Fact: After pumpkins and candy, apples may be the food most seen around Halloween, whether for bobbing or in a witch’s hand. Though we make the more modern link between apples and witches (Snow White, anyone?), the apple’s connection with this holiday goes much further back. Apples were associated with Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance, and when the Romans invaded Britain, they brought their beliefs and their apples along with them, which is where apple bobbing came from.
But there’s also a scarier side. When you slice an apple open, the seeds form a pentagram, a symbol associated with witches – so be careful apple bobbing.
You can see the entire event right here but beware, it is NOT for the faint of heart1
Robin and family showed up about noon, and they went to work with the boys setting up everything and Robin assisting Mary in the kitchen.
Into the caldron went the ingredients, including the eye of neut and bats wings.
We found dry ice at the local Albertsons Market, so we have fog exiting the eyeball punch bowl all afternoon.
Nick was brave and took the first drink; he was fine after his head did two 360s, and smoke came out of his ears.
Meanwhile, at the dining room table, stories were told, ghost stories. I had to leave; it was too scary! I asked Irene, “Why did the ghost starch his sheet? He wanted everyone scared stiff.”
A house near me is haunted by a ghost that only moves horizontally. It’s a spirit level.
The boys went to town, but since they knew the drill, after almost fifteen years of this tradition, they were on automatic. The electric drills and egg beater blades did a terrific job of cleaning out the punkins.
Nick told me that a ghost always plays the Ghoul-keeper in soccer?
The bag ‘o bugs were popular, and the girls tried them. It was funny to watch.
The serious slicing and dicing got underway, and we were also awaiting the pizza delivery.
What do you call a little ghost with a torn sheet? A hole-y terror.
We ordered four pizza’s from First Class Pizza, and they were terrific. We had a veggie, a Hawaiian, a pepperoni-mushroom-olives, and a pirate combo (the kitchen sink). They were quite delicious! Robin brought a unique dessert, apple “pie.” It was mouth-watering.
Paul did not do any carving; he was in charge of drinking. The cup kinda looked like Paul!
The pumpkins came out just fine!
The kids departed for Disneyland at about 5:00 PM, and we got horizontal for a while, I was very tired.
We missed Michele & Franklyn and Theo (soccer game), Joe and family (COVID), Zack and family (Flu), and the Chartiers (who stayed close to home). But there is always next year.