My childhood Halloweens smelled of burnt turnip – much harder to carve a lantern from than pumpkins, but much spookier, too. They tasted of wet apples and toffee. My husband’s Halloweens were colcannon and barmbrack, and handfuls of nuts and raisins. My children had a bit of all that, over-laid with pumpkins and cheap sweets and tacky costumes.
My son was never bothered about Halloween. He doesn’t like dressing up and doesn’t like sweets. He was cajoled and coaxed along by his big sister (who knew he’d hand his booty over to her). The last costume she persuaded him into consisted of his usual clothes and a single black line drawn around his neck. “I’m the ghost of someone who had their head cut off”, he announced at every door we called at.
amber light
a hand reaches out
darkness falls
Frank is hosting at dVerse tonight, and we’re writing Halloween haibuns.
Sarah writes poems 
I bet turnips would make spooky lanterns.
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Really spooky. And very smelly.
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Your prose may be chuckle–mainly about your son– and your haiku made me think. I think it can be taken as a spooky image, or as a kind one.
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Yes, I wanted a little ambivalence. My boy’s featuring a lot at the moment, isn’t he?
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And why not? 😀
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Indeed 👩👦
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I think I would love a turnip lantern better… would that be like a swede?
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In retrospect, I’m pretty sure they were actually swedes, but we called them turnips. I think it’s a dialect thing – turnips are much smaller,arent they? I think the Scots call swedes turnips, too.
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Well I prefer them as mash together with pork leg… a true classic Swedish meal.
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I suppose swedes are Swedish! Essential for a Cornish pasty, too.
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Interesting Halloween haibun.
Much💛love
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🎃🎃🎃
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We used to have turnip lanterns too and a bonfire. I hate that vampire costumes trick or treat stuff. It always strikes me as the response of people who don’t know how to cope with the idea of death.
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My boy is definitely with you on that one. I prefer an older, stranger Halloween myself, too. It was much less of a thing when I was a child. Bonfire night was the big one – and Mischief night. Did you have that?
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We did but I don’t remember much about it. It was a Yorkshire thing. We lived so far out of town that all the collective jollifications passed us by. Halloween is such a special time of the year, so special the Christians hijacked it to neutralise it, it seems a shame not to do something to celebrate.
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I can remember “Beggars Night.” That was usually the night before Halloween, when slightly older (teens) would try to go trick-or-treating, and usually get into mischievous antics, since their efforts usually were fruitless and they felt tricks were due.
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Mischief night was 4th November – the night before Bonfire night. Knock up ginger and treacle on door handles. Tricks but no treats!
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I loved reading about your childhood Halloweens, Sarah. Sadly, we didn’t get to carve anything or trick or treat. The closest I got to Halloween celebrations was apple bobbing at Brownies. Unlike your son, my grandson, at not quite three years old, loves everything to do with Halloween! I love the haiku.
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🎃🎃🎃Pumpkins are certainly easier to carve!
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I was tempted by the idea of carving turnips this year, but I’m not sure we’ll really both much at all. I really enjoyed this little slice from your family though, and how your son went along with it for his sister’s.
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You need a sharp knife and a lot of stamina. But you can eat the result, unlike the pap you get out of a carving pumpkin…
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I will keep that in mind, thank you.
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Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
A delightful reminiscence! Thank you for sharing it!
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What an inventive young man….managing the tradition without losing his young man dignity!!
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I had swede lanterns (pumpkins weren’t so much of a thing back then, here in the UK). My step-dad was a great and patient carver! Lovely memories in your piece!
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I hope he made it past the last door!! Good story!
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I always frowned when teenagers with no costumes and a shopping bag would come to the door. As a child, I would gobble candy until I puked, and would wake up with a sugar-crash headache.
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Well, it’s still not as big over here, and we were in a very small village. He must have been 8 or 9 when he had his head “cut off” so cute enough to get away with it.
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Thank you for sharing this Sarah. Happy Halloween!
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A delightful reminiscence! Thank you for sharing it!
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Such delightful and fascinating memories, Sarah.
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Nice lookback SC, and the simplicity of the haiku closer…MARvelous!
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Thank you!
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Your Halloween smelled the same as mine! I almost wrote about the turnips – what a job it was to carve them! Were pumpkins harder to come by in those days? I love your son’s nonchalant attitude to it all as well.
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Beautiful poem…
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kaykuala
Young boys growing up would normally have their own minds. It shows the tenacity of leadership development. Love to read about your healthy family involvement in past Halloweens, Sarah!
Hank
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I think he had the right idea. The ritual, such as it is here is the US, is so far from its roots as to be just another manifestation of overconsumtion and ggreen. (K)
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I love your son’s description of his costume. LOL. One year, my son ripped a sheet into strips and wrapped himself as a mummy!
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That sounds like far too much effort!
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