Halloween is coming up next week and it's the first big holiday of autumn. I have always enjoyed Halloween, but I have never been fanatical with it like I am with Christmas. I always feel like I'm on the periphery of Halloween, always on the outside looking in. And that is absolutely fine. I love to see how much others love Halloween and go to all ends to make it special. That makes it special for me. For me, it comes in 4th in the list of big holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and then Halloween. I don't do much, but I do look forward to the half-priced candies on sale the next day LOL.
I don't remember many of the Halloween costumes I wore over the years but I do remember a few. When I was three or four, my cousin Margaret bought me and Bill some Star Wars costumes. They were those heavy plastic masks with the kind of plastic body bag you wore over your clothes. We all wore those kinds of costumes for years. Mine was C3PO and his was Darth Vador. There are pictures of us wearing them and even switching masks. Later on in childhood, I went as The Purple Pie Man. Again, one of those plastic costumes we got off of the rack at Rose's. How I miss that store! In 5th grade I went as Dracula. I had been Dracula in our AG Halloween play and so I already had the stuff for it. I remember because the neighborhood kids went to the mall to trick or treat that year and we racked up. Also, I remember watching the Halloween episode of The Cosby Show after I got home. That was the last time I went trick-or-treating. I have rarely dressed up for Halloween as an adult. Several years ago, I went as a biker to work and won the costume contest. I truly believe it is because I got a mohawk for the occasion and very few people recognized me at first glance. That was fun!
We didn't have many Halloween decorations, especially not like people have today. But we did always have a jack-o-lantern on the porch with a candle in it. And Mom had some cut outs that hung on the front door. I still have one of those which I hang up in the house during the season. I need to add that to my list before Halloween has come and gone!
There was a house down the street from us on Brookgreen Drive that had the greatest witch on their front door. Even though witches scared me, thank you Wizard of Oz, I would always ask Mom to slow the car down while we passed that house so I could get a good look! When the big night came, it was always seeing streets full of kids in costumes. I don't remember many specific experiences trick-or-treating, but I do remember the Purple Pie Man year when Monica, who lived next door, took me. And back in those days we always went after dark. Going trick-or-treating in daylight was not even an option. I remember watching ET for the first time and wondering why they went while the sun was still out. Oh well LOL And we almost never gave away candy at our house. Mom would pop popcorn and fill treat bags full. Of course, back in those days popcorn was not really sold much in stores except in seed form, so this was a treat.
Of course, no Halloween would have been complete without watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" which has been a staple of American Halloween viewing since 1966. It is usually shown several nights before Halloween, and I watch it every year. Now that I don't have regular tv, or whoever shows it these days, I just watch my faithful DVD. I did not watch a lot of scary movies as a kid because they would give me nightmares. They still do sometimes!! A Garfield Halloween, The Worst Witch, The Bugs Bunny Halloween Special and the Halloween episode of The Wonderful World of Disney were enough for me!
I imagine that if I had children I would do more for Halloween. We don't have trick-or-treaters here on my street but a few streets over they come in by the van loads. I put a few things up around the house so that I can remember the good times of days gone by. I still enjoy the holiday and am glad that I am around to see another one. Happy Halloween!
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