Cold Morning

Elders Day is the first day of winter, and the weather won’t let you forget it. When we wake up it’s still night, and a glance outside is enough to know we’ll be needing our coats today.

At breakfastwe’re already all dressed for the day. It’s not a funeral, or even really a sad day at all, but the custom is to wear black, and to look as nice as we can.

Another custom is to spend time as a family. It is, after all, the day to remember our ancestors.

But Cléo is not in a talkative mood. She chows down on some Frankenstein cake, avoiding eye contact with me.

Not that I find this that discouraging.

Dad is the last one to get ready, and he joins us into the kitchen. Soon, we’ll start lighting the candles together. Well, more candles.

Cléo clearly still wishes she were somewhere else. Or maybe she’s just mad at me.

After the Party

Once the party is over, well after midnight, we can finally sit down and relax, the five of us together. The horror movie schoolgirl, the zombie legionnaires, the fairy and the ninja, sitting on orange sofas. We chat, and exchange a few more jokes. And most importantly, we attack the leftovers. There is a lot of them, and we’ve basically got dessert sorted for the next three days.

But the truth is, as much as we would want to, we can’t stay up too late tonight. Tomorrow is Ancestors Day, and we will have to wake up early. And we’re going to bed happy. Spooky Day was wonderful. 🎃

Spooky Story

Spend enough time in Selvadorada, and you’ll learn the best spooky stories.

A Story by the Campfire

You know what the best part of Spooky Day is? Spooky stories under the moonlight. And I’m great at them.

Translucent Silhouettes

The spookiest night of the year…

Blink and you might miss some of the stranger things happening around you…

Outside

It’s a beautiful night, and the house is getting crowded, so some of us flee outside. This is when I’m glad we have two stereos on the patio. More dancing!

Cyril carves his very own pumpkin. The pumpkin-carving ninja!

Spooky Hostess

The party is still going, but we’re running out of appetizers. Fear not! I grab the bottles and the spices and the knives, and I get ready to save the night.

I feel like my knife-juggling is enough entertainment for the night, really.

Too bad no one’s really watching.

I’m having fun anyway.

Oddly enough, people start swarming around me only once I’m done preparing the petit fours. Even Naomi. Et tu, Gram!

Selfies

When you’ve perfectly coordinated your Spooky Day outfit with your husband, you’re going to want to take fifteen billion selfies, no matter how much your kids snicker at you.

I have to admit they look cute.

Spooky Party!

The guests have arrived! The decor is set, the costumes are dazzling… Here comes the best party of the year! It starts with dancing in our remodeled dining room. The right music, and sugar-frosted cookies laying around, what else do you need.

The zombie Roman legionnaire and the schoolgirl in torn up uniform are just Mom, and my little sister, who changed her mind on what costume she wanted to wear.

Lots of Mom and Dad’s friends around. I know these two. They’re Charlotte of course, the high school brat, and Pari. Mom never told me Pari’s full story, but from what she’s saying now, I gathered she’s doing well, now. She got a job at some rehab center. I hear Charlotte snarkily reply “oh, would that be the center that helped you, then?”

I really dislike this Charlotte character. If I were Pari, I’d probably also resort to turn my back to her and eat the cheese eyeballs.

Actually as the party progresses, we all start gathering around the cookies, and pretty soon, everyone has a plate in hand, including me. And I have to admit, these sugary bats and ghosts and pumpkins? They taste really good.