Halloween

Summer time in Europe is winter time here in South Africa and visa-versa. Whilst the Christian religious calendar stays the same, i.e. Christmas is on the same date, Easter is at the same time etc, celebrations linked to the natural environment and seasons do not, for obvious reasons.

The Celtic Pagan festival of Samhain celebrates the end of summer and the beginning of the ‘dark half’ of the year. Celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere on 31st October (though for Pagans it is a three day celebration starting on this date) the festival has become known as Hallowe’en. In the Southern Hemisphere it is celebrated six months earlier, at the end of April and at our house on 1st May.

Preparations started early, Nina donned her Chef’s hat with great success once again, Jon carved a pumpkin lantern and Elaine made jugs of cocktails and delicious pumpkin pancakes for the celebrations, though they were stolen by the rest of us throughout the afternoon!


As the evening approached people started arriving and the party got into full swing as the cocktails and mulled wine were consumed and the all important fire was lit.


We circled the fire and threw symbolic unwanted items into it before sitting down to Nina’s fabulous butternut soup, roast lamb, roast chicken and roasted veggies feast! Elaine’s cocktails did the trick and helped the party run into the wee small hours!