It’s that time of year, when witches and zombies and cute kids in costumes come banging on your door, holding open their bags, hoping for goodies. The rime of year when adults can pretend they aren’t stuck working for a paycheck that gets them through to the next paycheck and they can take on the appearance of their fantasies. The time of year that gets stores between summer sales and Christmas specials.
I remember the days when the kids all wore home-made costumes, ghosts being the simplest and most common. That was back before the worries about whether the treats being handed out were safe, because of course they were. The chocolate chip cookies the neighbor lady made and wrapped in cellophane were perhaps more sought ofter than the pre-packaged treats from the grocery store. Candy bars were full-size, and no one worried about staples or other foreign objects. Kids could dip into their bags before they got home and the only thing parents needed to do was make sure not too muny goodies got eaten before bedtime. No one ever thought about changing the day trick-or-treating happened just because it fell on a school night. the little kids didn’t get to go, but the big kids shared their loot.
Pumpkins only came in one color and jack-o-lanterns were lit by candles. No one gave a second
thought to the possibility of the flame being dangerous. Everyone was smart enough to keep their distance from them.
But I’ll fill a bowl with selection of pre-wrapped and safety-checked chocolate candy—yes, I give out the “good” stuff—and put it by my door. And when the doorbell rings, I’ll smile and admire the costumes, even if they are store-bought, and feel sad for what they are missing. I’ll wave to the parents standing at the end of the driveway and maybe even drop an extra piece of candy into the bag of the kid who isn’t with friends or siblings. But I’ll keep a lookout for the ones who make a second trip to the doorstep, because that goes against the unwritten rules. They’ll get one of the non-chocolate selections.
When the stream of treat-seekers crawls to the barest of trickles, I’ll turn the porch light off, lock the door and return to whatever book I’m reading. Probably an urban fantasy, because vampires and elves are fitting partners for the rest of the night.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
To find out what the other authors think about the holiday, follow the links below. And feel free to tell me about your memories of Halloween in the comments.
October 31 – Halloween or related. Feelings, traditions, memories.
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