Halloween was always my favorite holiday as a kid. For as long as I remember, my mom has been hanging ghosts, made from balloons and her old white sheer drapes, on our balcony. The house was always festooned with paper bats, skeletons and pumpkins, and a motion detector ghost at the front door that screamed when anyone approached. The house always felt busy and bustling with a sense of purpose, with Mom bringing out her secret stash of candy and coins for UNICEF boxes, and Dad coming home from work to take us out trick or treating. We'd eat a quick dinner, occasionally interrupted by overeager early bird trick or treaters. We'd always be surprised with a pumpkin shaped cookie or a Halloween cupcake as a treat for dessert.
We had some pretty great Halloween costumes in our day. Alex liked his Batman mask so much that he didn't take it off for like, 2 years (no really). I was Wonderwoman. Al had a successful few years as a Ghostbuster, alternated for variety with a huge foam Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume. I was at various times a punk rocker, a Table-for-Two, a gypsy and a bumblebee.
As we got older, Alex would go off with our next door neighbour Steve and his dad, or with a group of friends, to trick or treat. I never wanted to go with friends; I much preferred going with my dad and it was even better if I got to be ALONE with my dad. Halloween was always special time for me to spend alone with him. We'd usually do the "front" part of our neighborhood with Al, much to my chagrin, as I wanted Dad all to myself. The desire for candy usually helped me overcome those feelings of sibling rivalry. Highlights included the Oughtreds', where we'd get FULL SIZE chocolate bars or chips, and our next door neighbour Dorothy's, who would save "special" treats like cans of pop and big chocolate bars, for her "special kids," like me and Al. The front neighborhood was always teeming with our friends from school...it was always like a "who's who" of Gordon Head elementary in the cul-de-sac. After making the rounds in the front, we'd usually go home to check in with Mom at Halloween Headquarters, and drop our pillow cases of candy off to be sorted. Then Dad and I would push through the door in the back fence and make the rounds of the "back" neighbourhood.
At that point, porch lights would start to go off and trick-or-treating time would slow down. It was home then to pick up Mom and Al and attend the neighborhood fireworks. I remember so many Halloween nights spent hovering near the open garage of some neighbour, who would have urns of hot chocolate and mulled wine, that we drank out of styrofoam cups while noshing on a hot dog and watching as the neighborhood dads tried their hardest not to blow their fingers off as they set off fireworks.
It was a sad day for me when my mom told me that I was too old to trick-or-treat. She cut us off relatively early; alot of my friends continued to go for years after my mom had forbidden Al and I to keep going and I would scoff and pretend it was totally uncool when I really wanted to go, too. Halloween wasn't really redeemed until a special Halloween night with my high school boyfriend (and our friends! get your mind out of the gutter!) on top of Mount Tolmie, watching a bright red full moon, dancing to music pouring out of a car stereo, and talking about the future. Being in love was the only consolation for giving up the candy.
I can't say this has been the most festive Halloween; I had to hand in an assessment, attend class, go for a run, and study. No trick or treaters have knocked on my apartment door, although I bought some candy "just in case" (I know, I know, wishful thinking). I didn't even engage in my usual obsessive-compulsive pumpkin carving:I don't mean to brag, but I've won a few contests in my day. I can't wait until I have a balcony to hang my own ghosts in, and carry on Mom's tradition.
We had some pretty great Halloween costumes in our day. Alex liked his Batman mask so much that he didn't take it off for like, 2 years (no really). I was Wonderwoman. Al had a successful few years as a Ghostbuster, alternated for variety with a huge foam Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume. I was at various times a punk rocker, a Table-for-Two, a gypsy and a bumblebee.
As we got older, Alex would go off with our next door neighbour Steve and his dad, or with a group of friends, to trick or treat. I never wanted to go with friends; I much preferred going with my dad and it was even better if I got to be ALONE with my dad. Halloween was always special time for me to spend alone with him. We'd usually do the "front" part of our neighborhood with Al, much to my chagrin, as I wanted Dad all to myself. The desire for candy usually helped me overcome those feelings of sibling rivalry. Highlights included the Oughtreds', where we'd get FULL SIZE chocolate bars or chips, and our next door neighbour Dorothy's, who would save "special" treats like cans of pop and big chocolate bars, for her "special kids," like me and Al. The front neighborhood was always teeming with our friends from school...it was always like a "who's who" of Gordon Head elementary in the cul-de-sac. After making the rounds in the front, we'd usually go home to check in with Mom at Halloween Headquarters, and drop our pillow cases of candy off to be sorted. Then Dad and I would push through the door in the back fence and make the rounds of the "back" neighbourhood.
At that point, porch lights would start to go off and trick-or-treating time would slow down. It was home then to pick up Mom and Al and attend the neighborhood fireworks. I remember so many Halloween nights spent hovering near the open garage of some neighbour, who would have urns of hot chocolate and mulled wine, that we drank out of styrofoam cups while noshing on a hot dog and watching as the neighborhood dads tried their hardest not to blow their fingers off as they set off fireworks.
It was a sad day for me when my mom told me that I was too old to trick-or-treat. She cut us off relatively early; alot of my friends continued to go for years after my mom had forbidden Al and I to keep going and I would scoff and pretend it was totally uncool when I really wanted to go, too. Halloween wasn't really redeemed until a special Halloween night with my high school boyfriend (and our friends! get your mind out of the gutter!) on top of Mount Tolmie, watching a bright red full moon, dancing to music pouring out of a car stereo, and talking about the future. Being in love was the only consolation for giving up the candy.
I can't say this has been the most festive Halloween; I had to hand in an assessment, attend class, go for a run, and study. No trick or treaters have knocked on my apartment door, although I bought some candy "just in case" (I know, I know, wishful thinking). I didn't even engage in my usual obsessive-compulsive pumpkin carving:I don't mean to brag, but I've won a few contests in my day. I can't wait until I have a balcony to hang my own ghosts in, and carry on Mom's tradition.