There are a few things that I truly adore about Halloween. It’s not the sugar hangover on the morning of All Saint’s Day. Shocking, I know. I do like candy taxes (the percentage of candy that my husband and I require from the children’s haul in order to pay for the privilege of being part of our family for another year – including such rights and necessities as dinner, pillows and warm showers), but even that doesn’t quite make the cut.
What I really cherish this time of year is picking out pumpkins as a family. It’s imperative to get just the right shape and size for our grand schemes. There’s personality in the shape of a pumpkin that just cannot be overestimated. The children sketch out their designs for the perfect Jack O’lantern, and then trace them onto their pumpkins and carefully cut them out. The look on their faces is priceless when they watch their creation light up with a candle inside for the first time.
I confess that I don’t love gutting the pumpkins. It’s messy and goopy and slimy. But I do love spending that time together in the kitchen as we sort carefully through the pumpkin guts to salvage every last seed. Because snacking on roasted pumpkin seeds is definitely one of my favorite parts. It’s the perfect antidote to the candy hangover.
Here’s wishing you all a happy and safe Halloween!
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Barbara Anne Williams
Bits of Ivory
Bramble & Vine @Etsy and @1000Markets
