Halloween in the USA
Working remotely has become a familiar part of modern life. The events of 2020 have given us all a taste of what it is like to work from home. However, remote working is something that many either enjoy or endure every day. If you work many miles away from your company, a quick trip to the office is not an option. When the opportunity arises to travel to head office, it is an occasion to be relished, especially if that means an overseas trip.
I have written before about the differences between the UK and the US, but it is still rare for me to be able to see them in person. With a young family and plenty to do, making the trip to Samtec headquarters in Indiana is a luxury that I do not allow myself too often. However, I had the need to visit the factory recently.
When an opportunity like this comes along, I try to throw myself fully into the experience. Samtec is a family-owned company, and always feels like it represents the community in which it works. Despite its closeness to the lovely city of Louisville, New Albany is a country town, nestled between the north bank of the Ohio river and the hills behind. This gives an innocent Brit like me a fantastic insight into the real America.
There were several highlights during my recent trip, including the opportunity to see a homecoming parade. My family has recently moved to a small country town, and the sense of pride in our community is something I think that we share, but the homecoming parade is definitely all-American. We have events that bring many hundreds of residents out into the high street, mainly Remembrance Parade and Christmas Carols, but the celebration of the high school’s achievements is not one of them. Perhaps that is something we should change.
Another event that I was lucky enough to attend was Lanesville Heritage Weekend. We have county fairs here in the UK, and we have ploughing competitions. We even have some tractor pulls, but nothing quite prepared me for the scale of what I witnessed. It was such a concentrated dose of country life that it was impossible to leave without soaking in the sense of community at the heart of the America. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
But it was the build-up to Halloween that I was most surprised about. We celebrate Halloween over here, and in certain parts of the UK it is very important. The Gaelic festival of Samhain is held on November 1st and marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. I understand that it has had a huge influence on Halloween traditions. Elsewhere in the UK, Halloween is a celebrated on a smaller scale. Trick or treating is not universal, although it is popular in small towns like ours. It holds a very dim candle to US celebrations.
I was in the US in mid-September, and I saw many houses that had already started to prepare their Halloween displays. From skeletons to pumpkins, the level of commitment and creativity was remarkable, and my American colleagues tell me that this was just the beginning. With more than a month until the night itself, there was plenty of time for the decorations to grow. One of my friends mentioned that Halloween was his favorite holiday.
Having moved so recently, we have been keen to create some new traditions of our own. Over the last couple of years, we have started decorating our driveway for Halloween, especially as we live on a quiet side street where the local kids can enjoy our display. During my recent trip to the US, I even bought a few decorations that are very hard to find over here. Packing them in my luggage for the journey home was certainly a challenge.
Every time I visit the US, I learn something new, and this trip was no exception. I was lucky enough to see families and communities celebrating together, and it is something that my US colleagues can be proud of. That Samtec also plays such an important role in community is just as important.
And so, when we sit on our driveway on October 31st, next to our brand-new Halloween inflatables and waiting for the trick or treaters, I will know that we have some way to go to match the US example.
Happy Halloween, y’all.
