All Hallows Eve. Samhain (pronounced sort of like ‘soween’). Colloquially known today as Halloween!
Originating in the three night new years’ festival of the ancient Celtic peoples, Halloween has become a night for merriment, mysticism, and just plain good fun. Easily my favorite holiday of the year, I’ll be handing out candy to trick-or-treaters tonight once I put my jack-o-lanterns out. But Halloween isn’t just for kids, as there are plenty of parties, scary movies, and haunted houses for all ages on October 31st.
So what are you dressing up as this Halloween? Got any little ones to take trick-or-treating or will you be handing out candy yourself? In the meantime, have a very happy, haunted Halloween!
Good post! I'll be spending the night in with my family, eating pizza, watching movies, and gorging on chocolate. : )
ReplyDeleteHave a happy Halloween!
Hello Mark:
ReplyDeleteAll Hallows Eve is not celebrated in the way in which you describe at all here in Hungary. It is, in fact, a serious occasion when tonight [31st.] and tomorrow families will visit the cemeteries with wreaths and flowers and will illuminate the graves with candles. This practice is widespread throughout the country and is something which we rather like.
Haven't dressed up in years and we don't have kids. And if no trick-or-treaters come again this year, the candy is all mine!
ReplyDeleteI just may watch something scary on the telly. Normally, I just end up watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show as it comes on every year :)
ReplyDeleteNot dressing up. I'll probably watch a scary movie and hand out candy. Or eat it all, you never know. It's happened before.
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween. :D
I'll carve a pumpkin, watch a Supernatural DVD tonight and hand out candy. I love Halloween. Thanks for giving that pronounciation for Samhain!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I watched the 1st episode of season 4 of Merlin and it centered around Samhain, I didn't make the connection to Halloween. But, duh, the evil witch raised all the spirits of the dead. Thanks for that tidbit! Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteI'll be escorting an adorable Strawberry Shortcake and Mr. Darth Vader Himself :) I went as a writer on a deadline one year but no one knew what I was except my two writer friends LOL
ReplyDeleteI wore a bathrobe with red-penned manuscript pages stapled all over it, my face was pale with black circles under my eyes, I was wearing glasses with another pair stuck haphazardly in my hair, my hair was ratted out like crazy and I had pencils, toys, cereal, and various other items stuck in there. I think I was sporting a few post its too :D
I loved the outfit...but, yeah, unless you're a writer you'd probably just assume I was a mom LOL
Happy Halloween! :)
ReplyDeleteNot doing much for the day . . . no one's come to the door (yet) and I'm not dressing up.
My hubby took the littles out to trick-or-treat while I gave out candy. Our neighborhood always has a good crowd, so I ran out of candy and shut down while there were still kids out there (mostly older ones at that point). Next year we're trading, so I'll take the kids out and he'll stay behind to hand out candy. :D
ReplyDeleteWe don't have the custom of Halloween, Mark. But from the way you all describe it, it sounds fun.
ReplyDeleteE.R. – Gorge on;) Happy Halloween to you too!
ReplyDeleteJane/Lance – That still sounds pretty cool. It’d be neat to see that one year.
Alex – Oh all the candy…the horror of it;)
Kelley – Hmm, not bad. Although I suggest Ghostbusters or Charlie Brown, always good Halloween favorites!
L.G. – Lol, Happy Halloween:)
Tricia – No prob, my family’s part Irish so I know how crazy it can be to pronounce Gaelic;)
J.A. – You’re welcome. Enjoy your Samhain!
Michelle – Lol, sounds like a great costume. Writer indeed. Hope your kids enjoy all their candy loot!
Eagle – At least there’s candy:)
Shannon – We get a good crowd too, around 200 kids during the night. So lots of candy goes out!
Rachna – It is fun! But you have the festival of lights coming up don’t you? That sounds like it’d be neat to see too:)
Happy Halloween to your too, Mark. I was a vampire in bed. Well that didn't sound right...I meant because my feet are still hurting I was in bed, but dressed up anyway because I like Halloween. LOL. You get what I mean. Have a good one. :)
ReplyDeleteHalloween is only just starting to take offin Australia. I didn't grow up with trick or treating at all. Last year was the first year kids actually came around trick or treating and I was unprepared. This year I was prepared with sweets. It was so much fun.
ReplyDelete...it's become tradition over the past few years, my wife trekking across town, surrounded by little ones donned in pirate garb, a witch's robe, TinkerBelle, and a transformer or two, as I remain at home, sitting on the front porch, a bowl of Snickers and KitKats in my lap, the latest superhero mask atop my brow.
ReplyDeleteGood times ;)
El
Laila – Lol, I get what you mean:) Happy Halloween to you too.
ReplyDeleteLynda – That’s neat to know that it’s getting popular there too, as Australia (like America) has Celtic roots via the immigrants that have come there over the generations.
Elliot – Sounds like a good time indeed. Enjoy!