Halloween 2007

INTRODUCTION ------------------------- I have never went trick or treating and only celebrated Halloween when the school or my mates had a party. I grew up in a street with a lot of older people and trick or treating was quite frowned upon. My parents were not keen on halloween and only really made the effort for me. One year a local club organised a kids party and I managed to win with a skeleton outfit. I attended a few parties with clubs I was a member of but unfortunately I grew up…I have no kids of my own so have no real excuse to dress up, mess about or party. PERFECT PARTY ------------------------ I attended a few parties ...

I’ve mentioned before that I am not the biggest fan of Halloween. It can be a fun evening for children if handled sensibly but can also get out of hand. It’s the time of year when the stores stock up and sell out of rubber masks, fake blood, false fangs and all manner of spooky themed candy, fancy dress costumes grace the rails in clothes stores, undoubtedly only to be worn for one evening before being given away or sold on the following year when junior no longer fits the outfit, supermarkets pile their floors with varying sizes of orange pumpkins just right for carving…………yes it’s certainly become a very commercial time of year, as we follow our American cousins in ...

As many of you already know I am Wiccan and so Hallowe’en is fairly important to me. I always enjoyed it as a child in the old bin liner witch’s outfit with a black cardboard hat and a dodgy broom! As an adult it means more to me now and is kind of “new Year” for us Wiccans. Wiccans call Hallowe’en “Samhain” and it is the festival of the dead. Basically I believe that the veil between our world and the world of the dead is thin and the souls of the departed can return to spend a little time with their loved ones. So instead of being spooky and horrible the festival is really one of remembrance and respect for those who have gone before you. I love ...