The Great (Polish) Pumpkin

Growing up, I loved Halloween. I have always been a candy fiend, and really, what's better than running around with your friends in the dark, without adults, getting pillowcases full of candy?

Not much.

Plus I have a very imaginative mother who loved to come up with and then create fantastic costumes. My all-time fave is still the head-to-toe, fake blue fur Cookie Monster suit that I had when I was about 7. Dad, I'd be eternally grateful if you scanned a picture of that and sent it to me. I'll even post it here for all to enjoy.

Sadly, the Polish don't celebrate Halloween. They have no idea what they've been missing out on.

So last Wednesday morning I dragged two of my Polish Canadian colleagues to the local pumpkin patch (okay, it was really a market) to buy as many pumpkins as we could carry to take into work.



I was giddy with the whole adventure and kept snapping shots of the possible pumpkin candidates, much to the chagrin of one of the farmers. Apparently he was telling me not to take pictures, but since I didn't understand him, I just smiled and took his picture. He became much more accommodating when he realized I was spending major zloties at the stand next to his, and even started pointing out pumpkins he liked.

People didn't quite know what to make of me when I showed up the office with a trolley full of pumpkins. But my team embraced the jack o lanterns quickly. I had to explain to everyone that you had to clean the guts outside of the pumpkin, and then had to retrieve more than one pumpkin "lid" out of the garbage after they threw them out.

As soon as we had the first pumpkins finished and on display, other teams started asking if they could carve one.



Luckily my manager was out of town and wasn't able to witness me violating several office regulations as I lit candles in all of the pumpkins. It was well worth breaking the health and safety regulations to work in the soft glow of the jack o lanterns. And as the pumpkins heated up they gave a lovely smell, as if someone was baking in the office.

But my favourite memory of the day will be the look of childish wonder on the faces of the steady stream of people who came by to see the pumpkins. Most came back for repeat visits, often with their cameras.