Holidays

Already Billy is sending me Hallowe’en emails. The latest was a lovely little girl, doing ballet in her little pinck tutu.. soft music in the background and then BAM! An ugly head pops up and screams... sort of like life sometimes eh!? You're going along.. all good. Then suddenly - WHAM!

But really, Canadians do it right: life.. yes, but I am thinking also about that whole holiday thing! But they don't do it because they are special... it is the weather.. it makes us special. The weather can be unpredictable, lousy and the winters are cold, long and dark.

October first gives us Thanksgiving. What a great day! A long weekend… lots of turkey, fresh veggies and stuff from the garden.. pie. It's our last chance to be outside while we can still see the ground. And what’s more, you celebrate with family and friends. Thanksgiving provides the opportunity for us to catch our breath and head into winter together.

It prepares us for Hallowe’en.

We love Hallowe’en in Canada. We brought the old Celtic celebration over with us when we first came to the New World. It is all about the end of the summer, the beginning of the darker half of the year. By October 31, even our Indian Summer has finally come to an end.

A few years ago now: heck, was it was ten years ago?! I was in Mexico for Hallowe’en and was surprised by the lack of a big deal! Some of the indigenous people did descend upon Saltillo and trick or treat us: for coins, and cans of food. Hallowe’en was one way to get cash to buy some food. But the middle class folks from town: children dressed up as witches and Toy Story characters: no sign of them.

A few days later I was down south, in Oaxaca. That area is a lot more superstitious than the north, and they celebrated The Day of the Dead. There were skeletons everywhere, and sugared skulls were handed out, in memory of those that had gone on ahead. I was too late for the big celebration: the parade and fireworks. It still wasn't like Hallowe'en though. It wasn't about being scared, it was more about paying your respects.

It made me think of China. They celebrate their Dead too. They burn cash in an attempt to get it to heaven to help out relatives that had passed on.

But no one celebrates Hallowe’en like Canadians.

When I was a kid I remember coming home with a pillowcase ¾ full of candy, and a few apples. Some houses had ‘special’ treats for me: popcorn balls or caramel apples, because they knew me. But, that meant I had to sing.. something, anything would do! Even “Trick or Treat.. Smell my Feet, Give me something good to eat.” Oh Joy!

Years later I dressed my own boys up in costumes. Super hero’s were great, as a cape and mask could easily go over the snow suit. There were a lot of Hallowe’en ghosts in my family. Just a sheet over all that winter gear, and suddenly we had entered the spirit world. Add a couple of carved out pumpkins from Debbie’s yard and there you had it: Hallowe’en!

And then there were the parties. Parties for kids and then later, for the grown ups. I can't think of a Hallowe'en without a vision of Neils.. drunk as a skunk and dancing up a storm: on his dry-wall stilts.

Now in Australia, there was no Thanksgiving.. and now we are coming up to their pathetic attempt to do Hallowe’en. For some reason, it just didn’t arrive with that first fleet, or any of the others after that. People here believe it is a pathetic Hollywood, American holiday.

It must have something to do with living in the southern hemisphere. In the north, we are coming into the dark half of the year. Ancient Celts believed that the border between this world, and the netherworld was thinnest at this point. It was a time when evil spirits could pass through.. Even our own family members could get confused and pass through.. finding themselves stuck here until next year. So, we dress up: either to scare them away or so that they won’t recognize us.

And it’s fun. Ozzy’s like to embrace or condemn on the basis of what others say or think, instead of whether or not they like it. Relax guys! Hallowe’en is fun! Dressing up is a blast!

Christmas in the sun? It’s not the same either. But hey: it is a whole lot cheaper to celebrate in the summer: all that comfort food is just not necessary when you have all that sunshine.

It's all kinda like life isn't isn't it.

Canadians just do it up bigger.