Well another hallowed Hallowe'en has passed!
I love Hallowe'en, even now as an adult! I´ve always loved it, especially when I was young and we were carving our enormous pumpkin to make a "zanatta-family" jack-o-lantern for the front window. Or the delicious anticipation I felt, knowing that I would be trick-or-treating in a costume I had fun creatively putting together with my mother.
I remember how my brother and sister and I would each have our own white pillowcase, with our name written on it in black magic marker. That was what we used to go around with from house to house collecting our candy.
After visiting all the neighbours, the three of us would hurriedly head home anxious to empty out our pillowcases and see what we were given. We were only allowed one candy a day, so our pretty- full-of-candy pillowcases usually lasted until way beyond Christmas. Small bite-sized hershey bars with peanuts were my favourites and secretly coveted as we ruffled through our candy and began to trade the individual pieces amongst us. "I´ll give you all my purple jelley beans (yucks!) if you give me three hershey bars with peanuts?..."
I can remember the visit to my grandparents´ house after we had done our neighbourhood trick-or-treating. My grandmother would have a candy bag prepared for us and we knew it. But it was more than just a store-bought candy bag! It was a special, lovingly prepared, home-made bag of treats. Often it would have homemade popcorn balls, rice krispy squares, candied apples and chocolate covered candies, all of which she had especially made for us, with of course, several small, bite-sized hershey bars. She knew exactly what we liked!
Both my parents and my grandparents are no longer here, but the memories of a Canadian Hallowe'en that they have given me visit me every year and inspire me to do the same for those I love and cherish.
I have tried to give my daughter a feel for what a Canadian Hallowe'en is like, even though we have lived all of her life here in Barcelona and she has never experienced a Hallowe'en anywhere but here in Catalunya.
Growing up, I wanted her to feel as special as I did preparing for the second most exciting night of the year (after Christmas). I wanted her to know how to make a jack-o-lantern and understand that jack-o-lanterns kept you and your family safe on a night when evil spirits would be on the prowl, that a jack-o-lantern in the window meant that friendly people lived inside, and that people who loved you and cared for you went to great lengths to provide you with yet another year of trick-or-treating Hallowe'en magic!
This year, Andrea is 14. This is the first and last year that we have not made a jack-o-lantern, and today as I reflect about Hallowe'en 2009, I have felt the omission. In the past, we have usually made dozens of them and given them away. I don´t quite know how it happened..it was a very busy week, yes, but there are really no excuses. I am a little disappointed with myself for letting this day go by without making even one jack-o-lantern!
We did eat some panallets though, those delicious, flavourful Catalan almond and sweet potato cookies that are especially made at this time of the year to celebrate the Castañada (All Saints´Day). We had them at a special Hallowe'en pot luck lunch we organized at my language center. It was a nice lunch, lots of cheer and friendship.
I suppose this is what is most important. Hallowe'en or the Castañada are to bring people, friends, family and loved ones together to remember and create memories... memories that will carry on for many years to come.
Happy Hallowe'en!
Theresa
