storyteller

Missing the Pumpkins, and the things that made Halloween a tradition while my children were growing up.  I used to go all out on the decorating and preparing for Halloween.  Several years in a row I did dress up to give out the Halloween candy while my children were out doing their thing with their dad.  He really was surprised when he would go off to work in the morning, and come home to a house ALL decorated and ready for Halloween just about 2 weeks prior to Halloween.  

The last week in September I would figure out what each of my kids were going as for Halloween, so the planning for it would start, and I for one am one of those kind of people……I would buy a few items almost every time I would go into any of the stores.   After taking stock of what I already had as far as decorations.   That way if it was something I did not have I could either buy it or Make it.  Planning is everything when wanting to gain the WOW EFFECT!  And a large number of the neighbors would come by just to see where my Halloween was going to end up.  As my children grew older they were just as involved in the planning and decorating. 

It really was a lot of fun, as my children got older and they no longer wanted to go trick or treating, they wanted to stay home and help me with scaring everyone.  And I do mean everyone…some of the kids would start up the walk toward our house and turn around and go get a parent to help them walk up to the door.  It was hilarious to watch them, and I got a kick out of it.  Some of the adults were more scared than their children were.  And it was even comical when the child would be talking to the parent as they were coming up to the door saying “it is all right daddy it is only pretend”  or ” don’t be scared mommy I will not let them get you” 

One year I made all the Ghosts that were hanging inside my house out of Old white sheets sprayed with neon green splatters and silver glitter with black lights on in the house and the spooky music playing full blast.  They appeared to be flying inside the house and outside too.  We had a lot of trees up around the front of the house.  Propping the front door wide open for everyone to come into our haunted parlor.  The tombstones in the yard, with mounds of dirt, and body parts coming out of the dirt  our front yard was turned into a cemetery.  Spider webs and huge spiders all around the door,  the pumpkins carved with fretful faces were lit and lined the walkway  And  large bats sprayed with glitter and lights shinning into  the trees where the bats  appeared to be flying also.  All to be met at the door by a ghoul!!  Me dressed in a Green outfit sprayed with neon and glitter in the black-light was totally awesome.  My Black hair teased and standing all over white face paint, black circles black lipstick,  black gloves on my hands so it appeared that I was of the undead. 

I made all my costumes, and all of my children’s costumes up until they would want a store bought one.  Around age 8-9 they would want one like all their friends….and that was alright. But up until they reached that age I made theirs and they were always cool.  They would get so many praises and sometimes  extra candy from the people that liked their costumes, and everyone would ask “where did you get your costume?”  And there were times that my kids all 3 of them would come home with a first place ribbons  for the best home made costume when the school would have the Halloween party and pageant. 

Then I would enter them in the Halloween parade the town would have and they would win awards there too.  It was great, not just for me but for my children, they learned a lot about planning, and completing the project to the final outcome.   They also learned how to use their imagination, to see it in their head first then to completion.  And they learned how to use their talents at crafting, so to speak.  If they could see it in their minds eye they could create it in reality, and do the best to improvise and create.  Also they learned how to ask for help from one another, not just from me or their father.  That is team work, and children need to know how to work not only as an individual but sometimes as a part of a team.  Halloween has changed so much from when I was a child, and it depends on what part of the country you live in as to the attitude about Halloween.  To me it is still All Souls Day, and that is from my Catholic/Irish  heritage, and I believe that it is a holiday of sorts. 

An interesting site to explore the real history of Halloween as we call it is http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=713&display_order=1&sub_display_order=1&mini_id=1076

And go through all the history of Halloween, just to get the bigger picture.  Throughout my upbringing and religious aspects of early childhood there were facts missing about the Halloween traditions, and superstitions that were left out.  And a lot of people just don’t even celebrate the holiday because of the misconceptions they were lead to beleive throughout their lives.  Some Churches condemn people who do celebrate it as a holiday, as if they have the right to sit in JUDGEMENT of those who do.  Just as Most  Churches deny that there is a  great amount of Paganism  tied up in ALL religions as we know them.  How can people celebrate one or two that have paganistic rituals tied to them without celebrating the rest?  Halloween is one that I celebrate just as I celebrate Christmas.

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