Daily Prompt: Trick or Treat

Posted in Challenges by angloswiss

If bloggers had their own Halloween and could go from blog to blog collecting “treats,” what would your blog hand out?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us TREAT.

The Skeleton

Somewhere in a country called Switzerland there was a supermarket chain. Their turnover was lagging behind the competitors, they needed new ideas. During the summer they were successful with their ice cream, bar-b-q items, plants for the garden. The days were drawing in, the evenings were darker and the temperatures were sinking. Something had to be done to revive the buying power of the customers.

In a public relations office in the main building, Fridolin Schweizer had a brain wave:the evening before he had been watching the film Halloween with his family on the television. “That was it, our business needs Halloween”. He was sure this was the solution. The Swiss people had been starved of tricks and treats and things that scream In the night. It was time to awake the Swiss from their autumn lethargy and the sales of Halloween sweets, ornaments and plastic pumpkins would be the hit of the year. Fridolin Schweizer’s brain was overflowing with ideas. He could see the happy smiling children persuading their parents to buy, buy, buy. Visions of chocolate witches, orange sugar pumpkins, liquorice broomsticks were arriving.

The departments in the largest branches would be decorated with nylon cobwebs hanging in the corners, there would be costumes for Halloween parties. Skeletons, vampire teeth, pointed hats for witches and perhaps even severed fingers dripping blood and hands as props. Switzerland would become the most frightening country of Europe. It would be taken over by the Halloween fever.

Fridolin Schweizer convinced the management that this would be the rescue of the declining turnover in Autumn and so it came to pass that various orders were sent to buy the necessary articles for the shops in countries with such names as Hong Kong and China.

Unfortunately for the Swiss, Halloween was something strange, another import from the big country over the pond. The Swiss had their All saints Day in the catholic areas when the cemeteries were visited. Wreaths and flowers were placed on the graves in remembrance of the departed. It was far from the Swiss citizen’s mind to celebrate such an occasion. Of course the younger generation always like the idea of an excuse for a party. It was fun, but Halloween was not the event of the year.

Fridolin Schweizer had visions of children dressed up as Jack the Ripper, Michael Myers, Dracula, Freddy Krueger knocking on doors, ringing the bells of unsuspecting neighbours and threatening with tricks or treats. Unfortunately the Swiss neighbours had no idea what was going on and a hoard of young children dressed up as horror figures were not their idea of fun and there were no boxes of treats to be had. Tricks were dealt with in a negative sense, some neighbours threatening with police action and telling the children they should be ashamed of themselves.

The supermarket chain sold all the Halloween props at half price during the month of November. Those remaining at the end of November were to be bought at a quarter of the original price and Fridolin Schweizer was transferred to the warehouse.

Is this fact or fiction? A little fact, and some fiction. A few years ago there was an effort to introduce Halloween to Switzerland. The shops were selling candies, skeleton costumes, witche’s hats. There were even a few small groups of children (accompanied by their parents) on a trick and treat excursion, but no-one had any tricks or treats at home. The attempt failed and today Halloween is just something they celebrate over the pond.

This evening I will not be disturbed by any knocks at the door and might watch a horror film on the television. Tomorrow is a holiday in the catholic Kantons of Switzerland for All Souls Day. The cemeteries are full of visitors placing candles or Autumn wreaths on the graves of the departed.

You ask what treat I would leave if anyone would call. Actually my apple tree was very fruitful this year and I have a whole basket of apples, so if anyone calls (are you hearing me daily prompters) then there will be an Angloswiss apple for each of you.

Apple Harvest 2013

Daily Prompt: Trick or Treat

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9 thoughts on “Daily Prompt: Trick or Treat”

Mr. Atheist

31/10/2013 at 18:02

Here for my apple. Apples?

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- angloswiss
  
  31/10/2013 at 18:20
  
  Just take one, they are cyberapples.
  
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crookedeyebrows

31/10/2013 at 18:03

Those apples do look inviting……….

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Relax

31/10/2013 at 18:35

LOL! Thank you!

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ferwam

31/10/2013 at 19:10

Knock knock! Its me , ready for my apples! Haha! True, in my culture there is no such! its just another practice we hear of and see in movies. Very strange indeed!

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Frances D

31/10/2013 at 22:36

I would probably snatch a few of those apples BUT then return with a lovely bit of my home-made apple pie for you and Mr. Swiss. Trick or Treat!

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- angloswiss
  
  31/10/2013 at 22:44
  
  Yes pease, one of my favurites
  
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Susan B Raven

01/11/2013 at 05:11

Thank you!

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