231031 Halloween

There’s several series of scary Halloween movies. The object of the movies is to frighten the viewer with blood and gore. I never watch them, but they are popular movies.

The origin of Halloween comes from Europe as do many other traditions in this country. Halloween is a derivative of All Hallows Eve; the night before All’s Holy Day, what a Catholic calls All Saints Day. It used to be a holy day of obligation, meaning it was a sin not to go to mass on that day. I don’t know if that is still in force.

Today is my daughter’s favorite holiday. She is a witch after all, but she uses her power for good, not evil. At least that’s what she tells me. All I can tell you is, it’s not wise to do evil to her family.

In typical Missouri fashion, Halloween is either shirt sleeve weather or heavy coat weather and not much in between. This year there is a heavy coat over a child’s costume. When I was a child, my costume was always from the army surplus store. I was going to be a Soldier or a Marine. I ended up being a Sailor instead. Life doesn’t always turn out to be the way we think it will. Back in my day of trick or treating, we knocked on a door and were invited into a living room where we had to tell a joke or do a trick before we were rewarded with a treat. Meanwhile all the old ladies sat there and tried to figure out which neighborhood kid you were. Later, long after my days of trick or treating, it was knock on the door and stick out a bag for a treat. When last I heard, kids were only going to safe places, like the mall or to a church or to neighbor’s homes where parents knew the homeowners. I’m no longer up to date on these things. My grandpa always took pictures of our family's kids, but decades later no one could figure out which masked child was which. Such is life.

One of my favorite memories of Halloween, we were in Millington, Tennessee just off the naval base. There were countless other navy families there. Joyce took Annie out to trick or treat while I stayed home to hand out candy. We had a huge supply to hand out. Unfortunately, there were so many kids that came knocking on our door that I had given away all the candy, also my private candy bars, then all the pocket change I had. There was nothing left, so I turned off the porch light and turned out all the house lights. Joyce and Annie finally came home and Joyce asked why all the lights were out. I told her what had happened. She turned the porch light back on and my little Annie handed out all of the candy she had collected to other kids that came to the door.