There is a witch who keeps the company of monsters, ghosts and all manner of ghastly creatures that could haunt your dreams, so beware when venturing to the house at the bottom of First Avenue.
However, come Monday, Peggy Galpin will take down all her Halloween decorations and prepare for the next date on her calendar of favourite dress-up holidays.
“Ever since I was a child I have loved the holidays.
“I have picked my seven favourites, and every year we celebrate with elaborate décor and a big party.
“This weekend is Halloween and I can’t wait,” Galpin said.
Despite the macabre figures and pictures lining the tables and walls, you get a sense of holiday cheer the moment you set foot inside the Glenhurd home.
Pumpkins, witches, skulls, singing ghosts and dancing Frankenstein monsters greet you around every corner.
And sitting among all of this is Galpin, smiling from ear to ear, proud of her collection of holiday paraphernalia.
Originally from the US, the 70-year-old said she had inherited her love of holidays from her mother.
“I remember when I was about five my mother made me a Rapunzel outfit for Halloween.
“It is the first Halloween I really remember and to this day it is one of my most cherished memories.
“So Halloween is always on my holiday season calendar.”
For about six months of the year, Galpin’s house is made up for one of her favourite holidays.
After Halloween she will start preparing for Thanksgiving, towards the end of November, followed by Christmas.
Then in the new year it’s Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and Easter, rounding out with the US’s Independence Day on July the 4th.
“I think Halloween, Easter and Christmas are probably my favourites, but all these holidays bring back so many wonderful memories and I try my best to keep the tradition alive,” Galpin said.
“I have scaled the decorations back quite a bit in recent years.
“Climbing up ladders is not as easy as it used to be,” she said, laughing.
Galpin said her elaborate holiday celebrations often included a big party with friends, but Covid-19 had derailed those plans over the last two years.
“The year before last I had close to 70 children from the neighbourhood stop by to trick or treat.
“But last year was quiet and I don’t anticipate a large crowd this year either.
“Plus my daughter lives in the States now and my son is in Cape Town, so the grandkids aren’t close by either.
“But my husband and I will have a great time.”
When asked if she would add any proudly SA holidays to her rotation, Galpin laughed and said a braai was perfectly fine for all the other occasions.
HeraldLIVE
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