Spud checks out the new decor.
Halloween isn’t as big of a deal over here as in the states. Some decorations are sold in the local stores (mostly witches and pumpkins). Many people decorate for fall using pumpkins and other gourds, but nothing spooky. The German kids in villages with lots of Americans have picked up on trick-or-treating and my Dutch friend said that the Dutch kids are really getting into it. Many of the local villages have a Halloween party, including my village, but people don’t get into dressing up in costume as much as Americans. I think that is because they dress up and celebrate “Carnival” in February. (Think Marti Gras).
I went ahead and decorated, just to get me in the fall mood, but I’m not sure what my neighbors think. I will have some candy on hand just in case I get some German kids that know the drill. It seems that American candy is all the rage with the European kids…they want our crappy over-sweet and over-processed stuff vs. the local more superior candies and chocolates. We have a few American people in the village, but most will go to the US Army base for a Trunk-or-Treat. That’s were people decorate their car trunks or tables and a parking lot and the kids just go from car to car. So….Happy Halloween!!
(31 October 06) Well I had 4 German boys show up. Two were in costume...if you can call it that, but they were trying, so I gave them credit. Besides, Halloween is just another word for "blackmail" and I wanted to make sure that I paid them off well...heh heh
They don't say "Trick or Treat." Here it's "Sweets or sours," but in German of course. As I was handing out the candy I think that one biy was trying to tell me that they were sharing the one bag, which of course led to the fact that I don't speak much German. I said "Happy Halloween" as the left amd the oldest of the boys replied, "Thank you very much."
So I think that I'm "in" with the local kids.......
