Apparently, my Halloween lamentations notwithstanding, there is some fun on the occasion that can still be found in England. For instance, this expatriate blog suggests that trick-or-treating works to reasonable satisfaction in Hampstead (thanks to my old friend Tamila for the link).
But here is a little damning fact about England.
Becky made a beautiful jack o’lantern several days ago, and we put it outside on the porch with a requisite candle burning inside it. Last night, as I was ready for my nightly ritual of blowing out the candle, I realized that the pumpkin was no longer there. Either our trick-or-treaters, or some other passerby, decided to expropriate it for their own use. In other words, steal it.
I am pretty sure that this can happen anywhere. But in all our years of decorating the house in New Jersey, we never had a single decoration stolen. And a pumpkin, of all things!…