Letpchess original drawing
Random Thoughts Thursday part 17
Pumpkins, Carnivals and Candy
How I love pumpkins! Let me count the ways...
Baked pumpkin, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin juice, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice latte—I haven't met a pumpkin recipe that I didn't like. At some of the cafes that I frequent, I get excited to see their "pumpkin menu" come out with all things pumpkin-related since it is the season here in Russia. If I am not careful, I might soon turn orange! Since I have not lived in the United States for 10 years, Halloween passes by pretty quietly, except for the fact that it is my colleague's birthday, and he always carves an intricate pumpkin as decoration for the sweet treats he shares. Other than that, our school hosts a "Fall Festival" to give the kids a chance to play games, win prizes, and have a costume contest.
Halloweens of Yesteryear
When I was a kid, I used to love Halloween. I would spend quite a lot of time planning my costume. One year, my family actually coordinated and dressed up as characters from The Wizard of Oz. I was Dorothy with my hair braided, wearing a blue dress and red shoes, and carrying a basket and a dog stuffed animal. My younger brother was the scarecrow, and my older brother was the tin man. My father walked with us as the lion, and my mom stayed home to pass out candy as a witch. Save your jokes... We looked amazing! When we used to walk down our street, the neighbors all knew us, and very often they had prepared small BAGS of treats with our names written on them to hand out to the kids they knew. As an adult, I am really quite impressed by their thoughtfulness and their ability to remember every kid who lived near them. The kids from far away got to take candy from a bowl, but we, the close neighbors, were treated with special care. I'm sad to recall all those wonderful "grandma figures" in this moment because I realize that they have all long since passed away, and I wish I could tell them how much their kindness meant to us. But I digress.
I can also recall many fun activities surrounding the month of October. Fall is my favorite season anyway, so being out in nature with all the beautifully colored leaves painting a backdrop on life made everything ten times better. I enjoyed hay-back rides, walks in the park, and craft fairs. One cool thing I still recall is a farmer who set hay bales on their sides to create a maze in his field. You had to crawl to find your way through it, and it was really dark inside, so you needed a flashlight. There were three lookout points where you could stand up and try to get your bearings to find your way back out. Honestly, I think I was either a lot braver or a lot more foolish as a teenager because if I tried it now, I think I might feel a sense of panic as I was not able to stand up when I wanted. I really only had room enough to crawl... and back then I thought it was awesome!
Haunted houses were also a must when I got older, both to enjoy and to participate in. I remember dressing in some pretty gory things as a teen. My adult self would not likely approve of how I looked for some Halloweens. And that is kind of the point I am driving at. This holiday used to be fun and games and candy, and then, at some point in my life, it got more and more gruesome. When I had my own kids, I started to rethink the whole thing. I was thankful to belong to a large church, and they hosted a community carnival for the kids. The entire thing was free, and if you brought canned foods to deliver to the homeless, your kids got extra tickets for the rides. It was a huge step up from the activities I used to do as a kid. There was a small Ferris wheel, a fun house, trampolines, a little roller coaster for the younger ones, and the typical ring-toss-type carnival games to win prizes. Our church went all out with characters on stilts, photo booths, street-style entertainment, and loads of food. It really was the best kid's show in town. And of course, we all wore fabulous costumes!
New Ways to Celebrate
These thoughts came to mind as I listened to my mother's plan back home to participate in "trunk or treat" this year. Communities sign up to park their cars in a parking lot with their bags of candy on their trunks. The givers stand next to their cars, and the kids walk in costume from car to car, collecting treats. Is it anything like the days of old? Absolutely not. But the kids get their treats. The parents save time, and the candy givers, like my mother, can feel a little safer not having to open their doors all night to strangers.
As for me, I'll work really hard with a team of teachers and teens to put on a fall festival for our community. This year, we will decorate around a '50s diner theme. We'll have great food, music, games and prizes. There will be a raffle to throw a pie in a nominated teacher's face. I'll enjoy seeing the littlest ones in our families dressed in adorable, creative costumes. I wish there were more opportunities in life to dress up as something imaginary. Aside from school plays and festivals, there really aren't that many moments in life for me to dress as a different character as an adult. While I am writing this, I am thinking I might want to create a themed party for Christmas or New Year because, why not? There are no rules against it! :-D
How About You?
Tell me in the comments about a favorite costume you ever wore. When was the last time you wore a costume, and why?
Wishing you fun and creativity!
Cheers!
