Monday 31 October 2011

Celebrating Halloween 2011 on Planet Baby

Well, a warm hello from springtime Hobart on this Halloween! I’m still ambivalent about our celebrating it here in Australia, given we don’t really have any cultural heritage of it. However, after Mr PB’s efforts last year, the pixies were determined we’d mark it again this year. They’ve been talking about it for weeks! Given it actually falls on a school day, we celebrated it last night (Sunday). This is what transpired.

The preparations

Given the fun we'd had at our old rental house for Halloween last year, we asked our old neighbours if they’d mind hosting it at their place. They were happy to oblige. Plans were hatched, food prepared, flyers created (with orange balloons attached) and then Mr PB and the pixies set forth, early on Saturday morning around our old neighbourhood. They delivered the flyers advertising our little celebration to dozens of surrounding houses with the request for those willing to participate to blow up the orange balloons and attach them to their letterboxes.

On Sunday afternoon, Mr PB, Joshua and India donned their costumes. Sammy was unwell so didn’t want to dress up and I didn’t even consider it! Here’s a family shot (with my taking it, as usual ☺).
The entertainment

To our great surprise and delight, about 4 neighbourhood families (all strangers to us!) then turned up in their outfits, ready to join in. We started with the traditional apple bobbing contest. Here’s Joshie and a friend in action.
We then had a round of ‘Oranges and lemons’ – it was fascinating to observe that so far, this young generation had never heard of it. But they soon got the gist of it!
Here’s Joshie, being caught!
Then the main event occurred – the Annual Pumpkin Rolling Competition! Remember last year’s? Well, this time Sammy took part. Everyone assembled at the starting line, their names emblazoned in texta on their chosen pumpkin.
You can see a variety of shapes and sizes there – I think Mr PB forgot a few basic physics facts when he was kitting out Sam and India! Don’t you just love the look of anticipation on their faces? Not to mention earnestness!

And then they were away!
Talk about hilarious . I love the looks of concentration and joy, not to mention Sam still holding onto his as he watched the others to see how to do it!
There’s Sammy running down after his which is one of the little ones in the left hand gutter near Mr PB’s feet. It really was classic fun.
After a few more rounds, we moved to our neighbours’ house for a barbecue with plenty of scary cupcakes and cakes, pumpkin soup and the works!
Just the type of food Miss India was looking for…
The trick or treating

Finally the big moment arrived – time to roam the neighbourhood in hopeful pursuit of some lollies! What were those parents thinking to let such a ghoul supervise young Sam?
And so we set forth. In hope. It started well, raining goodies onto the throng below.
The next orange-balloon-festooned house was a fizzer. We knocked and waited.
And tried again. Still no luck. They must have ducked out to the shops. Time to move on.
Then we chanced upon a friendly granny ghoul who dispensed a plethora of treats to the youngsters, bless her.
She was even brave enough to pose for a family photo with her long-lost son.
See the family resemblance?

We then headed back to our old street where we were treated by one of the street’s great personalities who had something for everyone, the little beauty!
And then, tummies full, hair wet and simply tuckered out, we all ventured off into the twilight, Halloween done and dusted for another year. The pixies are already calling “Bring on next year!”. Mr PB is a keeper, don’t you think, my friends?

I’d love to hear whether you’ve celebrated it this year. Maybe you’re in my ambivalent camp. Or maybe it’s a highlight of your family’s year. Do share, especially any tips!
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24 comments:

  1. Oh Jane, this post made me smile! Your Sammy is SUCH a cutie. The pumpkin rolling race is priceless and so is Sammy's take on it ;o)
    Love all of your pics.
    How fantastic that you live in a neighbourhood of children all happy and willing to take part... seeing how much fun it looks, I wouldn't blame them.
    At this stage, halloween has no bearing on our little family. It's something I've never personally gone for, however, I can see how gradually widespread it is becoming here in Australia, so feel I will need to accept it's presence in the year's to come. And that is fine with me too :o) xo

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  2. So glad you are bringing Halloween to Austalia. I live in the US where adults are manhandled into dressing up for Halloween and we all eat our bodyweight in Candy. I dressed as Batgirl my husband was meant to be Robin but there wasn't a costume for that so he was Batman in the end. Which was a bit creepy?><*&#@

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  3. I love these shots - and the effort that went into your celebrations.
    I'm not usually Halloween friendly but your activities and the sense of community are gorgeous.
    :-)

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  4. Looks like a great time! In Canada halloween is a big thing, in Ireland less so and in Dubai only amongst the expats :)

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  5. How on earth are you managing to remain ambivalent with all this going on??! Looks like you are building favulous traditions that your pixies will remember forever.
    We are so into it over here - although Cleggy, ever the headmaster, makes all the kids who knowck earn their sweets!
    This year my big boys went trick or treating with their pals - so i threw a party at ours for GB and his pals.
    Hours of fun - now trying to stop them eating so much they will be up all night on a sugar high....fee x
    (thanks for your mail - made me think, as always!)

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  6. That is fab! Even in Hobart! LOVELY!!!

    It was in the paper yesterday from memory another street doing the same.

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  7. Fun! We went trick-or-treating too. I took the preschooler out and the teen ended up going off with his mates to scare the locals ;)
    We just knocked on any door that had Halloween decoration outside and the preschooler cleaned up! I know lots of Aussie's feel it's too 'American' but I love that this fun day is catching on here too :)

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  8. Hi Jane,

    What a lovely post. I have a big smile on my face, the children's pumpkin rolling race looks like a lot of fun. I think it is great to see a community having so much fun. My sister and I and a few friends took our little ones trick a treating last night, it was a lot of fun had my big and small. Mimi xx

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  9. hi jane, looks all so fantastic and lots of fun! i was working and too exhausted to do much yesterday but my older son took seb out and around our little estate... having a 14 year old has its advantages!!!
    laura xx

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  10. Jane what a totally fun and safe way to celebrate Halloween. It's not something we are that big on in NZ and when coming to Australia I was a bit mortified that parents would allow their young children to go trick or treating without adult supervision...this way is marvellous!!

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  11. I think this is the best Halloween celebration I've seen Jane, and it sounds like so much fun. And nice to celebrate with some of your old neighbours too. I love the pumpkin rolling competition especially. I'd be far less ambivalent about it if we could think about something like this for next year! xx

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  12. No Halloween here last night, no knockers or knockees, but my middle girls did go to a Halloween disco on Saturday night. They did Thriller (which they had done at school before) as a group & amazed the on lookers, love Posie

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  13. We gave it a miss this year. The kids are still a bit young. We didn't get any knockers either!

    Love the photo of all the kids sitting a the top of the hill! Sam seemed pretty attached to his pumpkin ;)

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  14. hee hee how fab dear one - so many happy faces :) off to read more le xox

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  15. halloween is the best time of the year!\m/

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  16. Wonderful fun times you have had here my friend we love and celebrate Halloween every year the little ones enjoy dressing up and trick or treating. Your photos are just great with all those fun games too. If you get a chance come over to my blog and have a look at our fun night. Have a great day dear friend.

    Always Wendy

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  17. Bravo for jumping in with
    both feet! It was parties galore
    for our kiddos over the weekend
    {one held here} and I'm just now
    regaining my footing. Even at
    13 and 16, my kids still LOVE
    Halloween, although my daughter
    doesn't trick or treat. My very
    tall 13 year old decided to go at
    the last minute and I'm glad he
    didn't feel too "old" to have a
    go and bag some treats : ) Love
    your sweet pumpkin roll; so cute!
    xx Suzanne

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  18. This looks like SUCH a fun day! I wish I lived in your street! lol.

    x

    www.lifestylen.blogspot.com

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  19. Your halloween cupcakes look soo delicious, hughs Anja

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  20. It was great fun! Wonderful community spirit! Same time & place, (fresh pumpkin) next year :)

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  21. Ah thanks, everyone - so glad you had a giggle at our exploits. Yes, it was the perfect neighbourhood for it, unlike our new one where we haven't found many children yet. And Jacki, you are the best neighbour ever ☺. J x

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  22. Loved this entry! The pumpkin rolling is priceless!!! As for your MIL... hilarious! It was all fabulous! xx

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  23. Glad you enjoyed, it, Emma! Yes, that granny was a hoot ☺. J x

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Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, you gorgeous soul. You've just made my day! J x

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