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Halloween: A Frighteningly Good Time.

October 30th, 2023 by Kenneth Abrahams

When you are a bit on the chunky side (okay maybe more than a bit) and you don’t celebrate Christmas, Halloween is the next best thing. It wasn’t just about the candy, although in my world that was the main attraction, October 31st was, and still is, a great day/night. Putting on a costume and scouring the neighborhood with your friends for hours is a spectacular way to spend an evening. Followed by hanging out, dumping your candy in a pile, and trading with one another to get the goodies you really wanted. As I mentioned, I was a plus size child so mom rationed out the candy to prevent us from overdoing it. Problem was, she wasn’t a very good hider and we always managed to find the stash and rescue a few extra pieces each day. Perhaps she knew but never let on that she did. I think this was partially self-preservation on her part because on occasion unexplained wrappers would be found in the trash. Although mom never had a huge sweet tooth, the wrappers we found were always of the limited candy she liked.

Years ago, Halloween was not the holiday it has become today, especially from a commercial perspective. Nobody made or sold leaf bags that look like giant Jack O Lanterns. Stores were not chocked full of lawn decorations starting in late August or early September. In fact, the most décor people had were a few carved pumpkins in front of their house and the occasional hay bale or corn stalk. It used to be the big attraction, in a friend’s neighborhood, was a house where a DJ lived, he would set up a projector that showed Michael Jackson’s Thriller video on a loop for several hours. People would gather and watch it then continue on their merry way to collect more candy. It was a very cool spectacle. Now, as we walk our dogs each night there is a lot to look at. Many of the houses have huge displays with 20’ tall skeletons and inflatables of every size and theme. You can see trains with a skeleton conductor, giant unicorns, ghosts, goblins, and ghouls decorate many lawns. There are projectors that have witches dancing on the sides of people’s houses and on one lawn three pumpkins that tell stories and serenade you with songs like the Monster Mash. It is a feast for the eyes and the ears as much as for the belly. Even though our kids are grown and living on their own, we have taken to decorating our yard as well. Each year we add another inflatable or a few headstones to the display, whatever strikes our fancy.

You don’t ever need to leave your house to enjoy All Hallows Eve. Many cable stations show a months’ worth of Halloween features, with at least one every night. Fear not, they are not all bloody slasher films, however if that is your thing there are plenty of those as well. Although technically not a horror film, it is a great time of year to watch a cinematic classic; the Wizard of Oz. Films like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street have never been particularly attractive to me. Few films are spookier and scarier than Night of the Living Dead. It does have a few gruesome scenes in it, but most of the suspense is from the way it is shot and the music. It is probably one of the first Zombie films and gave birth to an entire franchise of films that came after it. Despite its relatively low budget, it is an enjoyable, engaging, and entertaining film, as are the original versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Fly. Although, the Jeff Goldblum version of The Fly is pretty good as well. I love some of the old classics and one of my favorites is the silent version of Nosferatu, which is the original movie based on Dracula. In this version, the Count is not a debonair dashing looking chap that charms and seduces his victims but a much scarier looking fellow. For the handsome, regal count few are better than the 1930’s version played by Bela Lugosi. Tod Browning directed that film, but he maybe best known for a the rarely shown and much maligned “Freaks” released in 1932. If you have never seen it, take an hour or so and watch it. This “love” story is unlike any you have ever seen.

Let’s not forget about the costumes. Gone are the days of just slapping something together at the last minute. Many costumes of our youth have disappeared as societal norms and what is acceptable have changed. Tossing a white bedsheet over your head with two holes cut out for eyes and going as a ghost will not fly. Smearing a little dirt on your face and tying a bandana to a pole and trying to pass yourself off as a hobo is a reference that few, if any, would get in 2023 and is also frowned upon. Starting at the end of August, empty storefronts get short term renters that turn the place into Halloween Superstores. Aisle after aisle is filled with full costumes, wigs, make up, and props too numerous to mention to create a multitude of ensembles for the night. Families with small kids often go as a group in theme costumes. For example, mom, dad, and 2 kids all dressed as pumpkins going out as their own little pumpkin patch. Disney movies lend themselves very well to group costumes like Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy or something from the Toy Story Collection always works. If Halloween doesn’t fall on a weekend, then the weekend before the 31st bars host costume contests which bring out a wide array of creative apparel for the night. For some, Halloween takes months of planning as costumes are designed and created to win those contests and wow strangers, friends, and family members alike.  It is so special for a few couples that it is the day they say I do, often in full costume and make up.

Halloween and the days leading up to it are a great time. Frankly, it comes at just the right time. School has been in session for 2 months and that winter break is still 7 or 8 weeks away. For colleges, mid-terms and the grind of the semester need the whimsical interlude that the night or weekend provides. Businesses often do Trick or Treating at their stores and communities organize Trunk or Treat events to provide a safe, festive environment for kids to gather candy and families to hang out and enjoy one another’s company. My days of filling a pillowcase full of candy are long gone but I still enjoy the holiday. Hope you all do as well.

About the Author

Ken Abrahams is the Vice President of Client Relations at FUN Enterprises. He is the father of 2 awesome young men and grandfather to one little cherub. He is looking forward to going back out on the candy trail in a few years with his grandchild. For the record, he is not a big fan of costumes on dogs.

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