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A very much celebrated holiday here. Stores start coming out with their goods several months before. Other than the usual pumpkins, ghosts, witches and bats, scarecrows were a very big item - the latter wasn't really my idea of Halloween however the idea came from this time of year being harvest time in the northern hemisphere (Fall/Autumn). Trick or Treat is, of course, a big deal. The first year we stocked up with a whole mixture of various sweets - the stores start selling huge bags of them long before Halloween, and waited for the little hands to start knocking around 6.00pm. There was a constant flow for the first hour of various little characters coming in all shapes and sizes while parents stood at a distance down the path. Opening my mouth (and speaking) caused few startled looks especially by the real littlies, they weren't ready for a strange accent. Much older ones kept coming up until about 8.30-9.00pm and were not necessarily into the tradition, they just wanted free candy. We didn't do anything in decorating for the first year.
The second year we had our special Halloween bowl with the scary voice and grabbing green hand waiting to pounce on any little unsuspecting fingers that ventured after the sweeties. We hung a 'smashed against the glass' witch on the front door and suspended bats from the porch ceiling. Other than a couple of pumpkin lanterns outside the front door - that was about the extent of our decorating. I think after Sept 11, there were fewer kids doing the rounds of the neighbourhood. There was still a general feeling of nervousness.
Halloween is known for school pranks such as toilet papering (TPing) or 'Egging'
and 'Soaping' houses, although it seems they start soon after school goes back
for the new year in September. TPing is when toilet rolls are tossed into trees
of private homes until they are suitably draped in white streamers - quite
a sight and quite a mess. Cars are also done at times. In the morning the residents
awake to a winter looking wonderland - sometimes a soggy wonderland if it has
rained overnight. Then its clean up time. 'Egging' is far more annoying. Cleaning
up egg off houses or cars, which even worse, has been left to sit for a while
will certainly cause more fury and consequences to those if they are caught.
'Soaping' windows is taking a bar of soap and wiping it all over someone's
window so it leaves a white stain. Again not an easy thing to get off.
- Customs and Traditions :
Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. The favourite pranks at that time included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates. The tradition of trick-or-treating came from a European tradition called, "souling" when children used to walk from house to house begging for soul cakes which was a special bread made with currants. In return they would offer prayers for the givers' dead relatives. Wearing costumes derived from the Irish people and their ancient practice of trying to scare away spirits who they thought were trying to come and possess a living person.
This is one of the big family oriented holidays maybe more so than Christmas.
Held on the last Thursday in November, it is celebrated just in the same
way we would celebrate Christmas with families travelling great distances
to celebrate the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The first year we spent
with Michael's family in Shreveport, Louisiana. There was so much food. The
traditional dish was of course turkey with sage stuffing (which didn't come
inside the bird but as a separate dish) and cranberry sauce (which came in
a cylindrical shape, even then sliced up, and not all pulped us as we would
have it) along with Pecan or Pumpkin pie. It all tasted great. While offices
and a lot of businesses are closed, a lot of large stores open their doors
with reduced hours. Many workers take the Friday off also to make a long
weekend. At least Thanksgiving doesn't involve any present buying and so
I think it is much more relaxed and enjoyable. Thanksgiving's end signals
the start of putting up the Christmas decorations and most start the very
weekend following. I think Christmas then becomes.. oh no, not Turkey again
- so soon.
As a southern hemisphere person, having Christmas in a cold climate feels odd.
While it is novel thinking this is the way all the Christmas cards depict,
it is strange not to be eating a hot meal on a stinking hot day, then lounging
around on the patio enjoying that grossed out feeling of having eaten too much.
Christmas in Texas is a quiet time for us. The first year, Michael only got
off work that morning so slept a good part of the day before we had the traditional
dinner fare. The stores here have a Turkey or Ham package you can buy which
can consist of bean casserole, mashed potato, seasoning and Turkey all ready
just to pop in the oven. It's a great way for the non-fuss type of Christmas
dinner. There are variations on the side dishes. The first year, we went out
and bought a 9ft Christmas tree (after much searching over various styles)
and bought a lovely mantle wreath in Marshall (East Texas) when we were over
that way.
Prior to Christmas, a venture into the attic becomes necessary to get out the decorations. Outside, metres (yards) of icicle lights are unravelled, untangled and deciphered as to their arrangement. They are then strung around the edge of the roof, clipped under the shingles. Candy canes line our path, drive and front lawn (yard) with icicle lights being hung in-between. The first year I thought this was going a bit far (to what I was used or not used to) and I got the fear I was running the risk of being 'tacky, but then the second year it became the norm and certainly a lot more dignified than some houses seek to achieve. Much more fuss than I was used to but its normal here. Other houses go way out with their outside decorations - anything imaginable is the go, whether electrical or not. The stores are busy as usual but I find a real lack of decorations in streets in the retail area where we live.
Texas
Caviar or Lone Star Caviar is actually a concoction of a stew-like dish made
up of black eyed peas. There are many variations on the dish which can include,
onions, jalapenos, ham hock, bacon and spring onions. Pretty much the basics
are there and you add your own interpretation. The 'stew' is a southern tradition
which should be eaten at midnight for good luck and prosperity in the coming
year. It is said that if you "eat rich" on the first day of the year, you will "live rich" for the whole year. The black-eyed peas won't bring wealth all by themselves, they have to be eaten along with a combination of foods which is supposed to bring the 'big bucks'. The basic idea seems to be: "Peas for Pennies, Greens for Dollars, and Cornbread for Gold".
Usually boiled cabbage is used (for the dollars)and of course cornbread, for
the additional colour (gold). There are various theories of where the custom originated, one being in ancient Roman and Babylonian civilisations, where it was believed that Black-eyed Peas brought wealth because they resembled small coins and swelled during cooking. A second, that it originated in Asia and was thought to have been introduced to the United States through the African slave trade though originally cultivated for animal fodder.
New Year's Day is reserved for football, football and football!!! Thank god for cable. Traditionally January 1 is the day when all the most important 'bowl' games are held. The day starts off with the 'Tournament of Roses' parade held in California which is part of the 'Rose Bowl'. Then follows the football games which can be up to 8 games which are televised from all around the country. There is the 'Rose Bowl' in California, the 'Orange Bowl' in Florida, the 'Cotton Bowl' in Texas and the 'Sugar Bowl' in Louisiana. You can pretty much kiss goodbye to the following two days as well.
In Dallas on NY's eve, plea's are made not to fire guns with real ammunition at midnight. Through the stupidity of happy gun toters, people have been injured and killed from bullets being fired into the air.
other countries I have lived (including Asia). It is not a public holiday and even one year, children still went to school (on a make-up day for days off school during an ice storm earlier that year). Big sales were on in stores and while I am sure there are special church services held perhaps in the evening, everything seemed pretty much normal on this day. There is no public holiday on the Monday either. Easter is celebrated here with more decoration in homes than what I am used to seeing. For children there is the traditional egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Coloured eggs are hidden around the garden and children have to try and find them. The one that finds the most is the winner. There are variations to this type of hunt. Small children are told that during the night the Easter bunny will visit their homes and bring treats. The local shopping mall set up stalls for photos with the Easter Bunny (of which I was offered this role as a temp job and quickly declined). The stores are filled with an unbelievable amount of chocolate and candy - related and non-related to Easter.
Hot Cross buns are not a tradition here much to my disappointment. The first year we did find a couple of supermarkets selling them right before Easter weekend (not like a couple of months before as in Australia or NZ). While Walmart's buns weren't too bad with their spices - the others were a bit bland - they were sure not the Easter Buns that I was used to, they also had a lot more mixed peel in them. Instead of the dough type cross on the top - this being America - there was a sickly white icing one. Traditionally we would have our buns either warmed or cut in half and toasted on the cut side. With a icing topping you can't do this without ending up with a gooey mess. Instead we have to scrape the icing off then warm/toast them. I have thought about making my own but that thought only lasts a brief moment before I decide it is too hard.
Memorial Day is a holiday honouring soldiers who died in war (the same as our ANZAC Day), it is traditionally celebrated with parades and ceremonies, but now days many people just celebrate it as the beginning of summer, with picnics, barbeques, and other outdoor activities. Its also a day to remember personal losses within families.
Other holidays celebrations are Cinco de Mayo (May 5) where Mexicans (and Americans) party - not because it is to celebrate Mexico's independence from Spain as apparently some think. One theory is that it is a day to celebrate freedom and liberty and more for when the Mexicans and Americans have fought side by side, another is that the day commemorates the Battle of Puebla, Mexico. Maybe it's just a good idea for a party. Either way lively celebrations are carried on all around the country.
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