Written By Alan Good
TRAVEL - Walking through a graveyard on a shadowy, spectral night, as trees swayed in the cold wind, their leaves drifting between the gravestones, a skeleton was seen pushing its way up from a grave. Looking away, a ghost passed just beyond the nearest tree, its haunting sound vibrated into my soul.
A group of monsters approached me, then dispersed, laughing as they moved further into the cemetery. Tombstones were marked with warnings to the living. A sudden silence gripped me with fear. Then I came suddenly upon the most frightening sight—my neighbour’s driveway!
It’s that time of year. The weather cools down and leaves descend around graveyards and shadowy creatures, as lawns take on a scary look. We (well kids) look forward to October 31. Funny, silly, scary, cobwebs, tombstones, and skeletons aplenty, appear in front of homes all over Middlesex County.
Halloween’s genesis is over 2,000 years, beginning as an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed it was at that time the veil between the living and the dead thinned, and they lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off spirits. Later, the Christian church absorbed the event and added All Saints’ Day (November 1), with the evening before becoming “All Hallows’ Eve,” eventually shortening to “Halloween”.
Brought by Europeans to North America, trick-or-treating came from earlier practices where people would go door-to-door asking for food or “soul cakes” in exchange for prayers for the dead.
Scary beings such as ghosts, witches, and vampires have gotten into the game, along with skeletons and black cats, and even the familiar symbol, jack-o’-lantern. Families can carve out a pumpkin and add a candle (bonfire?) to light their front porch or steps.
Halloween has come to be associated with activities such as the practice of pulling usually harmless pranks. Halloween parties often include games like bobbing for apples, said to be derived from the Roman celebration of Pomona.
Looking for an activity? Online you can find many ideas for crafts and parties. Or visit a spooky venue such as a haunted hayride, walk or house. Some keep their kids and friends at home, providing treats and movies, and perhaps crafts. How about a toilet paper mummy race?
Middlesex Centre has events like Haunted Cabins, a decorating contest, and scavenger hunt at various dates this month. In Lucan Biddulph, you can join in on the Donnelly Museum Paranormal Investigation and Bus Tours, usually on October 24th and 25th. Whatever you do, wherever you go on October 31, have fun, be safe, and visit a cemetery—perhaps one in your neighbour’s front yard.
