I loved Halloween when I was a kid. I remember being a Dutch girl one year after my parents had visited Aruba (a Dutch colony). I had wooden shoes and a blue skirt with a white lace apron over it. There was a little starched white cap that went with the outfit. It reminded me of Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun. I loved her.
My mother took gold yarn and plaited two braids that she pinned into the hat. Another year I was a Hawaiian girl. I had a witch costume my mother made, as well as a pumpkin costume that she stuffed so full of the Hartford Courant wadded up that I could barely fit out the door of the den.
We traveled up and down Knollwood, Birchwood, and Millwood Roads, as well as Holland Lane on Halloween. A lovely neighbor, Bethel Cacase, used to have very special Halloween baskets for us with candy from Munson's Candy Kitchen. Mrs. Cacase was not one of those cheapos who gave out Dots and disgusting orange circus peanuts. The Popps, the Kokums, the Tynes, and the Burns' also had great candy in case you find yourself out in East Hartford begging door to door tonight. Ssssh don't say I told you...
My love for Halloween has waned since I dislike giving candy to teenagers just because they dressed badly. I love the little fairies and princesses and firemen, but twenty year olds can buy their own peanut M&M's. It isn't a costume when you're attired like a girl when you're 20 on October 31. It is just cross dressing.
So in honor of an innocent Halloween costume parade at Sunset Ridge Elementary School and stopping to show my grandparents, Helen and Bobby, our costumes, I wish you the kind of Halloween that took some imagination and the kind of magic that happens in Narnia.
The other Halloween? The one with older teenagers, Freddy Krueger, horror movies, and smashing pumpkins? Thats the one I can't stand.
1 comment:
In some ways, teenage boys are still little kids.
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