Halloween

Halloween has come and gone and after a year off due to Covid, I feel like it changed. First of all, the decorations. Those who chose to decorate their houses went all out. I’m talking blow-ups-on-the-roof, macabre skeleton scenes, flashing lights, the works. Sure, there were some with just some cobwebs scattered on bushes, or carved pumpkins and a few other seasonal decorations. And of course, there were those, like us, who did nothing—do actual cobwebs from spiders, and dead mums count? Because if so, I win!

But the think I noticed is an abundance of scary, creepy decorations. Life-sized, or even giant, skeletons, grotesque scenes, blood spattered sheets (I’m pretty sure that was fake blood). It’s like Halloween manifested all of the horrible “what-ifs” from this past pandemic year and people everywhere displayed their fear for all to see. I don’t know, maybe it helped them. It certainly spooked me.

 

As I said, we didn’t decorate, although, perhaps feeling guilty for not getting into the spirit of things, my husband put up “smart bulbs” in our outside house lights, which flashed different colors, and a large, furry spider at the doorstep. I’ll do better next year, I think.

 

Another way Halloween has changed? The attitudes of the kids. The little ones, well, they’re little. They don’t really understand what’s going on, other than random strangers are giving them candy. But they seemed a little more wary, a little confused by my eagerness to approach them and give them things—I don’t know, maybe my joy was scary. And even the older kids were more subdued. There were a lot more “Please!” and “Thank you!” offered. A lot more waiting each person’s turn. They also seemed to accept without question my handing out the candy rather than offering them the bowl. I guess some good has come out of this ridiculous worldwide group project.

 

Whatever the cause of the changes, it was nice to get back to a normal holiday. And although my doorbell rang more than it has in ages, and I answered it more times last night than I have in almost two years, Halloween was fun and I hope the kids enjoyed it as much as I did.