On Friday night, kids dressed as millionaire athletes will be seen begging for candy.
On Friday night, people will look forward to being scared to the point of screaming.
On Friday night, college-aged girls dressed as angels will dance in a fashion that is anything but spiritual.
All told, Halloween is quite the holiday. It's one that can be seen completely differently, depending on your age. Consider the following..
At a child's first Halloween, candy is no concern whatsoever. It's time for the parents to dress the little one up in a cute costume and show him/her off. It's really a win-win situation. The parents get to preserve the occasion with a plethora of photos, all while not having to worry about the child's teeth rotting away, since they don't have (m)any. Meanwhile, the little infant gets to ponder why their little hands are so tasty, and mentally poke fun at all those who talk to them with an assortment of "goos" and "gahs".*
*Please note, this is just a guess as to what is going on in the minds of the little ones. I have no psychic powers that actually enable me to read their minds. I simply observe popular trends.
Things get a little more interesting once the kiddos are walking. Halloween is no longer about getting some cute pictures for the photo album... It's about the Cs: costumes and candy. Granted, I don't really remember these early days from my youth, but my understanding from those with toddlers now is that once the calendar page flips to October, a Halloween costume is seen as much more than a one-night wear for the kid - it's a permanent addition to the wardrobe.
What about all those clothes you've spent your hard-earned money on? You may as well pack them up until November. The deceptively named October (I'm just saying it should be renamed Dectober... think about it), is time for the tike to spend more time in that costume than they spend barraging you with adorably intriguing questions. (How often does God trim his beard?)
You think you'll never let your kid dress like Super Mario for daycare? Replacing your morning waffles with an ear-crippling tantrum** may change your mind...
**Is an "ear-crippling" tantrum possible? I'm not sure, but I know a couple parents of a blog writer that could probably testify in favor.
Along with the costume obsession comes the craving for candy. When it comes time to trick-or-treat, the evening will never be long enough for the kid. House-to-house, door-to-door, every single stop is like a junior jackpot. Why would you ever stop? At some point, the youngster may even get tired of walking, reaching a cranky stage... You might think that would mean it's time to go home... You'd be thinking incorrectly. Mention that to little Superman and you'll have yourself a superfit to handle. Lack of leg function is no reason to quit adding to a bag full of sugary treat... it just means it's time for mom or dad to practice some kid-lugging.
Back at home after bagging more candy than the folks at Hershey's, this is where the real fun begins for a kid on Halloween. You know that feeling you get when you've had too much sugar? It starts with a funny feeling in your head and a little shake in your hands. Before you know it, you feel like a couple gerbils are jousting inside your belly. The discomfort grows to the point that your only comfort comes from lying in the fetal position. Repeat that cycle for about two straight weeks and you have Halloween as a kid.
For better or for worse, such days come to an end. That end often seems to coincide with the arrival of puberty. Apparently a little more bass in the voice makes one think it's no longer "cool" to wear costumes. So, what do these pre- and early-teens do to celebrate All Hallows Eve? Go and stand around awkwardly and middle school dances, of course. Naturally, there's nothing cooler than standing with a group of your peers while a group of the opposite gender stands on the other side of the gym. Sure, you're at a "dance", but who has time to do any of that when you're busy refilling your cup with punch, reciting rap lyrics to yourself and avoiding eye contact. (Ah, middle school memories.)
Once the awkwardness of junior high runs its course, Halloween seems to zero in on the terrifying side of things. Horror is a big deal. There are haunted houses to visit and scary movies to view. If you have pent up rage, you apparently take it out on the pumpkins sitting outside the homes of your neighbors.***
***We worked pretty hard on those jack-o-lanterns. I'm not sure being splattered on a stop sign was a fitting demise for them... jerks.
In the college years, costumes make a comeback, but the spirit is just a bit different. Sure, you'll see doctors and nurses, angels and devils, but the costumes seem to have a common theme. I think Jim Gaffigan may have the most accurate assessment of the situation.
If you happen to hit that post-college, pre-marriage period of time, you're kind of in no-mans-land. Halloween means little more than draping a tissue over a pumpkin and entering it in an office contest as "Ghost Pumpkin." (What do you mean, "Are you speaking from experience?" Give me some credit... Fine. Yes, I am.) Luckily, it seems that having a young niece/nephew around for the holiday helps bring back the Halloween spirit. (All the fun of having a kid without the responsibility. Is that diaper beginning to smell? Look at the time, better pass the kid along.)
It seems parents have been properly covered in the respective kid entries (quick summation: if your child can walk, you're putting some work in), so that last group up for dissection (not literally... that's sick), is the grandparents.
Grandparents of the world have it great on Halloween. Odds are, they'll get a visit from the grandkid(s) and they will get to do a spoiling (take a candy bar... okay take another... here, have the bowl), which all grandparents take great pride in. If the grandparents live too far away to visit, it's a fair bet that they'll receive some new pictures of the kids in their costumes. It's funny, one might not think of Halloween as a great holiday for the grandparents, but that seems to be the case.
... Unless those angry high schoolers get ahold of their pumpkins.
Dang kids.
On Friday night, people will look forward to being scared to the point of screaming.
On Friday night, college-aged girls dressed as angels will dance in a fashion that is anything but spiritual.
All told, Halloween is quite the holiday. It's one that can be seen completely differently, depending on your age. Consider the following..
At a child's first Halloween, candy is no concern whatsoever. It's time for the parents to dress the little one up in a cute costume and show him/her off. It's really a win-win situation. The parents get to preserve the occasion with a plethora of photos, all while not having to worry about the child's teeth rotting away, since they don't have (m)any. Meanwhile, the little infant gets to ponder why their little hands are so tasty, and mentally poke fun at all those who talk to them with an assortment of "goos" and "gahs".*
*Please note, this is just a guess as to what is going on in the minds of the little ones. I have no psychic powers that actually enable me to read their minds. I simply observe popular trends.
Things get a little more interesting once the kiddos are walking. Halloween is no longer about getting some cute pictures for the photo album... It's about the Cs: costumes and candy. Granted, I don't really remember these early days from my youth, but my understanding from those with toddlers now is that once the calendar page flips to October, a Halloween costume is seen as much more than a one-night wear for the kid - it's a permanent addition to the wardrobe.
What about all those clothes you've spent your hard-earned money on? You may as well pack them up until November. The deceptively named October (I'm just saying it should be renamed Dectober... think about it), is time for the tike to spend more time in that costume than they spend barraging you with adorably intriguing questions. (How often does God trim his beard?)
You think you'll never let your kid dress like Super Mario for daycare? Replacing your morning waffles with an ear-crippling tantrum** may change your mind...
**Is an "ear-crippling" tantrum possible? I'm not sure, but I know a couple parents of a blog writer that could probably testify in favor.
Along with the costume obsession comes the craving for candy. When it comes time to trick-or-treat, the evening will never be long enough for the kid. House-to-house, door-to-door, every single stop is like a junior jackpot. Why would you ever stop? At some point, the youngster may even get tired of walking, reaching a cranky stage... You might think that would mean it's time to go home... You'd be thinking incorrectly. Mention that to little Superman and you'll have yourself a superfit to handle. Lack of leg function is no reason to quit adding to a bag full of sugary treat... it just means it's time for mom or dad to practice some kid-lugging.
Back at home after bagging more candy than the folks at Hershey's, this is where the real fun begins for a kid on Halloween. You know that feeling you get when you've had too much sugar? It starts with a funny feeling in your head and a little shake in your hands. Before you know it, you feel like a couple gerbils are jousting inside your belly. The discomfort grows to the point that your only comfort comes from lying in the fetal position. Repeat that cycle for about two straight weeks and you have Halloween as a kid.
For better or for worse, such days come to an end. That end often seems to coincide with the arrival of puberty. Apparently a little more bass in the voice makes one think it's no longer "cool" to wear costumes. So, what do these pre- and early-teens do to celebrate All Hallows Eve? Go and stand around awkwardly and middle school dances, of course. Naturally, there's nothing cooler than standing with a group of your peers while a group of the opposite gender stands on the other side of the gym. Sure, you're at a "dance", but who has time to do any of that when you're busy refilling your cup with punch, reciting rap lyrics to yourself and avoiding eye contact. (Ah, middle school memories.)
Once the awkwardness of junior high runs its course, Halloween seems to zero in on the terrifying side of things. Horror is a big deal. There are haunted houses to visit and scary movies to view. If you have pent up rage, you apparently take it out on the pumpkins sitting outside the homes of your neighbors.***
***We worked pretty hard on those jack-o-lanterns. I'm not sure being splattered on a stop sign was a fitting demise for them... jerks.
In the college years, costumes make a comeback, but the spirit is just a bit different. Sure, you'll see doctors and nurses, angels and devils, but the costumes seem to have a common theme. I think Jim Gaffigan may have the most accurate assessment of the situation.
If you happen to hit that post-college, pre-marriage period of time, you're kind of in no-mans-land. Halloween means little more than draping a tissue over a pumpkin and entering it in an office contest as "Ghost Pumpkin." (What do you mean, "Are you speaking from experience?" Give me some credit... Fine. Yes, I am.) Luckily, it seems that having a young niece/nephew around for the holiday helps bring back the Halloween spirit. (All the fun of having a kid without the responsibility. Is that diaper beginning to smell? Look at the time, better pass the kid along.)
It seems parents have been properly covered in the respective kid entries (quick summation: if your child can walk, you're putting some work in), so that last group up for dissection (not literally... that's sick), is the grandparents.
Grandparents of the world have it great on Halloween. Odds are, they'll get a visit from the grandkid(s) and they will get to do a spoiling (take a candy bar... okay take another... here, have the bowl), which all grandparents take great pride in. If the grandparents live too far away to visit, it's a fair bet that they'll receive some new pictures of the kids in their costumes. It's funny, one might not think of Halloween as a great holiday for the grandparents, but that seems to be the case.
... Unless those angry high schoolers get ahold of their pumpkins.
Dang kids.
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