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Happy Halloween

October 26th, 2021 by Kenneth Abrahams

It is that time of year. Summers warm lazy nights have been replaced by the colder, harsher temperatures. Warm breezes that rustled trees full of green leaves are a memory and cold winds whistling through the branches of trees that are almost barren, is what now fills our nights. There is that unmistakable snap in the air that lets us know Old Man Winter is lurking around the corner. Yet, despite the blanket of dry leaves that crunch under our feet as we walk, there is a festive feel in many neighborhoods as people get ready for Halloween.

Growing up in the 60’s and late 70’s Halloween was all about the candy. Costumes were often homemade with a few of us going out as Hobo’s or bums (yes, I know that those are no longer politically correct, but it was a different time back then), an old sheet was often used with eye holes cut out, to make that last-minute ghost costume. We did on occasion buy costumes, but often we waited until the last minute, so it was easier just to make something at home. There were no inflatable decorations on lawns, but many people had carved pumpkins / Jack O Lanterns lining the sidewalk up to their front door. In our house, a caved pumpkin also meant my mother’s homemade pumpkin seeds, which were delicious.

Often, my adulthood Halloween clashed with the Fall conference schedule and frequently I was in Grand Rapids, Peoria, Hartford. Seven Springs or some other not so exotic destination. If I was at home, we would set a bowl of candy outside our door as we took our kids trick or treating. Sometimes, we would go over to friends’ houses in different neighborhoods and go as a big group. One year we went by a house that had a projector set up with large speakers playing Michael Jackson’s Thriller video on the side of the house, apparently, he did this every year. We rarely did much decorating in or on our own house.

Every year, it seems that more and more people are really decking their houses out. As we go on our nightly walks, there are more and more inflatable ghosts, goblins, pumpkins, and giant spiders than ever before. Lawns are full of light up pumpkins and many yards have makeshift graveyards with interesting headstones in them. One house several streets over has giant dinosaur skeletons that make their appearance 3 or 4 days before Halloween and mysteriously disappear on November 1st. Go into any BJ’s, Walmart, Target, Lowes, or Home depot and you will see a large assortment of inflatables, lights, lawn, and home decorations. For some retailers, Halloween has become a second Christmas.

    

Perhaps it is walking around night after night and seeing all these elaborate decorations or maybe it is the passing of long-time staff member and beloved FUN family member, Jessica Wallace, but Halloween has felt different this year. For Jessica, Halloween wasn’t just another day, it was the best day of the year. She loved Halloween so much it was the day that she and Michael got married. Every year, months before October 31st rolled around, Jessica would be planning that year’s costumes. She and Michael would go to clubs and restaurants and enter costume contests, often for 2 or 3 days, depending on when Halloween fell. For whatever reason, this year, for the first time ever, I bought some inflatables just to get into the spirit.

 

Jessica and Michael Wallace

At first my wife thought I was crazy. We never did this when our kids were little or even lived at home but now she enjoys seeing cars slow down as they drive by and kids smile as they pass the house. It has made me realize that Halloween is more than just the candy.

Halloween is also a great time to lose yourself in scary movies. Whether newer movies like It, A Quiet Place, The Blair Witch Project, The Conjuring or Saw are appealing to you or the more classic tales like Night of the living Dead, The Shining, Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, Dracula, or Frankenstein are more your style, with an abundance of streaming services out there it is a great way to spend a few nights before during and after the 31st of October. 

So, this year take a few minutes, throw up a few lights, get a pumpkin or 2, maybe a few cornstalks, and get into the celebration. Face it, the last few years have been hard on almost everybody and we all need a break and a little fun. Maybe head over to that Halloween superstore that sprang up a few weeks ago and get yourself a goofy, ghoulish costume and get into the Halloween spirit. Oh, and by the way, spend a few extra bucks on the good candy, not that lousy assortment with the Dum Dum pops and the knockoff sweet tarts. Remember Halloween only comes around once a year, so embrace it. Hope that you all have a great Halloween this year!

About the author:

Ken Abrahams grew up as a plus size child (now a plus size adult), in South Bend Indiana. Halloween was a time to try and fill a pillowcase or two full of candy once a year. His mother would try and ration the candy, but she wasn’t great at hiding things and he and his siblings often found the stash. He is the proud father of two kids who were pretty good at ferreting out candy on their own.