5 Tips for Celebrating Halloween Overseas

"For some of us, Halloween is everyday" Tim Burton

In America the excitement is contagious, Halloween has been in the stores and supermarkets for a good month now.  You've had the opportunity to think about your costumes, decorations and of course, candy!  But what happens with Halloween when you are overseas?

Depending on your location, you could be on a Halloween-friendly country or not.  If you are not finding the enthusiasm Halloween deserves here are 5 places where to find it or where you could start a campaign for a new tradition.

1. If you have school age children, most likely Halloween will be celebrated at school in some way or form, a parade or a spooky party.  Who doesn't like to dress up and eat candy?  This is a great place to volunteer your Halloween cheer.  

2. Is work associated with an American/expat company or enterprise?  Offices can turn into great spaces for trick-o-treating.  Door decorating contest anyone?  Or each area could decorate their spaces with a different theme and let employee's children go around asking for candy.  It does take asking permission from top management, but it is a great opportunity to bring people together, so pitch your idea and start a new office tradition.

3.  Do you live in a building where there are other expats?  Maybe you can make the kids trick-or-treat around the building.  Or make a map of the Halloween-friendly houses in the neighborhood, grab a flash light and go get that candy!!

4.  Trunk-o-treat is another popular way to celebrate, with everyone decorating the trunk of their car and handing out candy.  You need to find an open space or parking lot, that's all.

5.  If everything fails and you are not finding the Halloween love around you, why not plan a private party at home?  If you and your children love dressing up, you can invite some friends and have a good time together.  

If you are trick-or-treating out in your neighborhood with the kids, try to avoid negativity by only knocking at the houses that are decorated.  Beware that the country where you live may be celebrating another holiday that same day (in Peru October 31st is the night of the creole song, half of the country celebrates Halloween and the other half goes to local music halls to celebrate their music).  I was greeted with not so friendly remarks a couple of times (don't take it personal, it's supposed to be a fun day for the kids, ignore and move on) but all an all have had good Halloween fun around the world.  

And remember... When witches go riding and black cats are seen, The moon laughs and whisper, 'Tis near Halloween.

Fun Things Happening in January

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been” Rainer Maria Rilke

Happy New Year!  I'm back home with my batteries re-charged, ready to share many more tips with you!  If you are coming to Italy this January, there are a couple of reasons to smile a big smile for choosing the beginning of the year for your trip.

First of all, the amount of tourists this time of the year is at its yearly minimum.  So you will have a lot less crowds to fight at the sights you've been waiting to see.  Also, you will still catch some of the holiday cheer since the holidays here don't end up until after January sixth.

And January 6th is a date to remember here in #Rome.  It's the celebration of the "Befana".  My first year in Italy I took a stroll in one of the most renown piazzas (squares) of Rome, Piazza Navona.  There, a Christmas market has been setting up every year for as long as the city cares to remember.  They sell all kinds of pieces for your Nativity Set and an array of goodies related to the Holidays.  During my first visit to Piazza Navona, I noticed something that was out our place in the vendors' carts.  A witch was adorning every stall at the piazza.  In my brain "witch=halloween", but what was she doing being around during Christmas time?  So I asked, and I learned.  It is not a witch, but the #BEFANA.  The Befana is an old lady who leaves candy for the kids in an old stocking on January sixth.  Ahhhh, I said, and that very same second, my kids demanded we celebrated the day of the Befana every year.  Of course, who can resist candy?!  Any reason is a good reason to get candy!

Today, the day before the Befana day, I went to the store to get "coal" for my boys; yes, the Befana brings candy to the kids who've been good all year and "coal" to the ones that have misbehaved.  Of course, nowadays the stores and pastry shops make coal-candy to be given out to the naughty kids, including mine ;)

The kids' stockings are filled, but what about the moms'?  Don't worry, January is the month of the SALDI, for the adults.  What does SALDI mean?  Sales!!  Yes, after the Christmas rush, Rome and many other parts of Europe are in Sale Time!  Here sales don't happen every weekend or every holiday.  They are found after January sixth and after the summer vacation; only twice a year the merchandise is on sale and the sales only apply to the items from the season that's coming to an end.  So make a side note in your budget and allocate some cash to the SALDI.  Leather goods, cashmere, you name it, it's all on SALDI!

If you are in Rome this January don't forget to celebrate the Befana and take advantage of the SALDI!

Arrivederci for now,

Happy Holidays to All

Happy Holidays Everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful time during this holiday season and that the new year brings new adventures to your life.  I will be celebrating Christmas away from home, so see you all in 2015!  

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year!!