Tricks or Treats? Have a Happy Halloween!
It's All Hallow's Eve; what's your choice? Scary and spooky, or cute and funny? As you add up the Halloweens you've celebrated, you might find that your taste in Halloween has changed and changed back again. Whatever your pleasure on this night; with all the time that goes into the preparation of the night, whether you are hosting a party, out with your trick-or- treaters, or are filling Halloween bags and buckets from your front door; in all the process of getting ready and anticipation of the night many don't think about how all this Halloween stuff got started!
All Hallow's Eve celebrated on October 31 precedes All Hallow's Day, more commonly known as All Saints Day. Halloween itself dates back over 2,000 years ago to an ancient Celtic Festival, which took place in what is now known as Ireland. It is how the Celts celebrated their New Year, which actually occurred on November 1. This was the end of summer and the beginning of the shorter, colder days. It is said that on the night before the New Year, which was October 31st, Samhain occurred. This is when it was believed that ghosts of the dead return to the Earth.
Halloween-type celebrations began in the United Stated around the 19th century; although it was less prevalent in the northern states due to strong religious beliefs. The first Halloween celebrations were public events, held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead. By the 1920's and 30's, Halloween became a more community based event, with parties and entertainment. The increase in children from the baby boomers of the 1950's, ushered in trick-or-treating and similar events and they began to be more common, both in schools and at home.
My most vivid memory of Halloween decorations as a child were a jointed cardboard Pumpkin Man dressed in a striped outfit. He posed every year on the basement door that faced the hallway.
There was always a plastic Jack-O-Lantern that sat on top of the TV, with a few tissue paper ghosts, that my mom fashioned each year to add to the eerie. We lived on the corner of a neighborhood block so our house was guaranteed a large crowd each year. The desk in the hallway was filled with candy and by the end of the night, much to my father's disappointment, the desk didn't hold one single piece; nothing was left behind. Luckily he could always be sure that there would be something in my Halloween haul that I didn't like and would gladly pile up and "share" with him.
My trick-or-treating adventures did not start on a high note; in fact, they didn't officially begin in Kindergarten like they did for my friends and cousins. I had my costume, I had my bag, and I was all ready for the school parade and a night of trick-or-treating as a Kindergartener, but lo and behold, fate had a different plan. Two days before Halloween, I broke out in a severe case of chicken pox! I probably remember it more because, it was the time of the 8mm movie camera. My school was one block from my house; my cousin and I were both in Kindergarten that year, and as the school marched around the block, my aunt recorded the parade with the movie camera and as she panned the crowd, there I am in my house across the street, peeking from behind the curtains. The kindness of family and friends ensured that I had a great Halloween despite my outbreak, and I probably ended up with a bigger haul than if I had gone myself!
Besides I had first grade and all those years ahead of me. As time goes quickly, Halloween in first grade came around. We ran home from school that day, grabbed our bags and hit the streets, further out from our neighborhood, before dinner. This was the best plan because as darkness came, you always wanted to be closer to home! My friend and I had walked quite a distance and our bags were straining to hold all we had scored in our long walk going door to door. We were standing on the corner across from my house, waiting to cross the street; I was swinging my bag behind my back waiting for that chance to dart across the street and empty my treasures. They came out of nowhere, two very tall, most likely high school, ghosts. They ran towards us so quick, snagged my bag from my hands and took off down the street at lightning speed! We screamed, but who wasn't screaming and shrieking at that point of Halloween. I ran across the street, into the house, in tears I told my mom what had happened; but it was all gone, all that work down the drain! I didn't give up, I grabbed another bag and my dad took me to the neighbors around us; of course I was a first grader so I readily shared my story of terror as it gathered more scary details with each retelling! As the night came to a close, the neighbors all gathered to chat outside, and much to my delight, in feeling sorry for my demise, brought me candy, but not those little bite size ones, full size candy bars; how exciting!
Maybe having these misfortunes were really the way to go on Halloween night! As a big Charlie Brown fan, watching the Great Pumpkin every year; I secretly wished Charlie Brown would know the kindness of others who in seeing all those rocks would replace it with those yummy Halloween treats!
Yes, my Halloweens improved over the years; many years of trick-or-treating with my friends; crazy parties in high school when we still liked to dress up, but were too cool to go door to door for treats. College fun where Halloween went for weekend after weekend in October; and finally to Halloween in my own house that I could decorate, and listen to the squeals of excitement as I tossed the candy into the bags of little goblins and ghosts. Then to the years of taking my little ones around the neighborhood and our neighborhood gatherings and traditions for many of those years; including the year we were all set to take our neighborhood Halloween feast outside and instead sat around the fire laughing as the snow feel from the sky, our first white Halloween in many years!
In middle school, my Halloweens were much different as the doorbell didn't ring very much because we had moved to my grandmother's house and she lived across the street from a cemetery! One which had the tradition of putting lit candles on the graves with a jar over the top to keep the flame going. A great backdrop for scary Halloween tales; but not so much for trick-or-treaters.
There was a little girl in the neighborhood who loved Halloween, she loved candy more; and my grandma was her best friend. She would walk over and sit and just talk and talk and my grandma always had a special treat for her. I remember the Halloween she came over and rang the bell, she didn't have anyone to trick-or-treat with so that was her last stop for the night. My dad, I owe him a blog or two, good ol' Joe; he was always there to save the day for any kid who wasn't wearing a smile. He wouldn't let her give up on Halloween night! So he went into the closet, found my grandmother's overcoat, and an old pocketbook (well that's what grandma always called it). He rolled up his pant legs, tied a headscarf on his head and off they went, Suzy and the little ol' lady to trick-or-treat around the neighborhood!
I think that's where I'll stop my Halloween memories, because while I have many, especially those with my little ones, those are my gems; it wasn't merely seeing Joe, the little ol' lady walk out the door that night.It was really the smile and skip in Suzy's step as she found a friend to go trick-or-treating with. And isn't that what Halloween is really about; dressing up scary or silly and having a friend, by your side, to walk up to those doors with, and count your "loot" with?
Back to my friend Charlie Brown, seeing the Peanuts gang running from house to house together, and Charlie not ever giving up, even as the rocks in his bag added up. Let's not forget Linus and his wait for the Great Pumpkin, and Sally giving up her trick-or-treating to wait patiently with him. Whatever we do on Halloween, it's always better with a friend; because with a friend we can face even the scariest things in life!
Whatever your pleasure on Halloween this year; may you have the happiest of times!