Trick Or Treat

[spnadmin]

http://sikhism.about.com/od/Sikh-O_Lantern/tp/Sikhi-Lamps-Lanterns-And-Jack-O-Lanterns.htm

There are a bunch of links at the bottom of this page with other ideas

http://sikhism.about.com/od/nonsikhwesternholiday1/a/Halloween_and_Sikhism.htm

Lest we also forget, for this may sober us up too! October 31,1984 and the 4 days that followed occurred a genocide of Sikhs in Delhi and throughout India. Sukhmandir Kaur ji explains that too in the above link.

 

[Ishna]

Its easier living Down Under bcause not too many people celebrate Halloween here, and it's also held at the wrong tie of year - it's meant to be at the start of winter, not the end. It marks a gory holiday for the Celts who would slaughter animals ahead of the cold season and remember death which would likely visit in the coming winter. Its not a very happy holiday, really.

But then, neither is Easter *snickers*

 

[namritanevaeh]

Something I really like about Sikh people at least here in Surrey, is how I've noticed they seem perfectly happy to celebrate other festivities and I think that is important. When you want people to respect your special days, holidays, festivities, it is important to show respect for other people's as well.

Because of this open attitude, I think, I am much more interested in the Sikh faith in general. Tell me about Vaisakhi, sure!

(PS I consider Vaisakhi a bit of a a more adult variety of Hallowe'en LOL...savoury foods instead of as much candy ;-)).

 

[Luckysingh]

Yes I agree. The Sikhs in Surrey are really one of a kind !
They do get involved as much as possible and some of the houses with the best Halloween gear in their gardens and on their drives are also Sikh.

One of the houses has got these fantastic creepy coffins and plenty of other deco on the lawn that makes us all look twice and they too are a Sikh family.

 

[linzer]

As A kid in the States, I loved halloween. As an adult with my own children it was equally fun. Finding exactly the right pumpkin for carving jack o lanterns and making costumes is totally cool. When my son was five his favorite book was Maurice Sendak's "Where the wild things are"(to date I can recite it from memory)that year his mother made him a Wolf suit, like Max's, and my daughter ,who was two and a half, a wild thing costume. When we when trick or treating at each house she would "roar her terrible roar and roll her terrible eyes and gnash her terrible teeth and show her terrible claws".
So Onam ji not everything in the states is commercial nastiness. I agree that most of it is but not all.

As for here in Mexico we have three days, Los Dias de Muertos, 31 of October to 2 of November. The tradition is that the dead come back to visit and people set up altar with the offering of the things that they liked in life. Everywhere they decorate with paper mache skeletons , candy skulls, Marigolds , {censored}scomb and strawflowers. There are lots of tradional candied fruits and squash as well as Pan de Muerto, a type of brioche. We make this in our bakery and my wife does her yearly diet of pan de muerto and hot chocolate for about a week.
It is a lovely way to remember the people in your life that have passed on.