"The farther we've gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we've come to need Halloween." Paula Guran
Hello Hudson Farmers' Market Friends!
The week we're all gearing up for the Halloweenfestivities that will be taking place next Thursday evening (and even extending into the weekend if you're celebrating Dia de los Muertos or All Saints Day!)!
Follow us for some tricks and some treats!
TRICKS
The tradition of Pangangaluluwa in the Philippines iswhen children dressed up and went door to door, singing and asking for prayers for any soul stuck in purgatory. Houses would either give goodies or money. In the case of giving nothing, the haunting souls (aka the children) would play tricks by taking eggs or chickens or slippers. This local ritual has been supplanted by contemporary trick-or-treating, but there are still people working to keep this unique tradition alive 🍳🍳
Thankfully those kids never participated in the UK and US tradition of Mischief Night where those eggs would DEFINITELY come in handy! 😈😈
For last minute, upcycled costume ideas you can find cool and relatively easy ones all over the interweb 🕷️🕷️🕸️🕸️ we curated a few for you that could be paired with a creative outfit and some everyday objects. Here is a sci-fi style jet pack made by reusing 2 soda bottles and some colored felt. Here is an octopus costume for babies made by filling socks or tights and stitching them together. Here is a samurai costume made from painted cardboard and egg cartons. You can also make a gorgeous woolen beard with yarn from Northern Star Farm or Scarecrow Farm-- it would be the perfect accompaniment for a sweet gnome or a mischievous elf costume.
Or you can replicate the costumes our lovely and creative customers wore at the beginning of the market season-- they dressed in full recyclable outfits to celebrate opening day!
TREATS Halloween is known as the time when our dead roam the earth. Stories are passed down through many cultures about how to praise and give offerings to our dearly departed on this magical holiday. Some ancestors like food-- especially treats that they used to eat when they were alive. Perhaps some pastries to curry favor with a specific relative?
Or maybe Uncle Joe really loved tacos! Leave their treats outside, on a little platter, with a small candle and some wishes for yourself and your family for the year ahead. It's the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit (and really creep yourself out!) 🍬🍬
Know the history of carving? It was believed that on Halloween evil spirits would want to occupy the living. People got creative and started carving faces into radishes, turnips, carrots, potatoes, and, eventually, pumpkins to trick the evil spirits and avoid being taken! It was once thought that if your body and soul was effected by spirits you would have bad luck for the whole year.
SO, want good fortune and no possession? We've got you covered!
Did you know that marigolds are used as a guide for the spirits of the dead during Dia de los Muertos? The idea is that their pungent smell and bright colors light the way so the ancestors can find their family altars. The Mexican marigold is known as cempasuchitl or flower of the dead. They are used fresh or made with tissue paper and pipe cleaners by families to honor the return of their people 🏵️🏵️ also do yourself a favor by bypassing the BS horror films this year-- watch Cocoinstead!
People in Romania celebrate Halloween by touring Vlad "The Impaler" Tepes's home at Bran Castle in Transylvania. Once you know a little bit of his history/legend/lore you understand that's either a very stupid or very brave thing to do. Anyway, we'll have all the garlic you need for vampire-warding,monster-scaring, and thrill-seeking!
Our guest vendors this week are Inner Flame (Ayurvedic Indian street-food)and Curious Candies (confections made from chocolates and cremes in fun molds). Lee Rogers will be providing the music for us-- can't wait to see what he plays for our Saturday soundtrack!
