Happy Halloween

6.9 Billion.  That is what Americans reportedly spend on Halloween each year, making it the 2nd largest spending spree for a holiday.  But I haven’t spent a thing this year and I am feeling a bit bummed about it. Not because of lack of shopping, but because no one will come to our house in the boonies nor do I have my peeps to dress up and take out.

When I was little, I remember dressing up as Pooh with a plastic face mask that was tough to see out of and had a slit at the mouth for breathing, making it hot.  It is my first memory of Halloween.  I went with Anne Annie and she walked me to the neighbor’s house and stood at the end of the walkway and waited for me to go up and knock at the door.  It opened and Mrs. Fisher acted all surprised and dropped a piece of candy in my pumpkin bucket. 

When the girlies were little dinky-doos I made their costumes. I would head off to JoAnne’s fabrics and find the material, a pattern, then sit down at the dining room table and construct the costumes.  One year I made both Emilie and Lulu  bumble bee suits.  Lulu refused to wear the outer yellow and black striped tunic, and so she went as a black fly.  Black leggings, black turtle neck, little black wings and black pipe cleaner antenna clipped onto her hair clips.   The best costume ever was the Holstein cow I did for Emilie the year before.   It was recycled into a rabbit two years later for Lulu and became part of the dress up collection.  Lulu’s best was a snow-white costume, which also became part of the dress up collection.

I love the idea of children being able to dress up and go into the night, up to neighbors’ houses and knocking on the door,  practicing the first little steps of being in the community.  Really the first time a child is encouraged to go up the walkway with parents waiting, learning how to initiate an interaction with “strangers”.   They get a positive reaction and they learn to be social. The night and the costumes giving it that magical feel.

I miss being all a part of it, watching the kiddos go up to the door and the excitement of the treat they get, sorting and counting all the candy after wards as well as being at the door and opening it up to give a treat and see all the fun.   So I think my task today will be to either find a family to go around with tonight, or to find a family or place  where I can help give out candy.  Or maybe I will head off to a Halloween party at the VFW or some such place.  But it ain’t the same, grown-ups dressing up and getting sloshed and stupid.  I think I will go back to plan A and find some fun.