Halloween!

Got to show you this - the Co-operative Witches! This is Michelle, one of our supervisors, and myself - me with the purple hair - modelling the witch's hats we were selling in the Co-op - WERE selling, as they sold out a few days ago! Shell was demonstrating how to use the auto timer on my camera, something I hadn't found before, so we took this pic of ourselves! Scary or what? I'd say Or what? was the correct answer this time! Don't you dare say Scary!

Well, Halloween was a bit of a washout here in Peebles due to the weather! It poured with rain all evening so the kids couldn't go out guising! Guising is a lot like trick or treating in America, and sadly it is becoming more like it every year and our old traditions are getting lost! Children still dress up as ghosts, witches, warlocks, etc. and visit the neighbouring houses, but instead of trick or treating they would sing a song, recite a poem, or tell a few jokes, and be rewarded with sweets, apples, nuts.... or money which was put towards Guy Fawkes night on 5 November**. Those who dressed up were the guisers, possibly from the word 'disguised', and they went out guising! Nowadays, they still do the rounds but often escorted by parents, and only to the doors of friends or relatives. Sad old world! Even our old familiar turnip (aka swedes) or tumshie lanterns have given way to pumpkin lanterns! Pumpkins don't grow in Britain, but now they are imported, especially or perhaps only at this time of year. It was the good old turnip lantern that was the inspiration for the American Jack O' Lantern, and now it is nearly impossible to find a decent turnip (swede) to dig out and carve!!!

**5 November is Guy Fawkes night, remembering Guy Fawkes and friends who plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, back on that date in 1605. They were discovered, captured, tried and executed, and now annually bonfires are lit with a model Guy burnt in the flames, and fireworks are set off, reminding of what might have happened if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded - and Parliament went up in flames and explosions! Although the two countries of Scotland and England had been united under the Scottish king two years previously, the parliament at that time was still only an English one. The two parliaments only came together about 100 years later in 1707, so strictly speaking, it shouldn't be a Scottish celebration at all! Bonfires at this time of year have always throughout history marked the end of summer, and the pre-Christian feast of Samhain was celebrated. All Hallows, or All Saints Day probably sought to replace the pagan festival, but old habits died hard and are still remembered in this modern age. Maybe we should have kept the old Samhain festival!!

So, here we are in November! Where has the year gone? It seems no time since I was jetting off in the spring to Oz and NZ.

Anyway, all for now.

Talk again soon.