With Halloween just around the corner we haven’t got long to see how the Covid-19 pandemic will spoil the seasonal fun-time or not.
Halloween in our part of France
I live in France; it’s not as commercialised here as in other countries like the USA and the UK but the supermarkets do sell fancy dress paraphernalia and the children that ring our door bell go to a lot of trouble. Our house has become extremely popular with the little darlings and I can only think it’s because of the treats we supply! I was never so generous till my mum left the UK and came to live with us, five years ago.
She used to enjoy buying sweets and giving them to the few children that rang their doorbell including the children from next door. So, for mum’s benefit I suggested she made little bags up. That was the first year, we had about six or seven little monsters calling. This has increased every year and last year we had…thirty-three!
Mostly they arrive with parents in tow and last year all the children were prompted, by their parents, to say ‘thank you very much’ in English, so obviously the parents appreciate the trouble we go to.
Content of trick or treat bags
You are probably thinking what on earth does she give them? I buy the little plastic freezer bags, Madeleine cakes, various sweets and pick out some cent coins from the ‘spare coin’ bowl. As you can see it’s nothing too exciting, but they seem to be liked. Maybe a bit too much.
Will Covid-19 and face masks spoil the fun?
Back to October 31st, 2020. In our town it’s mandatory to wear face masks in the streets if you are aged eleven or older. As most of our callers are under that age that means I am faced with a dilemma. Do I let mum have the enjoyment of making these little bags up, even though she doesn’t even see the children from the comfort of her bedroom, and don a face mask every five minutes to walk down to a herd of unmasked zombies, witches and ghosts and risk exposing myself to the Covid virus or do I make the decision to stay safe, deny mum some fun and hide in the kitchen all night , unplugging the doorbell. I suppose I could just hang a bag of treats on the gate with a note telling them to help yourself.
