Halloween on Mayne
Posted on 02 November 2009 by J Lane
It might just be considered an exercise in frustration: trick or treating in a rural area where something like 30% of the houses are vacation homes.
Knock knock knock… Trick or Treat!
<silence>
Sorry kids, they’re not over from Vancouver this weekend!
That’s exactly what I thought when we moved here. Then I learned that everyone goes to the fire hall for Halloween, the kids dress up in costumes, and we all relax by a big fire. Sure, I’ve got fond memories of sprinting door-to-door on the Canadian prairies, while trying to avoid sliding on black ice when I was a kid. This version just seems so much more civilized.
Every year, the fire department lights up a bonfire, roasts hot dogs and brews up a big batch of hot chocolate. The community gets together and has a great time; the kids play, and then they put on a pretty nice fireworks display. We’re into year 3 of living here, so now we’ve definitely got a wide range of friends in the community, and I’ve moved from being a paranoid city parent, to being a laid-back island parent (it probably has something to do with Rei being in school now too).
I’ve attached a short video from the night. Some of it is filmed Blair Witch style, so if you’re likely to get motion sickness, might give it a miss (you’ve been warned!)
That sounds (and looks) fun! On Pender Island Hallowe’en is very low key too. I kind of miss having kids come to the door, and I loved Hallowe’en trick or treating when I was a kid (except when it rained), but for everything I miss there are *more* things that I enjoy about small island life. I hope I never have to live in a city again!