My favorite holiday of the year is Halloween. I get to dress up in costume and spend the day playing whichever persona I had chosen. I also select a pumpkin and carve it into a scary or hideous form and use it as a jack o'lantern to ward of tonight's wandering spirits. The candle and smell of burning pumpkin both warding off undesirable spirits. Today I did the carving and decorating part. And at dusk dutifully carried my talisman to the street level and placed the lantern outside. Problems started immediately.
Security followed me out and told me I can't leave a weapon out there. I asked what weapon? I was told "the knife." So I ask what knife? And he points at my decorated pumpkin with a knife handle protruding from the forehead. I physically remove the handle and show it to him again asking "what knife?"
I finished ensuring that all approaches to the door would see the jack o'lantern while it remained out of the way of any possible traffic. I went upstairs secure in the knowledge that evil spirits would not make it to my door.
A short time later came a rap at my door. Mr Security there to tell me he "authorized" my pumpkin outside but the protective light would have to be removed.
I said nothing. I fumed and went to my neighbor and was an ass as I recorded it after asking him to repeat what he said in front of her.
I told him it was violating my religious ritual but he said I would have to bring the pumpkin inside if I wanted to do that. I flatly told him they must be outside.
I went downstairs and got my Jack o'lantern.
I'm still pissed.
I live in HUD housing. Having my liberties so curtailed so often here is frustrating.