halloween.

This week my lesson was on halloween. American Halloween. Halloween is not a big holiday in Poland, not really a holiday at all. Kids are trying to make it more popular, but it is nothing like in the states. Maybe 5 kids out of 100 kids had been trick or treating. I was excited to tell them all about halloween.

I started the lesson by asking what they knew about american halloween. They said trick or treating, and you dress up. I asked about the kind of costumes people wear, they said: frankenstein, ghost, wizards, witches, zombies, head less horse man, demon...basically all scary things. I had to broaden their minds so I told them what I dressed up as: princess (many times), cheerleader, pumpkin, boy, bumble bee, one of the seven dwarfs, homeless person. I tried to explain that some people dressed up as scary things, but many people dressed up in many different things and it isn't always scary. I also brought pictures of my past halloweens, they loved it. I told them how each halloween my dad would take us around the neighborhood in his tractor, and the whole neighborhood was alive. I shared about how my siblings and I would immediately lay out our candy on the floor, organize it, and begin trading. 

I shared about hay rides, pumpkin bars, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, bobbing for apples, haunted houses, and trick or treating. Then at the end of class I had the kids think of what they would dress up as and then they had to come trick or treating to my house. One by one they came to the front of the room and knocked at my 'door'. I would say hello, they would trick or treat? I asked what their costume was and then hand them a piece of candy. Candy from the states: starburst, dum dum, jolly rancher, and laffy taffy. They had fun. As did I . It is so fun to share my halloween traditions with others. I never really get that into halloween, so I was surprised how excited I was to share about it. I guess the traditions and memories it carries are what made the holiday special. So now, I cannot wait to share THANKSGIVING! My favorite family holiday. :)

This picture is too cute not to post (hope you don't mind Ellie and Paul). Here is the cutest little boy, my nephew on his first halloween. Happy Halloween.

Bennett's first halloween.