Prepare for Halloween

Ms. Skeleton says, "Trick or Treat!"

This week we've been preparing for Halloween, with daily fun activities. Our oldest grandson has been talking about Halloween for months now - this is the first holiday he has a clear memory of.

Last year he learned all the iconic images of the season - pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, spiders, and bats - and this year he brings them into conversation - If someone says the word candy he replies, "Trick or Treat!"; If he sees a pumpkin or a ghost he says, "Ooo, scary." (He is also very interested in "blo-o-o-od".

The build up to Halloween is all about shifting to a darker phase of the year; darkness isn't bad, but it can be frightening, and having fun with fear is part of the process, something even a three-year-old can appreciate.

Agenda

1. Unity with pumpkins

2. Decorate inside and out

3. Cook pumpkin curry

1. Unity with Pumpkins:

Unity Art is a practice that opens the doors of creative healing, especially our connection to the earth and Creation, that includes the intentional steps of collecting, observing, preparing, creating, sharing and giving thanks. 

What I'm finding is that it's easy to find ways to connect to the earth, and - with intention - any simple task becomes a path to healing. My intention with pumpkins is to honor them, for their food value, for their symbolism, and for their history.

Pumpkins are believed to have originated in Central America over 7,500 years ago. Archaeologists discovered the oldest domesticated pumpkin seeds in the Oaxaca Highlands of Mexico. Pumpkins are a symbol of the perseverance of the Indigenous People of this land; also, of the harvest – abundance, prosperity, and joy.

This week we've been honoring pumpkins in many ways, starting with our pumpkin patch trip, collecting the pumpkins that caught our eyes.

My adult kids have a visceral memory from when they were young of our annual visits to John's Farm at this time each year, to harvest pumpkins, corn, apples, and other produce. It was a school field trip, with the whole class of kids, and a very muddy adventure!

I am over-joyed that they have re-instituted this tradition as a family trip for the last couple of years, and this year I went along. It's not as homey as John's Farm was, but it's still a muddy adventure to find the best pumpkins, and we got a hayride too!

We honored pumpkins by climbing on them. 

And by opening one up to see its insides.

We made pumpkin paintings. 

We made jack-o-lantern cookies!

And on Friday we will carve jack-o-lanterns together as a family, again - it's an annual tradition!

2. Decorate inside and out:

I do not buy plastic decorations anymore, so we make nearly everything: One year we made these spiders from pipe cleaners and pompoms. Our spider family drove around in toy trucks all week, and then we gave them a proper spider web to live in.

This week we hung our spiders again, some skeletons, our ghosts (made with sheets and wire), and a bat, and set out pumpkins on the front porch.

As we decorated we talked about the images: 

"Spiders are a little creepy, but they are good for the garden"; 

"Bats are like flying rats - they eat insects"; 

"Skeletons are bones, from inside a body."

"Ghosts are spirits - we can't really see them, and they can't hurt us." 

3. Cook pumpkin curry:

Ingredients:

• 1 small pumpkin
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium to hot pepper
• 3 roma tomatoes
• 1/2-tsp. powdered cinnamon
• 1/2-tsp. garam masala
• 1/2-tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 can chickpeas
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• Cooked rice

• ~Serves 4

1. Pre-heat the oven to 300º. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Put in it in a pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, the take out to cool. When the pumpkin has cooled, peel and chop it into medium chunks.

2. Peel and crush the garlic; remove seeds and finely chop the pepper; peel and chop the tomatoes. 

3. In a medium skillet, heat oil on low, and fry the crushed garlic. Add peppers and tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes, until the tomatoes are mushy.

4. Add spices, salt, and the pumpkin chunks. Stir well to ensure the pumpkin pieces are coated with the tomato-spice mixture. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat or until the pumpkin is cooked through, but not too mushy. (Check at 10 minutes to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom of your pot, and add a little water if needed.) 

5. Gently stir in the drained chickpeas, and check the seasoning - if it needs to be hotter, you can add a spoonful of hot sauce or salsa. Heat until warm through and thick.

6. Serve the curry on rice, and topped with a dollop of yogurt.