What Do You Remember About Your Past Halloweens?


No matter how busy I have tried to keep my brain today, my mind seems determined to travel down Memory Lane. Maybe it is the cloudy, gloomy weather. Maybe it is because I don’t have any “have tos” that require my immediate attention. Maybe it is because I don’t have to be anywhere at any particular time. Maybe it is because it is Halloween.

As a little girl I had fun deciding what I was going to be, what I was going to wear. I was blessed because my Mom was very creative and a great seamstress. She had a special way of bringing into reality anything I could imagine.

I remember one Halloween when I was transformed into a robot. A large cardboard box was covered with aluminum foil and holes were cut out for my head and arms. It was a great costume. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sit in the costume – I could barely walk. My Dad had the solution. He put down the back of our station wagon and just slid me in. I didn’t win but it was a great costume.

Trick or treating around the neighborhood was fun. My dad never worked late that night so he could take us around while Mom passed out the candy at home. Some houses would be decorated both outside and inside. Occasionally we were invited in and went through mini haunted houses. We only went to houses with their porch lights on. It was a safer time then. Neighbors looked after each other’s children.

Depending on the weather, there would be apple cider or hot chocolate and donuts waiting for us when we got back home. We would dump our bags of candy on the table and sort it out. We always hoped for the candy bars. Popcorn balls, raisins or apples even candy apples weren’t considered prize treats. Even cookies didn’t rate as high as candy bars. I kept this fact in mind as I grew older and gave out my own treats, candy bars, tootsie pops or something that was kid approved was what I gave out (smile).

Even in high school Halloween was fun. It was the night to scare the little kids or go to a party. There has always seemed to be something magical and happy to ME about this night. I know that to many people it has bad connotations and due to the religious beginnings is not a holiday to be celebrated. I certainly respect that.

In this time of war, economic instability, terrorism and uncertainty I can’t help but feel confident that God enjoys seeing children using their imaginations and having fun.

Last night I was a hostess at the hockey game. They had encouraged everyone the week before to dress in costume. I dressed as a cheerleader. I was given the special opportunity to pass out candy to the children attending the game in costume. It was terrific to see such a wide assortment of smiles. If only life were so simple – if we could share a piece of candy with our neighbors and presto, the world would be filled with a variety of smiles. Hmm, maybe I need to contact the executives at Hershey.

My sons, Tom and Jim, were born on October 1st. Rarely, were we able to celebrate their birthdays on the actual date of their birth. We usually had company and the expense of entertaining made it best to have a little family celebration on their birthday and wait and have their big celebration as a Halloween Party. Over the years they wore an assortment of costumes some homemade, some store bought and some concocted out of their own imagination and handiwork. Parties ranged from small to large. We even turned the house into a haunted house one year when they were older. It was complete with ghost stories and a mad scientist. We even had a hayride.

Now my sons are grown and have their own families and celebrations. As for me I am still celebrating this fun day. My childlike wonder is still alive and well despite the turning of the pages of the calendar. I have gone on a Halloween Walking Tour in Charleston, SC and heard all the folk tales and was spooked as we went though the cemetery. Last year I went to a Haunted Woods in a nearby State Park. Unfortunately, I got so scared I nearly set a new record for the dash as I ran out of there. I don’t enjoy being frightened and my active imagination can run wild without much provocation so I stay away from the likes of Fright Night at Universal or Busch Gardens.

Tonight I am going to Heritage Park and traveling back to the 1900’s to see how Halloween was celebrated then. Whatever you are doing….please be safe and enjoy.