Mythology's Myth*inglinks: Halloween, Samhain, Day of the Dead, All Souls, All Saints
lol grey--wow, no Halloween in Australia? Surely you must at least celebrate
Samhain? No? Well, you've seen the Michael Myers flicks, that about sums it up.
Naw, it's a bit more innocent than that, but certain sects of conservatives don't let the kids celebrate the holiday because they belive it is of the devil. Seriously, that's America for you.
Mostly, kids between the ages of whenever they can walk and, hmm, 13, 14, 15, 27...? go out dressed up in crazy costumes and run from door to door begging, yes "trick or treat," but really expecting treats, no tricks. They want CANDY and lots of it. Some health nuts protest by giving apples or unsalted popcorn, but that's a dangerous gamble (remember the Michael Myers spirit of Halloween
). To give you an idea about the level of consumption we are talkiing about here: little kids tend to use small hollow plastic pumpkins, real cute, filling those up with sugary and chocalatey goodness. As a kid gets older and more greedy, he may eventually graduate to the jumbo pillowcase--maybe two of these if he can swing it. Sometimes the tonnage of candy may last children until Christmas, but usually it is gone within weeks, if not days. I used to do a lot of damage to my candyload right when I got home from trick-or-treating.
My best costume ever was when I was real small and my mom made me a house costume. She used a big cardboard box and some tinfoil, I think, magic marker, and I went as a dwelling that people live in. Honest. I couldn't move my arms, they just stuck straight out to the side, right through big holes in the sides of the house. It was a weird year.
Then one time, when I was a teenager, my friend and I decided to go out and relive our childhood, kind of. I forget what I dressed up as, but my friend donned a brown sheet. "I'm a turd," he told people. Again, a weird year.
This year my partner and I are both dressing in drag.
She will be a he and me, I'll be a she. haven't decided if I will shave my beard or not yet.
Perhaps I will post some pictures next week.
