holidays

Halloween has been a hot topic this week because there is a party at Kåren on Friday. Since it’s not a holiday in Sweden I’ve really been vocal about my love for the costumes, and giving everyone advice (whether they want it or not) on what to dress up as. Most peope just say they are going to be a ghost or a witch…LAME!! Then, I try to explain my shower costume that I’ve worn numerous times to different parties (once is highschool, once at OSU, and once at Eastman), and I just get blank stares, and maybe a sympathy chuckle. Sigh. I guess the funny costume trend never made it over the pond.

trip down memory lane...

Regardless, I am still trying to help people be creative (although most are just going to be a “sexy” something…haha, that trend DID make is overseas!). Phil is going to try to be Uncle Sam, which is so clever, and will compliment my Statue of Liberty costume well! Lou is going to be Mother Nature/Snow (get it...becuase we're practically in the Arctic Circle?!) She and I picked up a whole bunch of great items at the Red Cross store today. Hopefully I will have a camera to take loads of pictures at the party. I really hope Piteå doesn’t let me down…and everyone gets into it!

Anyway, on the way back from Swedish class this evening I talked to Phil and Igor about the holidays in the States and the holidays in Russia. Igor asked us about the history of Halloween, and neither Phil nor I had a conclusive answer. I think I rambled about witches, saints, and religion, but none of it really made sense. Igor just nodded…I told him it’s really all about the trick-or-treating, and that’s all you need to know!

From this conversation, I asked him what the major celebrated holidays were in Russia. He said Christmas is the biggest, but then he said that his favorite holiday is on March 8. It’s called Women’s Day, and it’s a day celebrating women’s beauty. To celebrate, the men clean the house, do the dishes and the laundry, buy flowers and pretty much worship the women in their lives. As he kindly held the door for me (we live on the same floor), a new soft spot suddenly emerged for the Russian!