Are your memories of childhood Halloweens as pleasant as mine? I can still taste the red wax lips that we clamped down on. I admire the Halloween masks, held on by the thinnest of rubber bands. How mysterious everything appeared through those small eye holes. My favorite mask was a gypsy wearing a gold earring, and I got to dress up in my mother’s clothes as part of the costume. There were jack o’ lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing, hayrides out to the countryside, huddling in groups to make the trick or treat rounds to all the neighboring houses, and of course the marvelous array of candy. A favorite treat at the time wasn’t candy at all, though, but real candied apples. Back then people often gave homemade treats.
One of my favorite memories is how my mother allowed the children to soap up her restaurant windows, thus deflecting any serious Halloween mischief while encouraging high spirits on the spookiest of nights. Soaped windows were much better than egged windows.
One thing we didn’t have was something called Beggars’ Night. In a few locations in the United States, Beggars’ Night is a unique celebration usually held the night before Halloween. Children get to go around asking for treats, but with no threat of a trick. Sometimes the night is an event organized by local organizations to cut down on the pranks that can accompany the late October holiday. As a teenager, our town organized street dances for the same purpose.
With Halloween coming up, it’s time to line up your costumes and prepare to hand out the treats. Turnabout is fair play after all the tasty ones we received in our childhood years.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Childhood is one stage in our life that brings pleasant, heartwarming memories. The way you spent Halloween sounds fun. We had no such celebration around here. Now there are attempts to import your Halloween in my country, but it’s not the same.Do you still keep the tradition?
Carmen
http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/
Carmen, yes my husband and I always decorated with a pumpkin and spooky ghost and Frankenstein and handed out candy to little trick or treaters. Such fun seeing all their innovative costumes! Black candles add ambiance. My daughter-in-law decorates extensively, and my Snickerdoodles enjoy this special time of year. They picked out their costumes weeks ago. The stores start earlier and earlier it seems, but at least this is a fun activity. Their parents will take them trick or treating. Another important milestone for October 31 is it’s John Keats’ birthday!
Yes, a great Romantic. Ode to a Nightingale is a gem in poetry. However, my favorite poets are Tennyson and Wordsworth.
I also like them, especially Wordsworth. Also Yeats and Shelley. I’m glad we have poetry in common.
What great memories of Halloween, Flossie. I remember my parents used to make popcorn balls to hand out as treats….of course you could do that in those days. My favorite costume as a kid was a dress-up one with a flowing glittery skirt. I remember feeling like a princess in a storybook when I wore that one.
Right, we always received homemade treats and thought nothing of it. Ooph, your princess outfit sounds wonderful. I always liked the princess vibe too for Halloween. I remember once having Cinderella’s cool glass slippers.