Halloween

      All Hallows or All Saints Eve or more commonly known as Halloween, a western Christian feast, with some possible Celtic roots, observed in a number of countries. Activities include "trick or treating" carving pumpkins into "Jack O Lanterns" costume parties, lighting bonfires, even such jolly japes as apple-bobbing and playing pranks.
      I can recall once in my childhood, going out upon such an eve with a couple of friends and taking our "Jacks" which in those days were carved from turnips, with a lighted candle inside, there was little or no dressing up. I think the dressing up part was for children of a few richer families! Then we would tour the streets of Ambleside, knocking at doors, to show our lanterns and receiving some sweets or a few coppers as a reward. Of course there were quite a number of children also taking part in this activity and I'm quite sure some of the people in the houses, must have been tired of us.
      These days this tradition continues, but seemingly upon a smaller scale, it seems children no longer tour around the streets and a lot of the local properties in Ambleside are no longer occupied by families, instead they have been turned over to holiday-lets, student accommodation and small guest houses and are sometimes even left empty.