Halloween and All Saints Day

witch sheep and crow jack'o'lantern
Originally uploaded by lalootka.

Usually I do not celebrate Halloween - I like this old feast, of Celtic origin, to honour our deceased beloved ones. And to celebrate the begginning of New Year. I like the idea of masquerade, though the mask is a visualisation of our faults. and used to be burn in the evening. To start anew. And I like similiar Polish, or even more - Slavian tradition - to burn the lights on the graves, to visit the cementaries, to make a feast for the dead. All this is very important for the community - to remember ancestors and to honour them, to burn our faults in the fire: greed, hatress, revange, envy, guilt.

But today I want to present SOFT version of such celebrations: my cuddly flock members in Halloween costumes. They belong to Nightmares before Christmas pool - as my entries in the 2007 Holiday Softie Awards .

The witch sheep is Hania is fine artist, her fields are painting and graphics. She loves to cook - today she cooks some magic poisions, of course, for all those who need a big change in their lives.
As many artist she loves to wear black so today she's very happy - this colour helps to concentrate and to focus on your goals. (Actually, it's not just a costume, what she 's wearing today - she's initiated witch, and she has the right to wear her cone of power). Hania's goal is to have a one-man show in MOMA in next two years, and to have as large family as possible - she can adopt you too!
She's a master cook: you have to taste her leek soup, or tomato sause, or apple pie.... yummy, wonderful!

This black creature is a RAVEN (thank you Sari for your observation and a hint!!!!) - it's not a cousin of Phantom of Opera, for sure.
This little raven is addition to my cuddly flock, too. My first attempt to make a birdie - I love corvids ingeneral, despite their bad opinion. They are brightly intelligent, as for animals. And magical :) His name is Herbert - that's the name that raven can pronounce easily. Herbert is a school teacher, very innovative and fun-looking guy. He loves cheese.
He has safety eyes that sparkle intelligence above the masque - and his jack'o'lantern smile is "painted", which means - appliqued felt. Young age of that crow one can recognize by the size of his beak.


P.S. Take a peek at 2007 Holiday Softie Awards to see all the creatures that are part of this contest - they are really great!
p.p.s. we had fun in the eavning cutting our pumpkin - bit blurry photo, unfortunately