Saturday, October 27, 2007

Pumpkin Carving!

I can't remember the last time I didn't carve a pumpkin for Halloween. It's a yearly ritual: finding the perfect pumpkin, choosing a fun design, roasting the seeds...


Well, this year was no different, but it was the first time anyone has ever looked at me strangely for scooping the innards from a squash and cutting holes in it. We set up shop in Karen's dorm and got curious looks from several Swedes who wanted to know what we were doing. "Do Americans carve pumpkins for Christmas?" one of them asked. (We assured him this was not the case.) Halloween barely exists in Sweden, and if people celebrate, it is usually by dressing up, and not by trick-or-treating or making jack-o-lanterns.


Spooky, huh?




Happy Halloween!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! I like your jack-o-lanterns! I read once that it's quite hard work to scoop out what's inside the pumpkin, so I admire your job.

Now I don't really now what you have seen and what you might not have, nor what your interests are, but if you stay until December the museal train in Brösarp might be something? http://www.skanskajarnvagar.se/

Try to get tickets to the celebrating of Lucia in the white University house for the 13th of December, it's usually very beautiful.

And check up if Kulturen has any christmas events at the 1st of advent, when all the shops are open on a Sunday and don't miss when the light up the big tree in Lundagård, also at the 1st of advent (first Sunday in December this year).

If I find out more I'll write again!

Carlotosway said...

What's that Swedish holiday where the kids dress up as witches and basically go around trick-or-treating?

BTW, check out northjerseysports.com

Anonymous said...

That's at Easter, but it's not trick-or-treat. The children are supposed to have made little drawings themselves to wish a Happy Easter, and when they knock on someone's door to give them one of these Easter cards, they get some sweets in return. No tricks :-)

Linnea said...

Yup, Glad Påsk! Easter witches!

Carl -- I did Easter "trick or treating" with Matilda in '94! Probably while you were watching American Gladiators or playing Nintendo with Carl J.

EB said...

Awesome! We didn't do pumpkins this year, but I'm celebrating discount-pumpkin-and-candy day today :). I like the wall reflections...