HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. Monday was my last day in the South of France I wrote about it here. I had a last glance on the beautiful landscape and then in the evening I prepared my suitcase.

2. My friend drove me to the airport in Marseille and even with my vintage face I apparently looked suspicious, because I had to open my suitcase in which of course he didn't find anything else then dirty laundry, and newly bought curtains. As medication is cheaper in France then in Belgium I had bought some classical things for our home pharmacy. I think he was quiet disappointed that I didn't had a bag of cocaine. I had to leave my hairspray behind, in case I intended to spray the pilot.

Mr. G. picked me up and looked real good, it seems to have some holidays from the own wife was relaxing, nobody told him what to eat, to do and avoid unhealthy things.

3. It was hard to get used to rather cool temperatures and the heating, on top it rained, so for the second day at home I felt "homesick". I put my T-shirts and summer clothing aside for next year and looked in my archives to see what I had for the winter. Maybe I need some new feathers.

4. I had to do some shopping and took the opportunity to make a tour with my new car, which had been the only thing I had missed ! The sun was shining and I drove and drove with no special destination, landed up in areas I had never seen, and when I had enough I told Mrs. GPS to take me home.

5. As they are All Saint's school holidays for a week, my painting class was on holidays too !  From Halloween I didn't see anything, not even in the shops. It has completely disappeared. Nobody in the street had done some decoration.



But then my young neighbor called and asked me if she could come over with her 3 year old son Maxime. Of course I said yes, found my witch head, a pumpkin and a witch I had from previous Halloweens and little Maxime was very impressed. He took the sweets posed for the picture, but was a little afraid of the witch. While there were there, suddenly 6 other kids showed up with their Dads and fortunately I had enough sweets for everybody. Last year I had bought sweets and nobody came !

HALLOWEEN IN BELGIUM

Meanwhile in Belgium Halloween is also known but not as much celebrated as in the USA. In my street there is no Halloween decoration at all, although last year at least one house had a very "bloody" decoration. This year nothing. I just drove a little around in other parts of Waterloo but didn't see anything in the gardens.

To my surprise when on Friday afternoon I visited Annie from my painting class in her street the houses and gardens were decorated !





With all neighbors they even make a big Halloween street party with a special witch soup and the kids going from house to house. She said it started around 8 years ago.



When I came back home, I added the witch and the pumpkin to my autumn basket so that Mr. G. has now two witches in the house and at least it gives a little Halloween touch.

To those who celebrate Halloween

I AM A WITCH !

For the first time in my life I am invited to a Halloween party ! A classmate from my painting group together with her daughter will throw a party tonight. I have been to uncountable parties in my life and also costumed once, but this was always for Carneval. Halloween I really started to know in virtual world by visiting American blogs.

But now it also moves slowly slowly into other European countries and of course into Belgium too, it started around 2000. When I think that Halloween is originally an Irish celebration and was brought to America by Irish emigrants. From the defeat of Napoleon to the beginning of the famine, in a period of thirty years, at least 1,000,000 and possibly 1,500,000 emigrated. However, during the worst of the famine, emigration reached somewhere around 250,000 in one year alone.

They left their country due to evictions, starvation, and harsh living conditions. The Irish made up a quarter of the population in Boston, Massachusetts; New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, Irish populations became prevalent in some American mining communities.

Of course they took the customs of their country with them and others took it over and it became the Halloween which is celebrated today in America.

I also like to take over customs of other countries when I like them. I always kept the once I was raised with in Germany, I took over the once of my Italian Mr. G and of course the once of the country I am living in.

And here I am when I tried my costume, a very simple one. The black velvet dress I had so I only bought the hat and sew a big red eyed spider on it.



orange socks with a black cat and of course the broom



a bracelet with skulls, a collar with a skull, a necklace with eyeballs and black and orange claws to stick on my fingernails.



and that's what I saw yesterday afternoon just across the street ! A warm welcome !

To those who celebrate Halloween

THURSDAY THIRTEEN - HALLOWEEN

more participants here

13. Historical things about Halloween

1. Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain

2. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

3. To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

4. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes.

5. in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

6. The festival has its roots in France and the British Isles. In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally.

7. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition.

8. By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment.

9. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration.

10. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.

11. In Ireland, where Halloween originated, the day is still celebrated much as it is in the United States. In rural areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts, and all over the country, children get dressed up in costumes and spend the evening "trick-or-treating" in their neighborhoods.

12. Halloween has become increasingly popular in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Austria since the early 1990s. From early October, stores are full of merchandising related to the popular Halloween themes. Students and little children dress up on Halloween for parties and small parades. Trick-or-treating is uncommon,

13. Other European countries under the American influence start with Halloween parties and decorations too.

*****

I started to pay attention to Halloween since 2006 when I started blogging and saw all the decorations on American blogs and heard about the festivities and customs. Now I celebrate Halloween in blogworld at least and a little at home.

WEEKLY WINNERS

More participants here at Sarcastic Mom Weekly winners

I went for a photo hunting and landed up in a little town, very industrial and therefore very ugly. That's why I don't name it. It once had been a very prosperous area with lots of factories which are all closed down today and it looks quite sad.





The canal where once ships transported the goods



The abandonned factories



and the council houses

But there was joy in the air, people prepared the town center for Halloween !

FIRST HALLOWEEN IN BRUSSELS

More participants here

When I started blogging two 2 1/2 years ago, I saw for the first time Halloween pictures and could read how people, especially Americans celebrate Halloween. I started to celebrate it too, but only on my blog and a little decoration in my house.

This year for the first time in my life I celebrated Halloween, or rather I assisted to some celebrations. When my son was little it didn't exist, but since 4 or 5 years it comes slowly up also in Brussels.

There was a Halloween party under the Atomium. For those who don't know, the Atomium is for Brussels like the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Eiffel tower in Paris. A reason for me to "run" there, armed with my camera.



I saw a lot of devils and witches

cute little pumpkins

and also for the first time in my life a pumpkin carving ! What a fun for the kids ! I really regretted that I couldn't participate I had no child or grandchild at my disposal !

But I had a lot of fun together with my friend and when we had seen enough we had a hot tea and a Brussels' speciality, I forgot the name, but it was caramelized apple cake with Vanilla ice cream !

And to end my first Halloween day in real 9 little devils, pumpkins and witches rang at my door and asked for treats ! That too was an event as I live now 33 years in this house !! Of course I had bought sweets and chocolate just in case ....

I am always open to follow nice customs of other countries !

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

my little witch Rosie


13. Quotes about Halloween


1. A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween.

2. Ask not what your Pumpkin can do for you, ask what you can do for your pumpkin.

3. At first cock-crow the ghosts must go
Back to their quiet graves below.

4. Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.

5. Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.

6. I bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.

7. If a man harbors any sort of fear, it makes him landlord to a ghost.

8. There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask.

9. Where there is no imagination there is no Horror.

10. There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.

11. I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

12. True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about but few have seen.

13. When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, May luck be yours on Halloween. !

Note : I can't comment on blogs using AKISMET as spam protector ! They think I am a terrible "Spammer" ! Please check ! Apparently I am not the only one from Blogger !

COMPILED NEWS

If you want to decorate your blog for Halloween, I have free Headers for you here. I amused myself !

Even in Halloween saison we shouldn't forget the News. It is very important for you to know what is going on in the world. That's why I report the latest News and for horror stories I sent you to the Capitain of the Cyber cruise Mrs. Lifecruiser.




Princess Ariane christened on Saturday
Princess Ariane, the third daughter of crown prince Willem-Alexander and princess Máxima of the Netherlands was christened at the Klooster church in The Hague on Saturday. This will not please the Devil ! Now they are "blessed" with a third girl ! and he so much wanted a boy ! Poor WillEm (not to confond with WilliAm! On the official christening picture they reminded me the Adams family (which usually is not the case) that's why I allowed myself to correct it a bit.



Before smoking After smoking

Crown Princess Mette-Marit chided for smoking

Norway's crown princess was caught smoking at a wedding recently, and that's disappointed officials at the country's cancer society. I Can't understand that ! They always complain that the royal family costs too much, and now they want absolutely keep one member in good health to last longer, instead of letting her smoke and send her to the graveyard ! That would be one person less to pay for ! Strange ...




Row over Italian toilet artwork
A toilet which flushes to the sound of Italy's national anthem has been impounded by police in northern Italy, sparking great patriotic debate. Prosecutors say the national anthem should not be ridiculed. Why ridiculed ? This is the only place where you can listen to music attentively and not being disturbed ! Take your Ipod along and sit down ! A lot of Italians don't even know this music ! It could be a good mean to learn it.

Minister sees red at Trevi prank
Italy's Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli wants a new anti-vandalism law after a man threw a bucket of red dye into the Trevi fountain in Rome. I can only shake my head ! This minister has never heard about Halloween ! It was only to color the Trevi fountain in an appropriate color ! I think it was a very good idea ! I only miss some skulls, ghosts and witches.

Elephants sense 'danger' clothes
Elephants can tell whether a human is a friend or foe by their scent and colour of clothing, according to Fife experts. It's a pity that humans are not able to do this ! Can you imagine how many deceptions you could avoid to yourself ??



Mini pigs are big success on farm
A Devon fun farm is reaping the rewards of a nine-year breeding programme for miniature pigs.
The pigs, which are about a fifth of the size of ordinary pigs, have been a hit with visitors at Pennywell Farm. How cute ! I see myself already with a little pig on a leash walking down the Boulevard and everybody would look at me ! (or the pig)



A beer bottle in a Kenyan's stomac
A 26 cm long beer bottle containing half a liter of beer had been taken out of the stomach of a Kenyan by surgeons near Nairobi. He already must have filled himself with beer before that he also swallowed the bottle ! Or maybe he didn't want to spoil the environment ?