Trick or Treat!
About 50 years ago or so, Halloween was quite different for most American kids that it is today. Halloween was all about your friends, your home and your neighborhood. It was all about THE Trick or Treating! The farther you ventured from your own house usually depended on your age and how for the adults in the group were willing walk. The only worry that night was if your pillowcase could hold whole night's candy or would you have to go home and do a drop-off?
It was something of a block party that most families planned and looked forward to after the back-to-school drama was over.
The only way to get a costume was to make one. I remember the trips to the local thrift shops and dime stores (not dollar stores) where we would buy used clothes, wigs and jewelry to complete our look. All over the country mom's were busy at the sewing machine cranking out ballerinas, princesses, witch hats and spooky ghosts. Dad would help made foil robots, little cowboys and eye-patched pirates. And if you were caught last minute without a costume, then the ever-popular Hobo could be put together in a few minutes.
The whole month of October would filled with orange and black construction paper, streamers, glitter and glue. We made Thanksgiving Turkeys from our hand prints, cut-out and glued-up some millions of jack-o-lanterns and black cats with arched backs. We had a little costume parade of students at school and our moms and grandmoms came to see us (most moms didn't work away from home when I was growing up). The PTA would have a bake sale with the sweetest fruit punch. We all had so much fun.
Halloween was certainly different before the techno-revolution. I think it was better, but that may be because old folks always think the past was better.
One thing for sure, I have enjoyed every single Halloween of my life so far and am looking forward to seeing the kids at my door tonight.
Happy Halloween!
