In just over a week’s time it will be Halloween and All Saints the following day. While in the market yesterday I bought a pumpkin. My grandson arrives on Thursday and leaves on Sunday, so will miss the actual day here, but I thought we could have a go at making a Jack o’ Lantern. My one little pumpkin is eclipsed by some marvellous pictures of a pumpkin festival on Earlybird’s blog at http://mangetoutetc.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/the-15th-pumpkin-festival/#comment-4598
The ghoulies and ghosties, trickies or treaties aspect of the feast has never impinged much on my life, but commercialisation has increasingly made me aware that children can have a lot of fun – or possibly scare themselves silly.
Toussaint, or All Saints Day is very important in France. Chrysanthemums in all shapes, sizes and colours appear even in normally non-flower shops. I imagine there are florists and nurserymen rubbing their hands with glee at the bonanza. French families vie with each other to perch pots of them on their family graves. A special day to remember the departed is to be lauded, but it saddens me to see the mountains of flower pots and dead plants which will inevitably be chucked out a few weeks later. They could so easily be re-planted in gardens, renewing the memories year-round.
And now I’m off to watch the Rugby World Cup final (France/New Zealand) on television. Jock is already there and making commentary-type noises.
So glad you can get the World Cup where you are! In the States, unless you have expensive cable (we have rabbit-eared antenna), you can’t get the international scene at all. Thank you for the marvelous descriptions of All Saints Day! Love, Amy
Love my little visits with you….
Love that first photo of the stately old church. Good luck with the pumpkin, I was never very good at the carving, but always enjoyed the results,
Elizabeth
http://claudetteellinger.wordpress.com/
Thanks for sharing this. Enjoyed much. The photos are lovely.
Good luck with the Jack O Lantern. Will there be pictures?
What a shame for the poor Chrysanthemums! I am with you, they could so easily be replanted into gardens. (But then, I feel sorry for the poor Christmas trees every year too.)
Thanks for sharing this with I saw Sunday. It is always good to see you. x
It is sad to see the ‘wasted’ flowers… I had no idea All Saints Day was still important there. Halloween, of course, is all-important here – the Jack-o-Lanterns, the costumes, the candy…
Pumpkins here
Are pathetic this year
They would nae strike fear
Into a mouse.
I bought the smallest and it’s still pretty huge.
Thanks for the link! Have a lovely time with your grandson.
My kids are not interested in this stuff anymore. Spud has accepted a tenner towards a new XBox game in lieu of fireworks. I can’t wait for grandkids!