When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait for Halloween. As soon as October rolled around, I couldn’t wait for the leaves to fall so I could make pumpkins out of orange trash bags. I wasn’t really the kind of little girl who liked scary stuff, but I loved decorating both inside and outside.
And what about costumes? We’d try to find original ones, sometimes made by the family’s seamstress friend. Another popular option was something we could make mostly out of things we found around the house or that we could reuse later. I remember one year, I needed a necklace made of bones. So one evening, we had chicken wings for dinner, and we dried the bones before stringing them on a rope. There you go—an inexpensive and unique necklace!
Finally, the 31st would arrive, and we’d get up early so we could get dressed up before heading to school. Seeing everyone’s costumes was an event in itself. Once classes were over, time couldn’t go fast enough so we could finally go trick-or-treating!!!
Now that I have kids of my own, I still love this holiday, but… it’s a shame to see Halloween fade away. Decorations in the neighborhood streets are few and far between. One pumpkin per family member placed outside—and that’s it—the house is decorated.
It’s becoming increasingly rare to see homemade costumes. Long live store-bought costumes—they save time, something we don’t really have in our lives these days. It’s easy to buy whatever our kids want, whether it’s their favorite superheroes or a cartoon character, something scary or something magical. I understand this very well, even though I find it disappointing. However, what frustrates me the most is having to shop for Halloween at the same time as I’m shopping for my Christmas tree decorations. Long live consumerism and commercialization, but please, let families enjoy one holiday at a time!
Ultimately, what saddens me most about all this is trick-or-treating on Halloween. Most homes don’t hand out candy. Everyone ends up crowding the same two or three streets in the neighborhood. Those kind-hearted homeowners get fed up after a few years because they have to buy more and more candy year after year. As someone who loves handing out candy—which is also part of the tradition—I’m extremely disappointed. I want my kids to get candy, so I hand it out too. Or at least, I want to.
Last year, I was ready—I’d made arrangements with my family so I could be with my kids, but also have someone at home to hand out the candy. Unfortunately, after an hour, no one had rung the doorbell… even though our neighborhood school is 95% within walking distance and has about 400 students!
If every household gave out just a few pieces, others wouldn’t have to buy as much, and the tradition could continue for many years instead of just two or three.
The tradition of celebrating Halloween is fading year by year, and yet we were all once children—children who were able to enjoy this fun holiday.
For our children and future generations, let’s make an effort!