In California, Halloween is an extremely big and appreciated holiday. I would say that Halloween is even bigger than Christmas itself! Halloween includes school parades, fall festivals, pumpkin patches and many decorated gardens. Almost all children dress up and, unlike here in Sweden, there are no ghosts, monsters and scary creatures, but rather princesses, cartoon characters, homemade cute combinations and the occasional Pikachu. You don't get more dangerous than the picture below!:-)
In the morning there is always a parade at school and all the parents are there watching and all the children are there. Later the same day there is first Halloween party in the classrooms, then Autumn Festival, organized by parents and very much appreciated. In the evening there is always trick or treating and you go around from house to house, one more decorated than the other. It took us a few years before we realized that it's best to go to houses that are a little off, but still lit (that means you're in on the fun). They are the best candy dispensers, you definitely get the most candy there. After a full night, you'd have enough candy for Halloween the following year.
In Sweden, people talk about ghost walks, if they mention Halloween at all. One thing that is for sure is that it will definitely not correspond to what we are used to.
Thought of the day:
What does Halloween mean to you?
This article is part of The 50 day challenge, where I challenge myself to write an article a day for 50 days! The articles can be about anything, short or long, but I can't miss a single day!