Halloween

I detest Halloween; I don't understand the celebration of all things evil & bad that the 31^st October marks. Don't get me wrong I like a celebration, any excuse in fact usually, but I don't get the fuss about All Hallows Eve. Now if it was closer to a day of celebration of the lost & remembrance for the dead (similar to the Mexican day of the dead which appears to have value and importance) I'd certainly sign-up (although I'm not a great fan of dressing-up).

Even so, despite my dislike of the occasion, I still feel the need to take-in provisions to placate all the children and teens dressed-up, consequently avoiding having the house egged, plants pulled up and other displays of wanton destruction.

Now November the 5^th that's a different matter; a proper British celebration, none of this American imported muck. I love America but not everything we have adopted from our Yankee cousins is great, high on the list of negatives must be Halloween? The Halloween of 2011 just appears cheap, plasticey and all together rather hopeless.

As a child we didn't mark the occasion at all, mainly because of the families belief structure. But in the 1970's & 1980's in the Midlands of my childhood it merged in with Bonfire night, we took a few good bits like carving vegetables, but that's about it. But never a pumpkin; the vegetable of choice in Walsall was a swede or a turnip. Have you ever tried to carve a swede (so hard) or a turnip (so fiddly)? I don't think I saw a pumpkin until I was well into my teens.

And Trick or Treat is a fairly new phenomena, the only time I went door to door as a child was to ask for my ball back, during bob-a-job week or carol singing.

Grabbing a coffee this morning the staff of Caffe Nero had dressed-up; a zombie and a slutty vampire. Whilst I admired their desire to brighten-up a glum Monday morning, I still wanted to shout … Grow Up! Whereas in fact my lone comment was … " What are you planning for Bonfire night? Sparklers in your hair? Indoor fireworks? Stick a Guy on the counter?" All good suggestions, apart from the sparklers, Health & Safety fire risk.

If I had my way we'd go out tonight, avoid any Trick or Treat'ers completely, but EJT is snowed under with school preparation so will be locked away in her office until late. So I'll have to open the door as well.

When they knock I'd just shout F*CK OFF! back through the letter box, but that's not appropriate for a Children's Nurse apparently.

I had a bad experience a few years ago on Halloween (previously documented on the old LiveJournal Shipyards blog) whilst living at Todd Terraces, when I opened the door to a teenager in a Scream mask who lunged at me with a large kitchen knife. Never has the phrase “I shat myself” been more appropriate. Since then I've had a bit of a thing about opening the front door around these occasions, understandable I think you'll agree?

Some of the local little people came round on Saturday and Sunday early evening, but I expect more tonight. Maybe I could turn off all the lights downstairs and hide in my bedroom until November arrives?