Cultural (or generation) gap

(If you are here because of the Blogger's Quilt Festival, welcome! Please stop by more often and leave a comment. Here is my entry.)

I remember when I met my husband, ten years ago, his mother teased me about my habit of celebrating Halloween with my high school friends. I had been doing so since I was 13 and one of my friends hosted the most amazing Halloween party ever, turning her parents' house into a haunted mansion (it was an old house full of strange noises) and naming food with the strangest names (bolognese was monkey's brain and such). Every year the party was at a different house, one year I was the proud hostess, decorating everything and thinking of every detail trying to live up to that first and amazing party.

Next year, my mother in law bought underwear with ghosts and pumpkins to all of her offspring and I sensed things were starting to change. Still she insisted Halloween was just an american tradition that we were absorbing like everything else (Coca Cola, Walt Disney, Eminem). She said our tradition was Carnival and that reminded me of all those years of bad disguises because my mother had no imagination or patience for more. But if Carnival was still 100% portuguese, why do we see fat and lousy samba dancers shivering in next to no clothes in the middle of February pretending they are in Rio de Janeiro?

Anyway, with highschool long gone, my friends went their separate ways, which in some cases included Germany, England, Sweden... and my Halloween years ended. Every year I get a little bit sad when the day comes and I'm reminded that I have nowhere to go to (and noone to go with), but I suppose that now that I'm a grown-up, that's just life.

But yesterday... something happened that really showed me times have changed. A bunch of witches and pirates and vampires showed up at my door trick or treating. That was a first! I was so excited I got out of bed just to see their costumes. Alas, in our house the only treats we have are for our dogs... and we had nothing more than healthy fiber cookies to give them (remember I'm pregnant and addicted to chocolate so one more reason not to have sweets around). I felt so embarassed... I mean, here they are, knocking on someone's door, someone who actually enjoys Halloween, someone who would gladly give them treats more than anyone else, and all they get is healthy cookies??? With fiber and zero addiction of sugar? C'mon!!!

You'll see. Next year I'll be ready. And in some years, I'll be making my daughter the best Halloween costume ever and taking her treat or tricking too. Just you wait and see! hehehe