We are well into autumn now and you will have noticed the big orange pumpkins in all the supermarkets tempting us to buy one for Halloween on the 31st October. If we carve out a face and place a candle in the hollowed out middle then place it on our doorstep, we will be protected from evil spirits and fairies who may want to settle in our houses! Halloween or All-Hallows-Eve, to give it it’s proper name, is a celebration of the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the dark cold days of winter. The rituals we observe nowadays have their roots in pagan times but the next day, 1st November, is All Saints Day or Hallowmas when we remember all the lives of martyrs and saints in Christian history who have no specific feast day during the year. So I shall look forward to seeing all the lighted pumpkins around the village next week – please send us your pictures for next month’s newsletter!
This Sunday 27th October at 4pm at St John’s Church, Carterton, you are warmly invited to join us for the annual bereavement service. This is an opportunity to recall the names of our loved ones, who are no longer with us, and to give thanks for their lives. A safe place to sit in God’s presence and allow his healing love to wash over us, and to light a candle in their memory. Followed by refreshments.
On a more solemn note our Remembrance service is on the 10th November, 10.50 at the War memorial followed afterwards by a church service. We are always grateful to Jeremy Lane in leading this event for us and especially thank the RAF at Brize Norton for all the help and support they give us. Our war graves will be looking their best, with a poppy to remember the ultimate sacrifice that each of them made including our very own villagers whose names are carved on the memorial for all to see.
Later, we have the Christmas Bazaar and coffee morning on the November 16th from 10.30 – 1.30 so please come along and help raise funds for ongoing improvements to the church. There will be crafts, produce and preserves, jigsaws, tombola, Rosy’s art and a raffle so lots of things to buy in readiness for Christmas. Wood Brothers will have a stall as will the Gardening Club and not forgetting the little ones, a children’s corner. There will be mulled wine and mince pies as well as our delicious homemade cakes and coffee, so come along and say hello and join this very festive start to the Christmas season.
Next month’s newsletter will have all the details of the events taking place in the church during December so keep an eye on your emails to make sure you don’t miss anything.