When my five children were at home, I usually felt a little dread when Halloween approached. Getting five kids appropriately attired in Halloween costumes was not my idea of fun. As small children, they were happy with clown costumes, Superman or princesses. But when they hit elementary school, the competition was on for the neatest, coolest, bestest Halloween costume ever. I'd get requests for bizarre, scary, dead looking costumes with lots of blood from my boys. The girls weren't much better. It put my creative juices to the ultimate test. I didn't understand why putting a sheet over their head with holes for eyes wasn't scary enough. My girls wouldn't be satisfied with simply dressing like a gypsy.
What's wrong with being a gypsy? Back in my olden days of Halloween, I was always a gypsy. It was pretty easy because all I had to do was go to the box of dress up clothes and find a long, patterned skirt and a gypsy like top. A large, patterned scrap of fabric from my mother's sewing remnants served as a covering for my head. I loved going to my mother's costume jewelry box and picking out multiple necklaces and a pair of earrings to wear as part of my ensemble. But the best part of being a gypsy was that I could wear makeup. After being fancied up and beautified, I took a pillowcase and my mother sent me out the door to join my friends for a night of Trick or Treating.
I don't remember my parents following along as I went trick or treating. I was always with a group of my friends. We freely roamed the neighborhood, only coming home when our pillowcases were too heavy to carry or we got too cold. The older we were, the farther we roamed and the longer we were gone.
When I got home, I dumped my candy into a big bowl. The loot was terrific. There were no such things as "Fun Size" candy bars back then. Everyone gave out full size candy bars. My parents weren't concerned about there being anything other than good, old candy in my stash. They didn't inspect it. Sometimes, there would be trading involved with my siblings...a Milky Way bar that I didn't like for a box of Red Hots or a Three Musketeers. For days and maybe weeks, I had candy with my school lunch. I had candy after school. I had candy whenever. If my parents were afraid my teeth would rot from all the sugar, they never said anything. And, I was probably on a sugar high until Thanksgiving.
Today, Halloween is very different. To keep children safe, parents drive them while trick or treating, or only allow children to collect candy loot at the ward Trunk or Treat, the shopping mall or Daddy's office. Before children can eat any of the candy, parents have to inspect it and may discard anything that looks suspect or harmful. Because of the times we live in, it's all necessary. In my opinion, it's too bad that kids today will never know what true Halloween really is.
Yes, I remember going out and filling a huge grocery sack every year. Can't remember a single costume I ever wore.
ReplyDeleteWhat I remember best is the annual visit to a gentleman who was an Hungarian immigrant. He was very wealthy man having made a fortune in manufacturing nuts and bolts.
When we arrived at his home to trick or treat, he and his wife always invited us into their beautiful home. (That certainly doesn't happen anymore.) I recall the carpet was ultra white and his entry walls were covered with pictures of the US Presidents.
We were then invited to sit down on the sofa and enjoy hot cider and cookies while he gave a mini lecture about how he came to America, and how his adopted country was the greatest on earth. And then as he sent us on our way, he gave us one of the giant-sized candy bars.