Halloween

Jennospot 84  Halloween

 

"Now it is the time of night that the graves, all gaping wide, everyone lets forth his sprite, in the churchway paths to glide."

Cripes, din't ol’ Shakespeare 'ave a fantastic way wiv words? An' it's Halloween on October 31, wot is jus' the moment when all them sprites, an' spirits, an' creepy-scary fings come a-glidin' around out o' the churchyard. An' if'n yew don't treat 'em roight… well cripes, so much the worse fer yew…!

There's some people in moi village o' Widdlin'ton wot won't never go through the churchyard at night, never moind at Halloween. But Peter won sixpence in a bet wiv Selena over that. Cripes, 'ee nearly died o' fright a-doin' it. It were in a good cause though, 'cos 'ee needed the money urgent loike ter go ter Lunnon.

Any'ow, all that's by the way, 'cos Oi wanted ter tell yew about Halloween, wot's the evenin' afore All Saints' Day. In the real old days, this were the eve o' the end of the year, an' they used ter light big bonfires on top o' the 'ills ter scare away the evil spirits. An' then the souls of all them wot were dead, c'd come back an' visit their 'omes.

Touble is, along wiv all them souls come a whole lot o' ghosts an' witches, an goblins an' ghouls, an' scary spirits wot are too 'orrible even ter mention. So most ev'rybody got around them big bonfires so's they'd feel safe. It were noice an' warm too, wot don't come amiss on top of an 'ill at this toime o' the year.

 

Any'ow, them wot couldn't go up the 'ill would barricade themselves inside their 'ouses, wot didn't do much good, 'cos them sprites wot c'd get out o' their graves, wouldn't 'ave no trouble at all comin' down the chimney or through the key'ole, if'n yew see wot Oi mean. So if'n somebody come a-knockin' on the door in the dark, yew couldn't never know wevver it were a neighbour or a sprite. Cripes, it moight even be yer long dead, great, great, great gran'muvver, an' yew wouldn't want ter turn 'er away, would yew? So ter be on the safe side, if somebody come a-knockin', yew'd give 'em a treat so's they wouldn't do yew no 'arm.

Well, kids ain't stupid, so they latched on ter this, an' went around in disguise a-knockin' on people's doors fer "trick or treat"; wot ain't such a bad idea when yew come ter fink of it. An' not only that, they was safe from all them 'orrible sprites etc, 'cos their disguises were so terrifyin' that they would scare the very Devil 'imself. See wot Oi mean…?

Any'ow, 'ave yerself a safe an 'appy 'Alloween, booooooh,

Wiv luv from Jenno

  

By the way, if'n yew'd loike ter know more about that sixpence wot Peter won, yew c'n read about it in "Gang Petition": http://www.peterstjohn.net/index_6.htm