Hallo 'ven

Czechs don't celebrate Halloween as a rule, but the carving of pumpkins and general dressing up is catching on, or certainly if you have children.

Last year was our first - and we hadn't quite got the hang of the local customs.  Seeing a few pumpkins lit on the street I duly sent the kids to knock at doors excited that perhaps we could go trick or treating after all.  Only one man answered, peering terrified around the door he asked in czech, 'Co chcete prosim?' (what do you want?).  The kids were so embarrassed that we don't walk down that street anymore, and needless we didn't repeat that exercise this year.

But we were fortunate enough that our local 'community' group, a right rowdy bunch of wanna be actors and performers (who don't need much of an excuse to don their tights, costumes and make up) put on a quite a Hallo 'ven show in a little park near our house.

This year they retold the story of Golem (a Czech legend about a clay monster who comes to life) and it involved the kids parading into the dark woods looking for him, before returning and some amateur pyromaniacs took place as he was killed.

It's always a great show - there's grilled sausages for the adults, and of course the seasonally welcome Svařák (mulled wine), essential for those who need to keep warm like me....

But if I look back at our Halloween last year, there's quite a profound difference.  Same event, possibly some new costumes, same hot wine even - but we knew no one.  We skulked around feeling as though we had crashed a party.

This year I hardly saw the children who were off with friends, unless of course they needed more money for crisps, leaving me to chat with neighbours.

It's obvious I suppose but when we look back at an event like this, I can really measure just how far we've come.