When I was growing up, Halloween was my favorite holiday. You got to dress up in a scary costume (OK that one I did on a daily basis), go out with your friends at night, without grownups, and troll around the neighborhood for as much candy as you could carry. We would gladly accept homemade treats – at one house I remember being served soup. My father also loved the holiday, and made a big production every year dressing up as The Church Street Monster. Then he would hide at the side door, and someone would signal to him when kids were at the door, and he would come roaring out to scare them. I also remember having a record (remember those?) of scary sounds that we would play as the trick-or-treaters would come by.
Now, Halloween is typified by a press release from City Hall stating something like:
Trick-or-treat activities will be allowed from 4 to 4:15 p.m. in the mall parking lot, between the orange traffic cones only. Costumes consisting of mostly black will not be allowed, for safety reasons. Children under 14 must hold a parent or guardian’s hand at all times when inside the trick-or-treat area. All “treats” will be x-rayed and examined by drug-sniffing dogs.
Admittedly, I grew up in rural Wisconsin in the 70s, so it is a different world now. But where’s the fun?
I’ve been wondering the same thing, Adam. Will any parents let their kids out at all this year? Because of the terrorist threat, I mean? But even without that, I have the feeling people were getting scared of each other… sad days.
Beautiful photo, BTW.
soup? someone gave out SOUP?