Happy Nos Galan Gaeaf (Halloween)!
General Discussions ( Anything Goes )
My mother and cousins say that Halloween wasn't a big deal in Wales until the last 15 years or so. Children didn't dress-up, and they certainly didn't go around trick-o-treating. In fact, my mom had a difficult time letting us go trick-o-treating in California, as she saw it as glorified begging. (She let us go because she didn't want us to be different from the other American kids.)Originally, it was a night to stay inside, as evil spirits roamed about for one last fling before All Saints' Day on Nov. 1. (That is why we roam around in scary costumes, so the evil spirits won't know we're human and won't take our souls. The ultimate reason to conform, I guess!)Nowadays, it is a much bigger holiday in Wales. Unfortunately (and I hope I don't offend anyone here), many of the celebrants have taken the worst of our traditions to heart. If you don't provide candy and don't secure the entrance to your property, you're likely to find garbage and other detrius thrown on your property come morning. It is a night for bonfires, firecrackers (as people have often already bought them for Guy Fawkes Night, which is Nov. 5), and hooligans.I know I sound old and crotchy with that, but I'm not trying to be! I love Wales and her people, but as those who live there know, there is the "yob" element to contend with!--Sarah!
