Archives for October 31st, 2006

I tried, and failed, to carve a Winnie-the-Poohmpkin this year.

Today is Reformation Day in Slovenia. Despite being nominally and overwhelmingly Catholic, Slovenia still officially celebrates this quintessentially Protestant holiday. That may seem odd when you consider that all non-catholic Christians put together in Slovenia don’t even equal one percent of the population, but it makes sense when you realize that it’s primarily about this fellow, and the tremendous kick he gave to the language by printing the first Slovene-language book and also translating the New Testament into Slovene.

It’s also Halloween, which is also mildly celebrated here. There are Halloween parties, television stations play scary movies, and stores offer various knick knacks and decorations. I’m not sure how much the average Slovene gets involved in it. My guess is not too much.

Which is a bit of a shame. Halloween is a major event in the United States, and it gives commercial enterprises the chance to do what they do best: produce a dizzying variety of delicious junk.

After trick-or-treating, I used to bring home enough candy to last a lifetime. My mother (a European at heart) never quite liked the idea of me gorging on sugary treats until nausea forced me to go lie down and rest. In fact, she would always secretly destroy my stash sometime in November. I wouldn’t notice, of course, because like the Eye of Sauron, my will and energy were by that time intently focused on the impending Christmas.

Happy Halloween!