Halloween 2011 Continues

[Murfreesboro]

Yes, it's coming on apace now. A week from this Thursday.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Jack, the main 4th of July tradition is fire works, and unfortunately some states have outlawed fireworks. Illinois has outlawed most of the "good stuff," but you can still get some of the little things like sparklers or smoke bombs. When I was a kid, you could walk into any neighborhood store and buy fire crackers, but today you can't. Additionaly a lot of communities have banned even the leagal fireworks within their town limits. My town, unfortunatley, imposes a $15,000 fine for lighting off fire works within the town limits. I have a place where I can go and enjoy my fire works, however. As murf pointed out, you still can buy plenty of patriotic colored decor, Uncle Sams, American flags and the like, but the real 4th of July tradition is fireworks. The fireworks for the 4th of july are what jack o'lanterns are to Halloween, turkies to Thanskgiving and the Christmas tree is to Christmas.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

But does your community have a civic fireworks display, Mike? Most do, and we almost always attend. It is very festive to gather with others from the town, hear music, and see the fireworks at the finale. We have a local symphony orchestra that plays for about an hour, various Americana-type songs (not just the marches, but folk songs and such). It always ends with the 1812 Overture and the beginning of the fireworks, which go on for about 20 minutes. (They play Sousa marches after they finish the 1812). I really feel as if we've done the Fourth up right when it is over.

Fireworks are generally banned inside city limits, but there is an exception around the 4th of July. I believe we have a ten-day window when we can shoot them off, and people do buy some pretty elaborate ones for their private use. I never do more than sparklers, though. We can also have fireworks for a few days around New Year's. The rest of the time, no.

[Li H'Sen Chang]

I quit Halloween on maybe the November 2 because the weather was good and time to take off my decorations and store them for next time.

I will do continue to watch horror movie for the whole year.

[Pumpkin_Man]

We do have a community display, but I prefer to light off my own. I've done that since I was a kid, and I enjoy it. It's a major part of my 4th of July tradition. The trouble is, it's getting harder and harder to do it any more with all t he stupid laws beine enacted in the name of so called "safety."

Chang, I usualy celebrate the Halloween season from about the 28th or so of September through the 2nd of November but on the 3rd of Nov, everythign is packed away for the year. This year, however, I had to start my Christmas cleaning early, and I had a much busier then usual photo schedule, so I had to take everything down on the 2nd. So, Halloween 2011 was cut a day short for me.

Mike