Halloween classes, Sturm Graz

Servus!

This past week I was teaching at the HTL in Kaindorf. I didn't work on monday because it was the austrian national holiday which celebrates austria gaining independence from occupation after ww2 and also their signing of a permanent neutrality document, which means they cannot fight in wars unless they are attacked themselves. i was still hiking in mariazell on monday.

On tuesday I spent my classes talking about the similarities and differences in how america and austria celebrate their national holidays and had them get into small groups and make up their own holidays, which amounted to some pretty cute answers. many celebrated alcohol but some celebrated friendship and pizza and movies.

On wednesday my teacher baked me a whole cake for my birthday! that was really nice of her. she also invited me to her house for dinner on monday, which i am quite looking forward to. i love austrian cooking. a few of my classes sang me happy birthday too, in german and english. my hiking leaders sabine and peter also sent me a really nice email with a german poem in it wishing me a happy birthday and successful future. So even though i was away from friends and family this birthday, i still felt loved and i really appreciated that.

on wednesday and thursday i talked with my classes about halloween, which the kids seemed to like. we talked about trick or treating, costumes, halloween tricks, haunted houses, and I even made a jack o' lantern out of a butternut squash to show them how to make them. we also talked about similar celebrations in austria. they don't really celebrate halloween here, although it is becoming more and more popular (my guess is in about 5-10 years kids will be celebrating it). some things that they mentioned to me that were similar were:
-Laternenlaufen am St. Martinstag (Nov. 11) where little kids go around with lanterns that they make in kindergarten and sing a cute little song (which they all remembered and almost every class sang it to me of their own accord which was cute)

"Ich gehe mit meiner Laterne, und meine Laterne mit mir.
Da oben leuchten die Sterne, und unten leuchten wir.
Ein Lichtermeer zu Martins Ehre, rabimmel rabammel rabum."

I go with my lantern, my lantern goes with me.
Above the stars shine, below we shine.
A sea of lights in honor of St. Martin, rabimmel rabammel rabum.

-Fasching, where people of all ages dress up and parade through the streets, this is in february.
-Weihrauchtag ( i think that's what it's called) where people take special mushrooms that grow on trees in the forest and they are blessed by a priest and they light the mushrooms on fire and go from house to house to bless the houses.
-Unschuldige Kinder Tag (Innocent children day) where little kids go around with branches and hit people with them and say "frisch und gesund" (fresh and healthy) which is supposed to bring people luck and health in the next year. usually kids get money for this.

on thursday i gave out candy and dressed up as a black cat at school, which basically amounted to wearing all black and little cat ears, a feather boa as a tail, and painting whiskers and a black nose on my face. the kids in the hall would look at me weird but it was fun and i think they liked it. my teachers told me i was brave.

on friday i also went into school at leibnitz because next week i am going to denmark to visit andrea and uncle ephe and auntie m! i am leaving on thursday morning, so i worked an extra day this week to get my hours in.

last night i went to go see a sturm graz soccer game. it was really fun. they kicked the other teams asses. i went with some other americans. i learned a few cheers and although it was pretty darn cold i had lots of fun. i want to go to more and sit in the hardcore fan section and drink some Most (warm alcoholic cider). By the way, i tried mead the other day (called Met here), something I feel like i've only heard about in fantasy books. it was pretty delicious.