I LOVE Halloween!

I am writing today to express my outrage. Well, OK, maybe it isn't outrage I suppose I should save that for something really important. But it is aggravation and mild irritation at what I consider the watering-down of my favorite holiday. Halloween.

Is it not bad enough that the aisles are already full of Christmas stuff by October 1? Is it not bad enough that the Halloween decorations and costumes, already crammed into some forgotten aisle or back corner, are on clearance the week before the holiday? Is it not bad enough that mega-churches have to make Halloween about religion by setting up crazy-ass "Judgement" houses which are essentially supporting the Halloween stereotypes anyway? But with a (to me) disturbing and harmful judgemental overtone that is being drilled into kids' heads and transferring to other areas of their lives? (school bullying, anyone?)

Nope. Apparently all of this is not enough. It is, in my opinion, just a fun holiday. It is a time to dress up, it is a societal ritual. It is about community and neighbors and being spooky and eating candy. Any efforts to make it more than that are, in my opinion, ridiculous. Now, I am all too aware of the origins of the holiday. However, like with most other holidays, it has become about more societal and commercial things anyway, so I just feel we should be celebrating it as such. Or don't celebrate at all. Last I heard you had a choice. For the majority of us there are no sinister overtones, there are no frightening rituals, you aren't challenging or increasing any one's power, or betraying a loyalty by trick or treating. Unless, that is, you believe you are. Unless you give one day out of the year that kind of power. Unless you are of a belief system in which the day is a high holy day. Or a sinister evil day. Otherwise it is just a day. October 31st.

And thus the basis of my post. I woke up this morning thinking Halloween was over. When I looked at my calendar, imagine my surprise to see the date. The 31st. See, here in my town Trick or Treating was last night. October 30th. I heard through friends that it was one day last week up in our old town in Pennsylvania. Some of you reading this may appreciate this, but others may wonder. Why? Well, I can't speak for Pennsylvania, but here it is because the 31st fell on a Sunday. And apparently unless it is Christmas, having a holiday on Sunday is just not OK. Or is it because Halloween is so very evil? And do not give me that "it's a school night" crap, because if it were on a Tuesday we would have been Trick or Treating on a Tuesday. It is over by 7:30 anyway. Don't give me that "church" crap and how it is against their values and should not be held on Sunday. Because many, many churches held events that were called other things, but involved kids dressing up and getting candy. At the church. Or on the town square. Sound familiar? Exactly HOW is that different? How is it less evil or sinister. I must be missing it somehow, what with my pagan views and all.

My memories of childhood Halloween are wonderful and scary and fun. They are all mixed up with birthday memories, and hayrides, and fall festivals. I remember going to school in costumes made by my mom and trick or treating with groups of my friends in big neighborhoods and our parents walking along with us to make sure we said "thank you". I remember the one house where the lady met us at the door with a huge crystal bowl of FULL SIZE Hershey bars and I thought "she must be RICH! Score". I remember coming home and my brother and I dumping our candy out and trading out for what we liked, giving mom all the "old people" stuff that we didn't like. (i.e. anything not sour, chocolate, or anything with coconut or nuts in it) I actually remember the time when you got homemade treats in your bag like cookies, popcorn balls, caramel apples and such. I also remember the year we all started having to get our candy x-rayed and only individually wrapped would be acceptable from then on. Someone had laced candy with razor blades and hurt children. I think it was a Thursday. Even as an adult, I still consider it my favorite holiday. I have had some really fun adult Halloweens, and I love being able to dress up and be someone else for a little while.

Like with everything else, kids have an innocent view of Halloween. It is about candy and getting to ring doorbells, getting to dress like your hero or the bad guy, seeing new people, and candy. And watching a Charlie Brown special. Oh, and did I mention candy? I doubt there is 1 six year old who will tell you stories of devil worship or anything else as the reason they love Halloween.  They don't see all the  bad overtones and hidden meaning that we adults read into it. It is just a fun day for them. Shame on us adults for trying to water that down.

Oh, and Happy Halloween!