get thawed out and eat dinner. Then back out to go up and down the block the other way then home. Was going to go again, but it's just so cold, and it's getting late. Less kids out this year than last because of the weather... normally we get a lot more. Still have a fair amount of candy that didn't get handed out this time. But my boy and I had fun. My nose is still froze, but I wouldn't miss taking him out and seeing his excitment and having fun like that for anything.

And a sweet little old lady gave me a piece of candy too... that was nice. Still trick or treating at twenty-six!

Sara

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 10:05 pm

The trick or treaters didn't show up tonight.
Now all of the candy I bought for them is MINE!

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 10:22 pm

I ALWAYS buy too much candy ~ on purpose!!

I dressed as a witch and sat on the porch swing, with 4 carved pumpkins, a skull with a flickering light inside, Mannheim Steamroller's Halloween CD playing and various glowsticks and candles set around. It was great fun handing out treats, even to the "big kids" ~ hey, they like candy too!

My hubby took the boys over to a friends house, where they were having a block party. They had a great time.

I have always loved fall and Halloween ~ and I still like to dress up, too!

Mary

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 10:51 pm

Well, I handed out candy. It wasn't too cold here.

Cyfiawnder · Post by **Cyfiawnder** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:21 am

I personally dressed in my cerimonial white robes. and walked around the house with my Sage smudge. Afterwards I lit the candles on my alter starting with my clan candle, then followed by the god and goddess candles simultaniously. Then I filled my water bowl with fresh rain water (a lot of that lately). I then lit the incense in my "ether" bowl which I promptly wafted around the room with a feather. Then I Filled my chalice with Elder Libation (elderberry wine) and used my sea shell to call Manannan to Part the veil between the worlds and commune with me on this Holy of Holy nights. After several hours of quiet contemplation, meditation and ritual (some of which I'm not going to divulge). I took a nice long walk in the grave yard thats a block from my house, still in my pure white robes. Lucky its Holloween because the local PD probably would have arested my Pagan butt on any other day but this one...
My mother on the other hand dressed in her black robes, and did what ever Wiccan's do on Holloween. No I'm not wiccan I'm (neo)Druid!
May your new year be 100 times more fruitfull than your last.
Samhain Blessings /|\
Cyfiawnder

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 1:27 am

I built 18 new Brassy Polly whistles.
I'm still behind.

serpent

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 5:20 am

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 9:04 am

I traveled to North Carolina and handfasted two lovely people-- it was a very nice ceremony, if I do say so myself.

Guests came in costume, and everyone seemed to be eating and drinking merrily when I bid my adieu. I drove 3 hours to get home, and my cat bit me... I now have four puncture wounds above my left knee. Owee.

My true Samhain celebration (according to my tradition) will take place on lunar Samhain, which as someone pointed is this upcoming Full Moon.

Happy New Year all you pagans!

Blessings,
Andrea

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 11:58 am

Kevin, what on Earth is it about you and your fascination with chundering? And now a pic in dubious taste about pumpkinly "Roman showers".

I forgot that yesterday was the last day of operations for Molly Quinn's (RIP, or not: there may be reincarnation after all). A few of us showed up for a last session. The joint was packed for the sendoff, and we eventually wedged ourselves into the front corner by the entry. Despite the volume of the overall craic, it was not too bad as sessions go, and there were a couple of interludes of excellent Highland piping, too. I was accosted by a diminuitive but friendly werewolf whose vocabulary pretty much consisted of "Aaaaghhhrghhhhh" and "Ouwwww". "One word," said I to him, "...Nair®." He threw up his paws and wheeled away moaning into the crush. Given the numbers on site, one's Guinness was hard-won; I may have made him thirsty. I hope he didn't have to nip anyone to get to his.

We decided to wrap it up after a couple of hours as the crowd was just too much to be session-friendly, and played "Nearer, My God, to Thee" for a final sinking-of-the-Titanic-esque flourish. At that point it was so noisy that I don't think anyone could hear it but the sessioners, but the sendoff was right.

Then I went downtown to watch the extraterrestrials.

To the best ITM musician's madhouse in the Twin Cities: slán go fóill.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:19 pm

When I was married and the family was still together, we would either be invited to or throw a haloween party (dressing up was required).

I dressed as the grim reaper one year and got there early. I painted my face and hands using black and white grease paint so that I looked like a skeleton in dim light when wearing a dark cloth for my robe.

I leaned against the wall holding my scythe and looked straight ahead. When someone would walk up to examine the "decoration" and would comment on how real it looked, I would move my eyes to theirs. I got several screams that way.

There was a group that was passing a bottle around that were ignoring me, so I slowly scooted over to them and reached out the skeletal hand for the bottle. 4 screams at once. That was neat!

I believe that was my favorite halloween party. It seems as if no one throws them any more around here.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 3:29 pm

We just got back from Bristol, Ct, where we spent Halloween night at Lake Compounce in the Haunted Graveyard; it's the first time we did something really "dumb" on Halloween (driving 2 hours up and 2 hours back). However, we all loved it, especially my teenage daughter and her friend - a full 45 minutes romping through misty dark graveyards and haunted houses with 100 live actors jumping out at you...

Don't worry, we enriched the experience with a ramble through Yale University (we had two hogh school sophs in tow) on the way home; very beautiful campus and good vibes. Actually met a student there who went to my daughter's high school...

Regards,

PhilO