USA Halloween

In the lead up to Halloween I was amazed and slightly unsettled to see that Americans really do celebrate Halloween. And by that I mean adorning their houses with sometimes tacky decorations (inside and out) decorating shop windows and overstocking their shelves with pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons and anything else remotely scary or gruesome (I have to add that these Halloween features are already fighting for shelf space with the just as tacky Christmas decorations that are already showing face).

Now Halloween weekend is as anticipated and prepared for as Christmas and I really did get to experience my first American Halloween.

With parties planned on both Friday and Saturday night I donned the ever faithful pirate outfit and headed out to number 1. Having spent days on decorating the house in awesome and creative ways, I was welcomed by a very scary man at the front door and I’m still not actually sure if he was real or not for I know that I never saw him speak or move the entire night and I’m sure he was made of plastic, but I also couldn’t help getting that feeling that I was being watched.

With delicious punch and a feast that was so fit for the occasion that you are not sure whether to eat it or not (I tried and it was all actually delicious) we had a great time. I was amazed at the trouble people go to in terms of dressing up and even going the lengths to make sure that the four legged guests are not left feeling naked.

Now onto the actual day of Halloween. I am glad to say that the giant bowl of candy only entered our house on this day so that there was some left for the kids when they came trick-or-treating. But I have to also say that I am very disappointed and feel somewhat hard done by that no kids actually did come trick-or-treating. OK granted there are not many small kids in our neighborhood but still!

So off we went to party number two and were greeted by just as scary things and just as malicious looking pumpkins. Again, the hosts went all out with the Halloween inspired food and drinks and of course candy. It was here that I experienced my first trick-or-treat guests . . . a dad and his beautiful baby all gorgeously dressed up. Now it is times like this when you think to yourself, “To whose benefit is this visit because your baby certainly is too young to be eating candy!”

After another great party we headed home, all pirated out and stuffed with food, booze and Hershey’s with so many ideas for next year. Roll on Halloween 2010!

For some pics see http://hubpages.com/hub/First-USA-Halloween