I’m excited about Halloween. However, I’m tired of being bombarded by candy everywhere for a month or more. And I’m bothered by our society’s fascination with vampires and the occult. And I don’t like it that Halloween is now second to Christmas, way beyond Easter in most Americans’ minds.
So maybe it’s not Halloween that excites me. Here’s what I do love: Dressing up. Costume parties. The humor and creativity that goes into making a costume. I refuse to ever stoop to a store-bought one. My mother always crafted my costumes by hand and I took home a prize most years. Maybe a little of her creativity rubbed off on me. I just dug up an ancient photo I hope you’ll enjoy of my college roommates and I sporting Halloween costumes I made for us out of pillowcases. We won the $100 prize and split it four ways that year; we thought we were rich.
Last year was the first time since we’ve been married that Steve and I have had trick-or-treaters come to the door. And they came for three nights straight. In California, not only are people less trusting, but our door was a level below the street and even people we invited over had trouble finding it. Every Halloween, we’d buy candy, nobody would show, and I’d end up eating most of it. This weekend, I’ll be ready for the little tykes, armed with my fig newtons and wearing some dazzling costume. I haven’t settled on the outfit yet, but one thing I do know. I will buy a treat that I’m not tempted to eat. So, fig newtons . . . or maybe figs, here we come.