Viv's Halloween Blog - Trick-or-Treating

[vivien]

I wrote this topic down on my list of things to write about because it's such a widespread part of the American experience of Halloween. Then I realized that I only have a few snatches of memories of myself trick-or-treating.

I was a kid in the 1970s, a time when I razor blades and pins in apples and Halloween candy made the headlines. I am pretty sure I only went trick-or-treating a handful of times, because I just plain don't remember it, and I remember a lot from my childhood. I know that when we went out, we were in a car, and we only went to selected houses, so I never roamed the neighborhoods with a treat bag to fill (until college, but that is another story). We did plenty of other Halloween things, though. I am guessing that my mom, who could teach a Masters level course in worrying, didn't want to risk the razor blades.

My elementary school years were spent in a small North Carolina town. I remember one Halloween of car trick-or-treating in which we were invited into an elderly woman's house. I think this was the year I went out with my best friend, Mary Ann, the Methodist minister's daughter, so this lady was probably a parishioner. We all sat in the fancy parlor (and those of you from the South know that this is a big deal) and the lady presented us kids with a tray of GIANT popcorn balls. I took one and I remember thinking "What is this?" and "How do I eat it?" shortly followed up with "How much longer do we have to sit here?" We didn't sit too much longer. Just long enough to be received into a Southern lady's house, be gifted with giant popcorn balls, and listen to the adults' cordial conversation before moving on.

I am not sure why that memory sticks with me, but it has all this time. I couldn't have been more than six or so. I don't remember what the lady's name was or whether I ended figuring out how to eat the popcorn ball, but I remember her old-fashioned generosity.

I think that is why it's such a big deal for me to give out candy each year, now that we have a house and a neighborhood with kids. I sometimes wish that I could make treats like giant popcorn balls, but I know that store bought is the only way to go, what with lawsuits and fear and all the other ugly things that go on. Still, maybe we can get Anime Girl to bring some friends over. We can foist some elaborate treats on them.

If you'd like to share your trick-or-treat memories, this is so the place. I love hearing stories.

Comments

[agonistes]

When I was four and we lived in Louisville, I was my cat Charlotte for Halloween. Charlotte was black and white -- white chest, white paws, black everywhere else. My mother made my costume.

My costume was so excellent that Charlotte decided she wanted to follow us trick-or-treating.

It went pretty well until she decided that while a nice old man up the street was giving me candy, she would just zoom into his house and back into his bedroom and hide under his bed.

[vivien]

OOPS! How did you get her out?

And omg icon... *sporfles*

[agonistes]

I don't really remember, but I think it involved my mother reaching under and hauling her out. I was too busy with candy. :D

I do remember that my mother hauled Charlotte around with her for the rest of the evening, though...

*hugs Vampire Bill*

[misslucyjane]

In our neighborhood in San Jose, one of my mom's friends would dress up as a witch and lower candy in a basket all night long while cackling and teasing people. I always loved getting to their house :).

[vivien]

Ooh, like from a second story? Or high porch? Hmmmmmm!

[misslucyjane]

From the second story. Sorry, I was picturing it so clearly I forgot to describe :D.

[vivien]

That's pretty damn fabulous!

[misslucyjane]

Indeed!

[aberration]

I know I pretty much went trick-or-treating every year, though I don't remember a lot of it. I don't think my parents had much concern about poisoned candy or razor blades, though, as my Dad had done some work on it in terms of most of it relating to child abuse/neglect issues.

But I was in Italy in... I guess what must have been October 1996, and Halloween wasn't really a thing anyone did there yet (it's become a lot more popular since, so we like to think we started it), but my parents still had a party for me and the students from my class at the Italian school I went to, and because we lived in this place that was kind of like, a small group of houses all within the same family, we could go around to the few houses and sort of do mini-trick-or-treating. I think we also had all sorts of weird obstacles to overcome, like that they didn't really have pumpkins and we might've had to use some other kind of squash for a jack-o-lantern. And my mom made deviled eggs that looked like eyeballs and I was the only one who would touch them.

[vivien]

Thank you for your "American abroad" remembrances! I know it's been in the last ten years or so that Halloween has become much more of a big deal on a worldwide scale.

Well, the first jack o'lanterns were turnips, so hey, squash is a reasonable substitution. *clings to pumpkins*

[i-open-doors.livejournal.com]

Last year was Alex's first time trick or treating. Our neighborhood isn't terribly big and in a part of town that was starting to boom before the housing crash, then died. But my husband and I took off work and dressed the little guy up.

He didn't really understand why we were going to people's houses, and why when we knocked we weren't going in. He was very upset at one house with young children and dogs when we pulled him back out of their foyer.

Then we got home and gave him one piece of candy. I think it was a Three Musketeers bar. He was suspicious until it was in his mouth, then his little eyes little up as he signed frantically for more. We had to hide the pumpkin from him. Then we went to our friend's church function, which I guess are getting pretty popular these days.

It doesn't feel the same, though, as the days when I was a kid in the 80's and running from house to house in the cold with my parents and uncles walking the sidewalk with us.

But hey, this year I took off and I KNOW Alex will get what's happening. Should be fun!!!!

And have some pictures!!!
http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/ladyskenic/Alex/Halloween%202008/

[vivien]

OH MY GOD SO CUTE!!!! He's adorable. I cannot wait to see pictures from this year.