In case
you missed the store displays and television commercials, this coming
Thursday is Halloween.
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| My Middle Sister and I About to Trick-or-Treat |
In a manner that is uniquely American, we have taken
a religious/pagan festival with layered meanings and turned it into a candy fest
for children. I’m not complaining. Some of my favorite Halloween memories
include both trick-or-treating with my sisters and taking my daughter
trick-or-treating. The best part was when you got home and poured out your
candy on the table to see what kind of a haul you brought in. “Regular”
trick-or-treating still flourishes in Alabama where we have close-knit neighborhoods
and subdivisions.
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| My Daughter, The Little Mermaid |
A
variation which has sprung up for people in Alabama whose living places are
spread out, such as in our small towns and rural areas, is
“trunk-or-treating.” With
“trunk-or-treating,” a church or school or other such organization will have
volunteers dress up in costumes and provide candy and other treats for kids at a
festival. Since these festivals are usually held in the parking lot of the
organization, the trunks of cars are used in the place of houses for the candy.
Hence the name, “trunk-or-treating.” I
have taken my daughter to several of those, also, and they have been a lot of
fun.
Two interesting Alabama twists to Halloween are the
temperatures and the scheduling. The temperature on Halloween can range
from anywhere in the 50s to the 90s. Temperatures in the 50s are perfect
Halloween weather. When the temperature reaches the 90s, our kids wear their
costumes and sweat it out for candy.
In
Alabama, Halloween does not always occur on October 31. This is because of that
American tradition more important down here than even a free candy smorgasbord
– high school football. While you would think having Halloween on a Friday or
Saturday night would be ideal (and I know it is for
the teachers who have to cope with the
children on sugar highs when Halloween occurs on a Monday through a Thursday),
I know many small towns (and live in one) where a Friday or Saturday night
Halloween is changed to the Thursday before so there won’t be a conflict
between trick-or-treating and the high school football game. You must check the
local paper for the official trick-or-treating hours.
Each
year, we buy candy to give out to trick-or-treaters, but each year we get fewer
and fewer. Our neighborhood is small and not on the beaten path, but we are
ever hopeful. Since we’ve added several homes in the last year, we’re hoping
we’ll pick up a few more visitors this year. The little ones who come to the
door are adorable.
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| My Daughter in a Costume I made, and Me |
What
are your favorite Halloween memories? Do
you celebrate Halloween or have children you can go trick-or-treating
with? How many trick-or-treaters show up
at your house? Share your stories of
Halloween in the comments below.
