Halloween

Halloween was a special day when I was a kid some years ago. We looked forward to this day and planned tricks on our friends and neighbours. Back in those days some of the so called jokes went way beyond and caused damage and outright vandalism. Some towns were known for their outrageous stunts and were widely reported. As young people we were less exciting but managed to have fun without being over the top.

For days ahead we planned our costumes and in a family of nine it was difficult to find props to make yourself less known to your neighbours. There was never a thought of a store bought costume. It was find some old clothes and become a tramp for a few hours or an old army outfit making you a brave warrior or whatever you could muster up. Every year there were movies which caused the majority of young girls to become a Hollywood personality for the evening.

We would soap windows or some silly thing or pull the old rope game where two people would stand on opposite sides of the road and when a car came by pretend you were holding a rope and make the driver come to a stop. Moving from house to house was the main attraction where by the neighbours would try to guess the goblins who crowded their door. Everyone had fun and most of the neighbours got in the act. Apples, home made fudge, candy coated apples for special goblins and suckers were the main treats. At Ma Vickers' place there was the special treat of home made taffy. Granddad Vickers was always given the credit for this delicious treat but in fact we found  out years later that he had nothing to do with it.

Those days were ended in our home with a time when we all had to be in the house and a sharing of our pillow case full of goodies was traded and admired.  Mom always warned us about eating too much candy by using the tooth cavity scare but it never worked. Finally we would go to bed with our treasures neatly tucked away under the bed or other secret place. It was a fun time and was for the children and parents who shared this special day. Next day the pumpkins were turned into pies and the decorations either taken down or re-cycled. 

Today our young people miss the wonderful fun time because of the changes in society. It is not safe for your kids to go door to door, home made treats are rejected because of fear of the contents, they carry UNICEF boxes asking for money for the world's needy and how much is really turned over to the needy. Parents fear for their children and fun pranks are no longer acceptable..This magical day from the past has become another commercial grab as huge stores open for the season and sell China made costumes at ridiculous prices. Tiny toddlers come to your door with bag wide open for the treats and the guessing game is lost. What was a community social event has become much less.

For my part I always carve a pumpkin and welcome the handful of kids from the neighbourhood. Today you are lucky if you get a handful of goblins at your door. Adults buy store treats that they themselves like as they will not have to give many out to the public. We are a few days away from Halloween and I hope this year all the kids have a safe evening and maybe, just maybe the adults could tell them about the days when this was a very special day.