Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Goblins

I don't know that I've ever really liked Halloween. I say that because I can't remember too much about what I did on Halloweens. I can remember going out a few times as a kid on Halloween but nothing really stands out in my mind. I can't remember whether I had a really good time or not.

There's something about seeing kids dressed up in their costumes and being happy about going to pumpkin mazes and scary hay rides that makes me smile but also nostalgic for something that I missed. Although I live too far out in the country for kids to come for trick or treat, I bought a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch at a local church and put it on the front porch. I think that the squirrels will enjoy it.

The origin of the jack-o'-lantern evidently traces back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard drinking old farmer who tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and trapped him by carving a cross into the trunk of the tree. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack which dooms him to forever wander the earth at night. This bedtime story was told by Irish parents to their children. Not particularly something that would make me want to go to sleep.

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy time on this All Saint's Eve. And that your sleep is free of goblins.

5 comments:

  1. ooooh i love the story, thanks for the enlightenment. and halloween MUST be scary. it's all about scary stuff and scary movies isn't it. that's what makes is fun. similar to the telling of ghost stories when camping in a tent. i guess some holidays are feel-good, like christmas and valentines, other are not... but they all are fun in their own way. hope you had a good one!

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  2. Syd,
    I never heard of this legend which is funny because I was raised in an Irish family. I am also glad my mother never told me this bedtime story.

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  3. My favorite halloween memory was when I was a little girl an older boy took my whole sack of candy, and my older brother went out with me and I "re-trick or treated" for 2 hours and got a new bag of candy.

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  4. My memories of Halloween are pretty good. It just was a night when we could really be free and it was fun. And there was candy. As a parent, it has been fun to watch the joy in my children. Its the recent past that doesn't sit well with me now. I enjoyed handing out the candy but it was also another reason to drink while doing it. I must have been charming to the little goblins. And last night I got the pleasure of bailing my 17 yr old out of jail. Not so fun.

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