Tuesday, October 12, 2010

To Halloween or Not to Halloween

This is a struggle I have every year.  I have no feelings towards Halloween.  To me it is just another day, the last day in October.  I really don't care about this last day in October.  I never have. I am sure I never will.  So why do I even bring it up?  Because I have 3 children that know about the last day in October, that talk about it in August and that have been counting down the days with the ticker in the corner of the television screen.  Not to mention the displays all over town in every single store front.  The costumes and the candy falling over into the isles of Walmart.  The elaborate decorations in my neighborhood where folks have turned their front yards into grave yards. It is all a bit ridiculous.  If I had the choice we would just go away that day to another land that doesn't know anything about Halloween. 

Growing up we never went trick-or-treating.  (I think Mom let us do it twice.) So Halloween was never a big deal, well maybe it was to us kids, but not to my mom.  We would stay in and have ice cream for dinner and watch the Star Wars Trilogy or something else just as fun.  So the tradition and memories that drive so many of my friends has no effect on me.  So why should I do it?  I don't think I should but there is guilt that I feel about not letting my kids do it.  I wonder if my mom ever felt the same way.  She was very opinionated about such things.  But there were those 2 times she allowed us to go.  Was this guilt?  I don't know.  I do remember that it was super cold and although we got a lot of candy it wasn't what it cracked up to be.  Should I allow my kids to make memories of the last day in October?

Our church has a fall festival that we have gone to in the past.  The kids are getting a little too old for it and honestly it is too many people in one space and I always get stressed out.  Every year I say it is the last and this year we will NOT be going.  But what about trick-or-treating?  I don't know.  I am interested to know how some of the readers feel about it all.

5 comments:

Misty said...

I feel the SAME way. See my post from last year:
http://ericandmistynewsome.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween.html

read the comments, I really like what Amber had to say.

Christi Brown said...

good one! I think that is the whole thing that I am worried about. Amber is a smart cookie! Thanks Misty!

thatgirl_whatshername said...

I think they should be allowed to participate. There is no real harm in dressing up and begging for candy. There is no real value to it either, but just because something doesn't have any meaning to you, doesn't mean that you should deny that to your kids.

Julie said...

We have the best time dressing up, decorating and walking around the neighborhood. I will take any excuses I can to get my family together and having a good time! I always trick or treated ALONE when I was growing up, my mom would drive, I would get out go to the house then get back in the car for the next house. My memories aren't great at all, but I am having alot of fun making new ones with my own kiddos.

Christi Brown said...

Julie,
The more I have thought about it the more I realize that we are making fun memories. Last year we sat trick or treated with our neighbor and then sat outside in the front yard and handed out candy. The kids ate their candy and ran around like a bunch of banchies! It was fun. We are doing it again this year