Happy Halloween

I am participating in the 1000 words and a picture.  To learn more about the 1000 words and a picture prompt and to participate, click here.

Of course, I went with Halloween for this week :)

The below picture was taken in our neighborhood.  I’m tickled to see more and more neighbors getting into the seasons again.  Before Katrina, it was an assumed thing – to decorate.  But after the storm, it knocked the joy out for a while.  This particular neighbor went all out, though you might not be able to see all the details in the picture.  The black fence is not part of their normal yard, so yes, they bought it just for the Halloween season.  There are wooden coffins and all sorts of creepers.

We love to decorate the house and the front yard for Halloween.  Greg will typically play some really scary music and put small speakers outside so that the kids hear it as they are approaching the front door… some need their parents to give them a little push.

This year, our son is going to be superboy.  The reason I went with this costume is because his Daddy likes to fly him around the house and he loves it!  We aren’t going trick or treating this year, just spending time with family.  I’m looking forward to the following years and seeing how our son will respond to the decorations and scary things.  Based on how my son laughs and giggles when we try to surprise him (peek a boo, etc), I think Gregory is going to like Halloween.

Do you have any Halloween traditions?

I did a quick research on traditions for the season….

In Northern Ireland, parents put a mixture of oatmeal and salt on their kids’ heads so that the fairies (believed to be fallen angels) don’t cause any trouble for their families.  (I can’t stand to eat oatmeal, much less the thought of wearing it or putting it on my son’s head!!)

In Germany, don’t look for knives on the kitchen table, because you won’t find any.  They don’t leave out the knives in case it hurts the returning spirits.  (Serious?  To protect a ghosts?  Kinda sweet.  In a creepy way.)

In Hong Kong, they think spirits roam the world on Halloween day and in order to comfort the ghosts of the dead, families burn pictures of fruit and money.  (I sure hope it’s a PICTURE of money and not actually burning money…)

In Portugal, they celebrate the deceased by drinking wine and eating chestnuts in the cemetery.  (It’s the chestnuts part that makes me think of Christmas, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..” if it just weren’t for the cemetery part.)

Ok and for some strange superstitions….  (Let me know if you believe in any of these!)

Tying a knot into a handkerchief wards off evil.

If you see a ghost, walk around it nine times, and it will disappear.  (This one makes me laugh, it’s not a cat after all!)

Never slam a door.  You might hurt a ghost, who’ll haunt you for the rest of your life.  (Hmmm, I might use this one when Gregory gets older.)

If you hold your breath while you drive by a cemetery, evil spirits can’t enter your body.  (I actually know someone who does this and she freaked out when she realized how many cemeteries we have in New Orleans.  I was afraid she was going to turn blue.)

Ok, I’m cheating, this isn’t 1000 words, but after 31 posts, I’m pooped.  Who knows, maybe I’ll keep posting each day.. yeah.. maybe not.  Lol. 

I did manage to find an outfit for my son this year :)  We love making animal sounds.  He laughs when we say, "The lion goes ROAR!"  And this year.. he is a lion.  But he doesn't like the hat, which is the lion mane.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween!