purple room vents: I DISLIKE (READ HATE) HALLOWEEN

There I said it. I have hated halloween since my oldest kids were little. That means I have hated halloween for fifty years.

Back in the day when I was little I lived on a government farm. There were quite a few families in farm houses and at one point there were 17 kids on the farm. There was absolutely no trick or treating, no store bought cheap costumes, no giant oversized pillowcases so full kids couldn't carry them and absolutely no fireworks...at least not the kind you lit and through.

What there was was a huge bonfire, all the farm folks and neighbours gathered around it, we roasted wieners and hot dogs, every mother brought all kinds of home made goodies that we sure never got through the year and us kids would play kick the can or whatever in the dark. It was so exciting and almost overwhelming. Our costumes were all homemade and so original and funny...and if it wasn't snowing (we lived up north) a lot of crepe paper was used. Back then you could buy crepe paper in bundles like bolts of cloth and every colour under the sun. One year mom, busy teacher mom, sewed us three kids amazing costumes, my cute little sister was a pumpkin and I was an elf. The costumes were amazing. I don't remember my brother's.

When the fire burnt down to an appropriate level, our parents would call us kids in from our games and hand us a willow branch that our dad's had carved a point on one end. There would be a big juicy wiener stuck to it....and we NEVER got wieners except on halloween and the occasional camping trip. A real treat!! When it was time to go home the moms gathered us up, the left over baking was divided up amongst us kids (I have a feeling now that they had hidden a lot of it away to bring out to share with us to take home). Mom took tired happy kids home for baths and bed. Dad's stayed at the fire til all the wood was burned and drank copious amounts of coffee. No one drank likker back then like they do now. It was awesome.

Now, both parents are working for the most part. Imaginative costumes don't happen anymore. They are all Amazon or Walmart premade predictable outfits á la Disney. Girls are princesses and boys are pirates or some such violent bad person. We had about 65 kids last night and I paid attention. And none of them except a few were from this neighbourhood. Most of the kids were so focussed on what candy was being offered and how many they could pick they kind of forgot to have fun along the way.

And....it was 9:30, finally over, lights all out, relaxing in my chair and 'ding dong'. What??!! So I hobble down to the door. The entrance way was super dark, the porch was black, I didn't turn on the lights. I open the door and there is a little girl, about 7 yrs old standing there in a generic costume of a princess. Dad was standing at the gate. She said nothing. In a loud voice I made the comment as loud as possible, 'you are way too late for this and next year try to remember that when there are no lights on you don't come to the door.' I threw a tiny candy in her bag and slammed the door. One nice thing was seeing that dads were out in force and congregating and visiting, albeit beers in hand, but not at 9:30!

By seven o'clock the little ones were literally dragging their pillow cases, so full that as soon as they finished at a house they handed the bag over to dad to carry. When does trick or treat tradition become greed I ask!!! And think of the money spent on candy, at the expense of bills and groceries. And there are lots of people that have to reluctantly and in shame darken their houses because they just can't afford it.

And as for fireworks...I heard about one six year old that had her hand blown up from holding one too long. Six years old!!!! I sincerely hope the authorities were called and the parent charged. And this morning the SPCA has sent out a notice that there are several escaped terrified dogs found and delivered to them, thanks to fireworks. In this town we had a house fire, started by roman candles. Geez!

So what's to like about halloween? And if you think I am going to dress up and go to an adult party where they all get drunk and stupid...are you kidding?

I am sure not everyone's halloween was like this. My poor kids had to suffer my complete lack of interest in it. I see it as probably a missed opportunity to have fun with them, but I didn't.

I just happen to be in a seriously bad mood and decided to be honest about how I feel about halloween! Now Christmas? That is a whole different thing entirely!! I LOVE Christmas!!!! And this year I am not making a turkey dinner for the first time ever. In fact I am not even going to make a xmas dinner. Too much work and clean up. I am not spending xmas this year in the kitchen. I am going to put my feet up, watch crappy tv, read a crappy book and eat snacks and processed food!!!

Thats my opinion and I am sticking to it!!! TTYL

'The farther we've gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we have come to need halloween.' Paula Guran. I totally disagree. lol!!