baddad Report post Posted October 30, 2008 Self and number 1 son carved our halloween pumpkins today. Really proud of Ben's skull, as he spent a good couple of hours on this from start to finish which is amazing for him (not known for his patience!). The only help he had from me was resizing the template to fit his pumpkin. Everything else from scooping out to carving is 100% Ben My Frankenstien's Mons-Der isn't too shabby either! skullington jack Der! Happy halloween Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickyB Report post Posted October 31, 2008 Ooooh, they're really spooky Good job Ben Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smiley Report post Posted October 31, 2008 WOW! I'm very impressed - looks much better than our attempts - they look a little ill, and a lot wonky. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted October 31, 2008 (edited) Oh - some halloween haiku Pumpkin lanterns glow Goofy teeth and mad, wide eyes And that's just the kids! Sacks full of sugar Eager hands, smiling faces Gobbling goblins! Pumpkin lanterns glow Throwing shadows on blue walls Painted by monsters Edited October 31, 2008 by baddad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted October 31, 2008 Impressive I'll be following our usual Halloween tradition of putting a bike lock round our gate once it gets dark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickyB Report post Posted October 31, 2008 We get lots of older 'kids' calling with pathetic costumes. One lad of about 16 called last night with nothing more than his coat over his head - DH told him to check his calendar I used to turn all the lights off and refuse to answer the door. Unfortunately, little DS now insists on being the one who answers the door, so now I have no choice but to join in the 'fun' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oxgirl Report post Posted October 31, 2008 Wow, they're awesome!! This year we're having our first EVER Halloween! Jay's ASD Youth Group is having a party tonight and so we've really got into the spirit of it for the first time, as he's never been interested before and never had the chance before. We spent the morning doing our first pumpkin, nothing fancy like yours, just the traditional kind, but lots of fun. Then we made cakes and decorated with orange icing and piped on spider and bat and ghost designs so we're all set for tonight. I'm quite excited, I usually hate Halloween but I feel like a little kid again actually. He won't go as far as dressing up for the party, but they'll be doing some games with torches and then have some snacks and he's very proud of his lantern, so it's all good. ~ Mel ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted October 31, 2008 Do you eat the pumpkins? After halloween I'm going out to pick up pumpkins on the cheap to make pies and soup out of. Don't forget to check your car tyres tomorrow morning... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chris54 Report post Posted October 31, 2008 I have no problem with people following there own beliefs and rituals, in fact I would positively encourage it but I do object to people knocking on my door and expecting me to join in with something I do not believe in. I would include in this Carol Singers, Jehovah Witnesses and Halloween Participants. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted October 31, 2008 Do you eat the pumpkins? After halloween I'm going out to pick up pumpkins on the cheap to make pies and soup out of. Don't forget to check your car tyres tomorrow morning... No - sorry, we don't like pumpkin! I did roast the seeds though and we tried them... not bad if you get them really crispy but horrible if not... We're really doing halloween tomorrow, as ben's best mate is sleeping over and we're having a horror food and horror films night. Fillum is 'van helsing' and the menu lists: Starters: Boiled Blood (fresh and warm from the neck of a sacrificed maiden) [aka tomato soup] Main course: baby bits in buns, with shrunken heads and griddled guts and a choice of blood or pus sauce [Hotdogs, jacket spuds and pasta, tom ketchup/american mustard] Dessert: Hot Mouldy Maggot Muffins and cold snot sauce [blueberry muffins - they go greeny grey on the top - and cream with some added food colouring]... All served with home-made lemmingade We've turned the kitchen into a spooky bistro called The Corpulent Corpse Cafe... makes a change from the muck we usually eat! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted October 31, 2008 The first pumpkin is very cool, but the second one, I think you have accidentally posted a picture of yourself in stead of the pumpkin I got left alone by trick or treaters this year I couldn't sleep, so I planned to sleep in once I eventually fell asleep, but expected that I would get woken up by trick or treaters knocking in the door - but I didn't! I guess with the lights being off, it looked like there was no one in, though it hasn't stopped them in previous years. Once I got up and turned the lights on I have had a few knocks at the door, but I have not answered and most of them just went away. Someone knocked several times just now, which I think is very late for children to be knocking on strangers' doors, I ignored it and they knocked 4 times, getting louder and louder and shouting, "we can see you," through the letter box. That scared me a bit, but not as much as I used to get scared. Hopefully they haven't done anything nasty! All in all, it's been much better than previous years. I think there is more understanding now that some people don't like to answer the door on Halloween. Hope everyone had a nice (peaceful) time this evening. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chris54 Report post Posted October 31, 2008 (edited) I do wonder at times if anyone knows what Halloween is all about. It is the celebration of the eve of All Saints day, All Hallows eve. A day on which children traditionally played practical jokes. I assume all the people taking part in Halloween activities today will be going to church tomorrow to celebrate All Saint day. Edited October 31, 2008 by chris54 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare63 Report post Posted October 31, 2008 Impressive I'll be following our usual Halloween tradition of putting a bike lock round our gate once it gets dark ..................love it, Pearl you really did make me "laugh out loud" Clare x x x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
something_different Report post Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) Yes Hallowe'en is a Celtic festival, The Christian Festival on All Hallows (Saints) Day on 1 November was deliberately set to coincide with the last day of the year in the old Celtic calendar of 31 October Originally Halloween was a pagan festival, around the idea of linking the living with the dead, when contact became possible between the spirits and the physical world, and magical things were more likely to happen. Like most pagan festivals, long ago it was absorbed into the festivals of the expanding Christian church. The celebration of Halloween survived most strongly in Scotland and Ireland. It was an end of summer festival, and was often celebrated with a bonfire to ward off the evil spirits. Children would go from door to door in disguise as creatures from the underworld to collect treats, mainly fruit, nuts and the like for the festivities. These were used for playing traditional games like eating an apple on a string or dooking for apples and other gifts in a basin of water, without using your hands. Salt would be sprinkled on the visiting children to ward off evil spirits. Carving turnips as ghoulish faces to hold candles became a popular part of the festival, which has been adapted to carving pumpkins in America. Children would sometimes engage in secretive mischief at Halloween. The original intention was for the activities of mischievous Halloween spirits to be blamed. Usually the mischief consisted of playing some minor or witty tricks on some adults - often the less popular ones - things like moving or hiding everyday items during Halloween night. The tradition of singing or other entertainment in return for the gifts collected was more common than the threat of a trick if nothing was given. We always call it guising not trick or treating. (i think the term trick or treat came from america) Had quite a few guisers this evening and they all have to entertain before they earn their treats. Edited November 1, 2008 by something_different Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) Well we had a fabbo time! Thursday afternoon I spent sewing little baby pumpkins and bats out of felt with my girlies, which we hung on our Halloween tree (sparklie purple twigs!)...which the kitten then spent the next 24 hours attacking and running off with Then last night girlie #2 was off to a fancy dress partay, girlie #1 had a friend to a sleepover, and littliest one had his friends the twins round for a spooky tea and games! Tea: roasted fingers (sossies with pumpkin seeds in the end for fingernails), werewolf fangs (potato wedges), brains (beans) or maggot eggs (sweet corn)...and my piece de resistance: green jelly frogs eating dead flies (little black jelly sweets)!! Slight probs: someone stole the pumpkin from outside the front door, and a narrowly averted vomiting incident when one of the twins came off slightly the worst against a large jelly snake Boho Oooh, but Big A is really, really ill I finally made him go to the GP yesterday and he has a chest infection that has triggered his asthma...if he'd left going until to today he would have been in hospital He's currently on 10 puffs of ventolin every hour and 8 steroid tabs at a time a day for 5 days!! And his peak flow is half what it should be Edited November 1, 2008 by bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted November 1, 2008 pumpkin seeds/finger nails. Now why didn't i think of that!? Hope A is back on form soon... Peak flow half what it should be? Kidney stones, maybe? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted November 3, 2008 Kidney stones, maybe? Took me a while to work that one out...I thought at first it was to do with mountains (stones-peaks)! Boho Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
