Halloween

Soon it will be All Hallows Eve. The ghouls and goblins will be afoot.I love Halloween. When I was a little girl, it was one of the best nights of the year.We dressed up in homemade costumes, a hobo, a witch, a ghost. something easy to throw together. We weren't that imaginative. And unlike today, there were no store bought costumes. The main accessory was the pillow slip. It held all the candy and apples and other goodies shelled out .

In those days, we didn't get a lot of candy. Ocassionally we would sell a milk bottle and buy a chocolate bar, a small one for 5 cents,and a large one for 10 cents . It was a real treat!

There were always "tricks" as well as "treats"on Halloween night. One of the most impressive one was when some hooligans burned down the old sawmill . It was a spectacular blaze. The sawdust that had been accumulating for 50 years of more,burned for days.

There were the run of the mill tricks, like turning over an outhouse. Or soaping someone's windows(if you didn't get a treat that's what you'd do),and of course egging someones house or car.

It usually rained on the Halloweens I remember. The streets would be dark and slippery with smashed pumpkins.

Along the way we'd compare the size of our loot and tell each other of the best houses to go to. I remember once knocking on a door, and being asked to come in and show off our costumes. I never forgot that,an adult actually taking an interest in us. Ocassionally someone would be in tears over some bully swiping their bag.Sympathetic friends would share some of their goodies to help out .

When the evening was over, we'd go home and spread our loot out on our bed and trade each other candies or treats we didnt' like. The apples would go to Mom for apple pie I think my favourite was MacIntosh Carmel , although I loved molasses kisses in Halloween wrap. I also cherished Kraft carmels.........mmmm ........I can still taste those.

Nowadays the stores are full of Halloween goodies. Costumes abound, not the tissue paper kind, but well made super heros and a plethora of princesses costumes. The boys are ninjas, or spiderman, pirates, soldiers and transformers. The girls are Snow White, Cinderella, Arial, the little mermaid ,or Tinkerbelle .

I don't get many children at my door, as I live at the end of the street. I always buy as if there will be hundreds, as there were in our old neghbourhood. We used to always have a pot of chili on the stove. Friends would make our house a stop over for a bowl of chili and a glass of wine or beer for the Dad's. There was always such energy and excitement.Trying to keep the dog and the cat in. Oohing and aahing over little ones, parents waiting discreetly by the walk.

the house in an October glow. Jack O Lantern in his place of honour, smiling or sneering ,presiding over it all. Bowls of chips and candy, given out in handfuls. It was almost as much fun to stay home to hand out the goodies as it was to go out trick or treating.

I always love walking to work the morning after Halloween, when the streets are littered with candy wraps, pumpkin pieces,lattened apples and other remnants of the debauchery. And isn't that what it's all about? All Hallows Eve. All that is holy, all that is 'halo-ed', the celebration before the death watch of winter.