All Hallow's Eve

Halloween is one of those holidays that has changed in my view over the years. Growing up, I always liked wearing costumes (sometimes even to school) and trick-or-treating. Between the houses on my street and the next block, I would get so much candy in my bag that it usually lasted past Thanksgiving. I knew it was not a religious holiday, but my family never felt like there was anything wrong with a little costuming and candy begging.

Then in my teen years, I had a kind of spiritual awakening. One of the results of this was a rejection of Halloween, because I felt there were too many associations with the occult and other activities I did not agree with. So for the rest of adolescence and most of my young adulthood, I chose not to recognize the occasion. No costume, no decorating, no turning on the porch light because there was no candy for trick-or-treaters.

My church and college did have a sort of "Harvest Carnival" with the opportunity to bob for apples, play street fair-type games, and take home candy, all in a safe, well-lit, non-threatening environment, with no scary costumes allowed. Even then, I was not entirely comfortable going, and some years I still skipped it on principle.

My views have since softened, and I take a more relaxed stance now. I still enjoy dressing up, but I usually keep the costume more fun and less scary. We do leave our light on, but we don't turn the front lawn into a graveyard or do any great decorating job. And we bought less candy this year because last time we had so many leftover sweets that they lasted until almost Christmas. Well, I suppose that part wasn't so bad after all.