‘Remember
When Black Cats Prowl
And Pumpkins are lit
Green Witches on brooms fly
Crossing the sky,
Guaranteed
Luck is Yours on this
Ghostly, Halloween night.’

My childhood memory of an Irish Halloween:-
My father arriving home from work with crunchy apples in brown paper bags.
My mother baking a fruity Halloween brack filled with silver coins and a gold ring.

My three sisters and I, wearing our scary masks. Loud knocks at the door, masked children asking for trick or treats. Impatiently we wait, excited at the thought of finding the ring or coins in a cut slice of brack, smothered in creamy Irish butter.
Huge disappointment if either of my parents found these treasures in their slice.

My father filling a large basin with water, placing the fruit to bob up and down in the liquid. The rule: we had to wear a blindfold. In turn, he lead us to dip our faces into the cold water, in hopes of biting and picking up one of the apples.

Dad gifted the winner another silver coin. We wanted to play the game, again and again, but my parents insisted it was way past our bedtime and we had school the following day. With moans of ‘it isn’t fair’… eventually, we said goodnight dreaming of rings and coins and how we what might celebrate next year

What is your childhood memory of Halloween? Do you still celebrate?

Are you trick or treating or ‘staying calm to carry on writing’ as I will be!