This is the weekend of ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump on Halloween night. It is also for all the little football players, princesses, circus performers, cowboys and miniature movie characters out there with a bag and trick or treat on their lips.
When our kids were small the anticipation over Halloween was huge at our house. In fact, Halloween came up fairly often throughout the year. Daughter Carrie would return from trick or treating announcing what she was going to be the next year. And she made that announcement at least once a month until the next Halloween. Her plans involved a different character or look each month, and she was always thinking. Without fail, she woke up the morning after Halloween with the same words on her lips.
“Do you know what I’m going to be for next Halloween?”
We didn’t and by the time the next Halloween rolled around neither did she. She tended toward a Little House on the Prairie look, bonnet on her head, long dress and a basket for treats. Often, at the last moment, the box full of shiny costume jewelry spoke to her and she went into the night as an upscale pioneer girl with a basket and flashy baubles.
Her brother Matt, exactly four years two weeks older, had a few costume ideas of his own. When he was very small he was Casper the Friendly Ghost, the Blue Falcon, and a very cute little bum (my personal favorite when he was four). Then along came Star Wars. Indecision and procrastination reduced his visions from a Darth Vader or a Luke Skywalker with a light saber, to Boba Fett, a minor character, with a light saber. He was a disappointed Boba Fett, minus light saber, for the school party. He was something else, with a big bag for treats and a light saber, when he hit the neighborhood.
Until he was fifteen, Matt and his good friend Ryan, whose two favorite costumes were Dracula or a camo clad hunter, planned and plotted their Halloween outings for days in advance. They might not remember to zip up their coats in foul weather, or to bring home all the homework, but from year to year, they remembered where they were glad to see you and who had the best treats. A good deal of thought went into the Halloween trick or treat trail.
Matt loved every minute of Halloween. It was a great day in his book, the excitement almost as good as Christmas Eve. He dressed up in costume and was whatever he imagined. Strangers gave him candy when he asked for it and he could talk his sister into trading Snickers for peanut butter cups. The entire hoard of candy, once it had been thoroughly checked, was his to do with pretty much as he pleased. Of course, there were a few basic rules. No candy in bed after teeth were brushed or before breakfast. Gum did not go to school. Even Dad needed permission to plunder in the goodies bowl.
Matt was quite a hoarder. He had good pieces of candy left weeks after Halloween. By then his sister had polished off everything good and was left with a bowl of penny suckers, bubble gum and Tootsie Rolls. His peanut butter cups and Hershey bars were excellent bartering chips. As long as the goodies lasted he got the favorite chair, after school television viewing of his choice and his sister to wait on him. Ah, the power of chocolate.
But the best thing about Halloween for Matt, always, is that the very next day, November 1, is his birthday. This meant a chorus of Happy Birthday over breakfast, the dinner of his choice followed by cake and ice cream, also of his choice. Then the birthday gifts and another round of song, and of course, the Halloween candy bowl was still full and stashed away. Life was good.
Matt did his time chauffeuring three costume clad kiddos of his own about on the same trick or treat trail and these days shows up with candy to be ‘scared’ by his grandchildren and plunder their candy bowls. These days he prefers chocolate chip cookies and the next day is still his birthday with a lot of the same perks.
Happy Halloween to all those ghosties and ghoulies out there!