All Hallows Eve

The holidays, when you live overseas, can be tricky.   Especially when it is a holiday that you and your kids love, but isn't celebrated in your new country.  Halloween is one of those types of holidays because it is mostly a North American celebration.  I wrote about our three years celebrating in Chile here, here and here (click to be taken to the post).  It wasn't what I was used to while I was growing up, but it was all my kids knew.  And it was what they were expecting last week when the big day finally rolled around.  But, as with most things, it was different here in Prague.  

We awoke on Halloween and dressed...in our normal clothes.  No costumes allowed at school here.  I understand it since it is an International school and not every culture celebrates but I still missed getting them all dressed up for the day.  But, not to worry, the moment they were let out of school I was standing there ready to pull on tights and bunny tails and capes.  Before I could do that though I had to bake cupcakes for the school's bake sale, dress myself up in wig and cape and decorate the trunk of my car for Trunk or Treat.  

Finally, it was time.  We took a quick picture outside of our friend R's house (thanks so much for opening your home to the chaos)...

We were off to the Trunk or Treat.  MadHatter was off to the Haunted House.  Stinkerbell was just off, hippity hopping on her merry way...

I handed out candy from the trunk as the kids and their friends collected theirs.  I snapped pictures as the kids came by (I made them pose before I would give them candy.  Mean Mommy, I know).  But they were just too cute not too...

J - or Merida

B and A - Dracula and Dracula

 C and B - Ninja and Minnie Mouse to you...

MJ and P - Olaf and Elsa.

MadHatter then took over handing out the candy from our trunk.  And Stinkerbell, well, I'll give you three guesses what she was doing...

 It was getting dark so it was time to close the cars and head inside the school for the magician and light show.  The kids loved the magician but the black light show was not a hit.  For the parents of the kids.  It was a bit risque for the audience it was aimed at - kids under 10.  So, we left early, arriving back at R's house just in time to see the finale - fireworks shot from the school grounds.  MadHatter didn't even stop to watch them, she just kept handing out candy at R's house to the streams of children coming to the door.  And I mean streams.

The neighborhood that is built behind the school is mainly expat families.  And it is probably one of the only places in Prague to Trick or Treat door to door.  Which means that every child in the city that wants to beg for candy, will be doing it in this neighborhood.  The homeowners are so nice to let us all invade upon them this day and most hand out in excess of 1000 pieces of candy in the 2 hours that their doors are open.  So when I say streams, I truly mean streams.

 We had ordered pizza for the kids just before entering the light show.  And forgot that the streets would be almost impossible to get through with all of the kids and cars and zombies wandering around.  So, with some time to kill, R and I took the kids around the neighborhood (no gates, no fences!) while E and N handed out candy and waited for pizza back home.  It was dark, and the kids were running from house to house, so the pictures are a bit fuzzy.  But I think you can still see how much fun they had.

And then we headed back, ate pizza, drank some wine, and handed out more candy.  We all had a piece or two or twenty (poor baby B ate so many lollipops she threw up.  But she was so cute none of us could say no to her requests).  We all had a great time and now that the kids know what real trick or treating is like, I don't know if we will ever be able to satisfy them with anything less ever again.

Great time,  Great Friends.  Let's do it again next year!