Pumpkins, candles and lanterns

- Are there people in Poland celebrating Halloween nowadays? - asked a friend, who left the country many years ago.
- Noo... Only clubs and bars in bigger cities organize parties. After all any occasion for them is good to make more money.
- And how about you. Are you planning something for tonight?
- Yeah... I'm going to... the gym! It's a real horror! ;)

Exactly. We don't celebrate Halloween, since it isn't polish nor dutch holiday. It's Gaelic. And we are nothing like Celts. We're also not going to celebrate All Saint's Day... In the Netherland the 1st of November is just a normal, regular day. No days off, no holiday. Instead of going to the cementary, I go to school in a morning. Of course it doen't mean that nobody is visiting the graves of their close ones. They do but during the weekend. It's so stupid to waste the whole working day to go only at the cementary. So inefficient for economy, isn't it? Not like the birthday of the queen... that makes sense ;)

Maybe we don't celebrate but I still like craving a pumpkin :)

I learned about year ago from Marice's mom (we like talking about catholic habbits and traditions from time to time). Askng about that to my dear dutch bouyfriend is a complet waste of time. He doen't know. As an atheist he has no freaking clue about religious customs in this country. Actually he's not the only one. Most of the dutch youth has barely any knowledge about the All Saint's Day or other old traditions. They seem not to be very interested in that topic... 

My little"treats" with halloween decorations :)

Thay do remember neverthless another holiday with some similarities to the Halloween's "treat or trick". Sint Maarten celebrated on 11th November. Saint Martin was a Roman soldier, who baptized and became a monk. On that evening you can see a parades with lanterns. The lanterns should be handmade by children (usualy at school). With that equipment they can go and "bag for sweets" (as my friend described it) by knocking to the door and singing songs about Sint Maarten.