Saturday, October 31, 2009

Chapter 84: What Happened to Halloween?

The evening's festivities are over, and my wife and I are settling in for our annual Ghost Hunters live event. I don't know if it was the drizzle and rain or something else, but this year's Halloween was disappointing.

Not many kids stopped by in their costumes. We have too much candy left over. And even the costume creativity seems to have taken a nosedive. I'm just not that impressed.

I used to look forward to Halloween as a kid. It was a night to go out after dark, explore, get candy, and goof around. I looked forward to seeing what others would wear and, in case I forgot to mention it, getting candy.

This year it was a Saturday night. I expected more children, not fewer. Are people afraid to let their children roam a neighborhood?

Now that I'm a father, I look forward to taking my girls around the neighborhood. I think I might even enjoy dressing up to give people a little scare as well. Forget the associations with paganism and satanism that some people place on this celebration of individuality, Halloween is Mardi Gras for children. It should be cherished and enjoyed.