Halloween in the Germ


October 24, 2014 — The only real bummer about my recent trip to Berlin was that it landed right in the middle of the Halloween Season.  I had to put quite a few of my seasonal plans on hold (possibly until next season) or cancel them altogether as a result. Since it was a pretty intense work trip, I couldn’t just continue the revel overseas. Plus, Europe’s still not big on Halloween…although from what I hear interest in the holiday there is slowly growing. How could it not, right? Halloween belongs in Europe. Besides the fact taht it all started there, they’ve got the spooky castles and the thousands of years of ghosts and the Hammer Studios films and some of the horror author greats.

Still, during this Halloween hiatus I kept my grapes peeled for any signs of the holiday.

Every time I saw a hint of Halloween, I tried to take a picture of it. Even on our 11-hour day-trip to the Czech Republic. But, honestly, I didn’t see much. In their defense, the day before I crossed the ocean I walked about three miles of Boston’s streets, and it also bore almost no omen of the looming holiday. But that’s okay. Halloween has always been more of a suburban thing. That’s where I like it best, at least.

Anyway, much of what I saw were advertisements for I-don't-know-what-for since I can't read German, but that's a big step toward an official Halloween Season. Get the marketers involved. The one interesting thing that stood out to me was that they used kites as Fall decorations, alongside the usual leaves and pumpkins. I guess it makes sense. To me, kites are always activities of place, not of season (on the beach, at the park, near electrical lines), but if Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud thought it apt to make a monstrous kite in The Halloween Tree, then I think we should all be hanging them from our porches.

Still, I can't describe what a relief it was to drive home from the airport and see cheesy ghosts and ghouls and giant spiders hanging from houses and stores. Long live Halloween.

These guys gave me hope in a German Halloween until...
...I realized it was an ad for a costume shop, albeit nobly battling for the cause.


Not technically a Halloween pic, but I didn't know where else to put it. These hooded crows were everywhere in Berlin.
They looked like the confused offspring of pigeons and ravens, but their caws helped the ambiance
more than any stack of inflatable Jack-O's.


Even there, this.

At a German road stop en route to the Czech Republic.

We saw one pumpkin stand on the road trip. This isn't it, but I think these North
American fruits are our first line of attack in getting Europe to go Halloween crazy.
"Look, it's just an innocent pumpkin. You can make pies with it."
Next thing they know, they're invaded by jack-o-lanterns.

These image and the rest were at a restaurant in Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic
which we were visiting to see the amazing Sedlec Ossuary.


See, the kites kind of work, right?