I emerged from my daughter Laura's Halloween party earlier tonight, battered and bruised but delighted to see grandchildren Jack, Hannah and Ava maintain the Scots tradition of 'dooking for apples'. Along with what appeared to be half the child population of Dalkeith. The more alert among you will realise that, strictly speaking, Halloween isn't until Monday but with Jack at school and Hannah at nursery, Sunday afternoon seemed a good time to have the Halloween festivities.
On the way home from Laura's, the still of the night was shattered by a firework display a few streets away. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Guy Fawkes Night isn't until Saturday 5 November. Yet, the brainless neds all too prevalent in our society see fit to inflict fireworks on neighbourhoods across Edinburgh, Dalkeith, the Lothians and doubtless every other town and city in Scotland days and sometimes weeks before the event.
I was in a shop in Dalkeith three weeks ago and was somewhat taken aback to see giant posters all over the store declaring 'It's Christmas'. When I ventured to the disinterested teenager behind the counter that it was only early October she said nothing but shot me a stare that intimated she didn't care two figs what I thought.
On the way home from witnessing another Hearts defeat at Tynecastle yesterday, my gloom was deepened by the sight of Christmas lights already up on the lampposts of Gorgie and Dalry in Scotland's capital city. This was a few hours before the official end of British Summer Time.
Commercial gluttony seems to be behind the reasons for such events starting unseasonably early. Fireworks have been on sale for weeks now, as have Christmas Cards. I saw an advert the other day urging people to book now for a Burns Night evening - held at the end of January. I couldn't help but feel the need to plea to let us get Christmas and New Year out of the way first.
Is it me? Am I the only one who wants to stop the world and get off? It's 1 November on Tuesday. Time to start thinking about what size of Easter Eggs to get the kids....
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6 comments:
I'm with you!
Not many people want to stop and smell the roses anymore Mike.
Excellent rave mate.
I have no idea why everyone is in such a hurry these days.
Peggy xxxxx
Baa Humbug to it all I say.
All it is about nowadays is money which people don't have.
On the fireworks, it seems they are not 'just' for 5th November, they are for New Year, Halloween, Jimmy Smiths birthday etc etc. It beggars belief that just as we have slightly curtailed all the special offers of cases of beer to allegedly help said neds, it now seems that some shops are selling fireworks on special offer. I don't think any encouragement is needed.
Adullamite - good man.
Peggy - you and me both.
Vickster - you're spot on.
I am a stalker from the States -- never posted before but read regularly -- strange, eh?
Anyhow, I put up my Christmas garland this past weekend. Why you ask??? and Me too?? the answer being that it was a gorgeous, semi warm day and I kept remembering all the miserable, cold, rainy, snowy, freezing days of the past when I was out their cursing to the Christmas garland god, O Why Me?
Now it is still warm (semi) and gorgeous, and the garland and poinsettas look a bit strange -- but I have faith that it will soon be cold, rainy, snowy, windy and freezing --- then I will smile.
Thank you Joan - I'm sure I've seen you on these pages before. You're welcome to visit and post any time. Just don't mention Christmas...!
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