HALLOWEEN

Thank God Halloween ended. For the first time I have celebrated this Celt-Yank tradition. Being a child I would disguise myself under a costume, but only in Carnival. Now I remember putting on a tracksuit pretending to be Benito Floro, Real Madrid's coach in the 1990s, with his glasses and his grey hair and his annoying personality.

Halloween has never been, however, my cup of tea. Hence, the fact that I had not thought of becoming a monster creature. Life is hard, sometimes. On becoming an English teacher there is some sacrifice prior to All Saint's Day. I had always refused to be Frankenstein, but this year it all has changed. The secretary of my school went to Lidl - she doesn't know how I adore her - and purchased all the Halloween stuff the school could afford (more than the Junta de Andalucía's budget would expect, for sure). Therefore, during the weekly seminar meeting the question of Halloween was proposed. We would have to hang the ghastly creatures, pumpkins, witches silhouettes and so forth and so on. My sister's school lent us a lovely head of Fester Adams. I did disguise myself. In spite of the fact that I was reluctant. I was Scary Skeleton for 15 minutes, during which I frightened a pupil of mine, as I changed my clothes in the classroom so as not to be seen, taking advantage of the break.

I may not do it again but I have to admit that it was fun. I gave my students some sweets, but the party finished within 20 minutes. They had to sit an exam. That was horror indeed.

All in all, Halloween is a globalisation festivity imported from the USA, the country in which everything is considered perfect. That is not bad, but our sense for this day is losing its importance. In addition, amounts of money are wasted, so the balance moves to the down side.