The calm between the storms

Sorry for not posting for a while! I've just had a shed full (well, not quite) of homework and then everything went crazy because of Halloween (little sisters' parties, little brothers' trick or treating, keeping crazy friends under control, the normal!) and yesterday everyone had fireworks, my sister got rabbits and I had to go to the library (I have another nine books so I should be alright for two more weeks!), ugh, too much for my brain to even contemplate doing!

So today I finally get to post.
Probably a lot of you are feeling the strain of having to keep with all these holidays and stuff. I mean for Halloween you have to make sure you have a costume, you don't look too stupid, that you've got enough sweets for all those little kids, that your younger siblings (those of you unlucky enough to have them) are happy and also have enough sweets so they don't have a tantrum. It is so hard to actually get any sweets from around where I live because we live in one of the more 'well off' areas (apparently) which means lots of old people live near us, and you know what that means. 'No trick or treaters here because you're all little hooligans!'
This is definitely not true (at least where I live) because the average age of everyone who goes trick or treating here is only about 9. I mean, sure a couple of houses get egged by a 'hardcore' few, but the number of times that actually happens around here is about twice...in six years. The little kids wouldn't dare go near a rotten egg or know what silly string was. I was given the task of getting my little bro to actually get some sweets. The problem is I never really went proper trick or treating when I was little, so I had no idea where to go. Seriously, I just went to Halloween parties every year. So we (Princess Bala and one my other friends who had decided to come see me) just ended up walking round aimlessly in the cold in our costumes for about half an hour. We went round to see a person I have known for years before she went to a Halloween party because she always has the most awesome costumes! (also, the day after she would have a major hangover. Maddie's parties have a well known reputation)
This year she was cat woman. She had a tail and everything lol! Her mum was just like, um, have some Hula Hoops! That was about all the stuff my little brother got. When we got home again I had to let him have half of what was left of our stock of sweets for trick or treaters and watch Monster House, again.

On Thursday and Friday everyone wore at least one Halloweeny thing to school. I didn't really have time so I just shoved some glitter in my hair but some people got really into it! Many people had wings, tiaras, wands, pointy hats, there was a lot of face paint and someone was the Grim Reaper but no one knew who it was till he took his mask off. Lots of people brought sweets as well. I don't mean the Mars bars that everyone buys at break and lunch, I mean big, huge multi packs! There was also a can of BBQ flavour pringles going round the whole of six-form and year eleven but they were just random.

Some people think (and it is probably true) that holidays are too commercialised nowadays. I mean, what does everyone associate Halloween with. Fancy dress, sweets, chocolate, movies, pumpkins, trick or treating, all kinds of monsters, but does anyone actually remember what the day is 'traditionally' about?(I know some observant people do, but bear with me while I explain it for anyone who doesn't) The actual name of the day is All Hallows Eve, the day before All Hollows or All Saints Day. Before it was 'Christian-ised' it was a pagan festival celebrating the harvest and they believed on this night the boundary between the living and the dead dissolved meaning that there were problems with crops and illnesses. They wore masks and costumes to calm the spirits. Now you know (well, the wikipedia version anyway)

But you know what, I don't think that commercialising the holidays is necessarily a bad thing. I mean we wouldn't have nearly as much fun without trick or treating, pumpkins, fancy dress and all the movies, be they comedy or horror, that are themed around all the 'traditions' of Halloween we have today. What other day do you get to dress up as an emo ninja (like me!), mad scientists, batcats (yes, i know someone who did), witches, vampires, Frankensteins, mummies, werewolves, zombies, whores, practically anything you want to, excluding fancy dress birthday parties? All in all, it's a lot more fun with all the cheesy stuff!

Also, in case you were wondering what I mean in the post title, I have two words for you: Bonfire Night. Will I be able to sleep on Wednesday? No!) I'll be too busy watching fireworks!

Thought for the day (before I forget):

Do you think if cows are one of the main causes of methane pollution, we shouldn't eat/farm so many of them to cut down on green houses and in theory, slow down global warming?

Have fun thinking about that!

Also I want to know about your Halloweens and your costumes!)