Halloween is my favorite holiday. Whenever I make this statement, I am asked to explain. So here goes.
First, it was my brother’s birthday. As his younger sibling by almost seven years, I adored him. The feelings must have been somewhat mutual, because when I came home from the hospital he charged his friends admission to see me. We would always have a special dinner, birthday cake (or pumpkin pie) and then go trick-or-treating. The perfect evening in a child’s mind.
Second, October is the month when the desert’s summer temperatures finally change for good. September begins to hint at coolness, but it’s not until October that the 100-plus degree days are gone. Evenings are markedly cooler and the shadows change in the diminishing daylight hours. It brings a sense of well-being equivalent to the effects of spring in the Midwest.
Halloween decorations are the third reason I love this holiday. I have more Halloween decorations than Christmas decorations. Every year I make countless visits to Walgreens, lingering in aisles overflowing with skull-shaped lights and animated characters. When the kids were younger, I kept to comical, light-hearted ghosts and witches. Now that they are both in their teens, I am acquiring more macabre creations.
Quite a few of my decorations have been gifts bestowed upon me by friends who understand my obsession. I have a stuffed ghost that dances to a Halloween version of Jailhouse Rock. I have a saucepan with pumpkins and spiders on it that I use almost every day. I have a set of hors d’oeuvres knives with handles that resemble mummies and monsters.
A neighbor once put a box of goodies on the curb with a note saying the items were free for the taking. I did, thank you, and was delighted when I found it contained both Halloween decorations and 20 wooden nutcrackers.
Of my entire collection, the most precious pieces are some I inherited when my father passed away. Among them are an animated witch and Frankenstein that are probably 25 to 30 years old. They reside in worn boxes, function on D-sized batteries and are displayed prominently for the season (which, by the way, lasts from September to November at my house).
But the true joy of Halloween is that you get to be a kid again. I enjoy having Halloween parties for older kids and accompanying younger ones trick-or-treating. It’s a time when you can steal a quick conversation with the neighbors as they wait in lawn chairs on the driveway for goblins and ghouls to arrive. It’s also is the kickoff to the holiday season. With all that going for it, how could you not love Halloween?
