Preparation

All Hallows Eve or Halloween as most know it is still slow to catch on here in Germany and is mostly commercial, shops sell costumes and some shop fronts are dressed in 'spooky' themed stuff and I did see some jack-o-lanterns, but, unfortunately, no 'trick or treating'. However, I did get into the spirit (pun intended), at a friends Halloween party.

I noticed my local supermarket was selling 'Halloween' pumpkins for about €2.50 and they were huge! Later, whilst trying to figure out what costume I could make from my severly limited wardrobe, it struck me. I would carve my first pumpkin and go as 'The Pumkin King'!

I bought the best 'head shaped' pumpkin I could find and lugged the huge and heavy thing home. Anticipating a large mess, I utilised my bath for the carving. Now, where do I start? Never having done this before I just had to make it up as I went.

I cut a hole in the top and scooped out the guts. I realise now why these are sold as 'Halloween Pumpkins' because they are mostly already hollow, just with a mess of seeds in the middle and certainly no good for eating.

I cut a large hole in the bottom with which to insert my head, this also made it easier to scoop out the inside.

Working out which was the best side for the face I sat it on my head to test it. As I couldn't see anything with it on, I had to take photos. It occured to me now that it was still very heavy and being too small to rest on my shoulders, my neck would be taking the weight. So I scooped out more of the inside to make the walls thinner.

Then, satasfied with with the weight and how it sat on my head I began to plan the face. This was the hardest part. Trying to line up the eye sockets so that I could see out of them.

It took a couple of attemps and I ended up with some randomly placed holes that were misplaced eyes. I ended up with well placed eyes that allowed me sterio vision with a little peripheral vision and a wicked grin.

Now, to complete the costume, a pinstripe suit with waistcoat and a green garbage bag cut into a kermit style neck collar, this was to stop any residule pumpkin getting on my spiffy suit. I painted my black, leather gloves with skeletal hands in gouache.

And a bit of spooky makeup so that when I removed the head I still had some kind of costume. I wasn't gonna wear that thing ALL night and drink my beer through straws! I had to use gouache for the makeup which worked surprisingly well.

With my outfit completed and ready to head to the party aftr a couple of priming beers I decided to wear the pumpkin all the way there! This became more and more interesting, as I had never been to this guys place and ended up getting a little lost in the subway.

But many people in their mundane routine with glazed over, eyes on the transit system got a giggle out of the Pumpkin King wandering around. I even had a few photos of me taken, though I used to that from my mustachio anyway. I enjoyed the anonymity and didn't dare take it off until I got to the party. Though I got into the habbit of lifting my hat/lid and politely bowing to the ladies I passed or anyone that tried to keep a straight face, which always made them crack.

The party rocked, by the way.

Off to market to buy some traditional Trachten. You can imagine how walking into a shop of floor to ceiling lederhosen was for me as far as my desicion making process was concerned. I tried on so many different colours and sizes and styles and accessories that I thought the staff would throw me out! But I think this was common as the staff seemed used to long decision making from their customers and were even more patient than I! By the time I was ready to say "Yeah, that will do", they were insisting I think about it to make sure I would get the right one and not regret it later. Here's an example of the wrong one.

I went back the next day with some friends who helped me decide and tried on various Trachten themselves. When we finally left I was happy with my purchase of shoes, socks, leather 3/4 length pants, braces and shirt, all for €220! (thankyou Skandal). Alvaro, who came just to look, ended up walking out with his own spiffy new lederhosen as well.
As we both insisted on wearing them out of the store, I suggested that we break them in. It would be a pity, afterall to simply wear them straight home, so we went out for some food then walked into the city and found ourselves at the Augustiner-Grossgaststätte, one of the many traditional beer halls, this one can boast that their beer was brewed here up to 1855! We drank our beers by the maß and met other travelers and locals that were up for a hearty "Prost!".

I joined friends a couple days later for another lederhosen clad night, this time at the world famous Hofbräuhaus!

We had a many a tourist mistake us for a traditional Bavarian guys and take photos of and with us. They were very impressed with our English! I think its safe to say that the lederhosen is warmed up and broken in for the upcoming oktoberfest!