It's almost here! The night of little ghosts, goblins, princesses, and other fantasies. It sure is different from when my kids were little and w-a-a-a-y different from back in the olden times when I was trick or treating age.
Today we take our cars to a common area and park almost side by side with the trunks or backs open and the kids, in their costumes, come strolling through to claim their treasures. No more door to door. For one thing, I live in a fairly remote area and two hours of trick or treating would garner some poor child a lunch sack half-filled with candies - maybe. The main reason, however, is safety.
Kate and I will go to a venue that we've been doing for the last few years and it's a "treat" to watch the little ones when they see the 'puppy' dressed up as a jack-o-lantern. She's in more family albums than I can imagine and the kids want to "pet the puppy" before they think about asking for candy. The costumes haven't changed much, some new ones, of course, but we still have the ballet dancers and princesses and pirates.
When I was trick or treat age, there was an apartment building or duplex down the block from us that was always decked out like a haunted house. We were terrified of it, but you couldn't have kept us away. The screaming was part of the fun. Some people served hot cocoa or candied apples or homemade cookies. Wow, have things ever changed, how sad! One year my dad was home for Halloween (he was a merchant seaman) and he let me have a party. We went trick or treating and when we got back, we carved pumpkins for prizes (amazingly, everyone won a prize,) and then he made taffy and we had an old-fashioned taffy pull. This night became one of the highlights of my youth.
When my kids were small, we'd "do" the neighborhood, and then because it was my daughter's birthday, we'd have a post trick or treat birthday party. It gave the parents a chance to go through the goody bags looking for anything they didn't want the kids to have. Even then we had the 'razor blade in the apple' scare.
When my granddaughters were small, we'd go to the pumpkin patch and they'd each pick out the perfect pumpkin and, with Grandpa's help, they'd carve their own 'friendly' jack-o-lantern. As they grew older they would go to a harvest festival and then come to the house with friends and do a little trick or treating in our neighborhood.
When I was volunteering with the Lung Association, I had a Bear Costume, not unlike the ones you see at Disneyland. I would wear it to "Say No to Drugs" events and various other community functions. One Halloween, my husband and I went next door. He stood out of the line of vision and hit the doorbell. When the neighbors came to the door with the candy, there stood this bear with an empty wine glass in her hand saying, "trick or treat". He came up behind me with his glass and a bottle of wine and the four of us had a really good Halloween!
Halloween has always been a fun night and Katie and I will try to continue the tradition. Happy Halloween to all of you! Wishing you many treats and no tricks!!!
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