To Halloween or Not to Halloween?

Yes Covid is still here and many safe Trick or Treating options have risen.

But this post isn't about how 'Rona ruined this holiday as well. This is about tradition in the sense of "celebration".

Most of us know the history of how "Halloween" came about in the US, so I'm not going to tell that story either.

But the me begin..

I grew up in a black Baptist household. We went to church on Sunday for worship and stay there most of the day. Then there was Bible study and choir practice on Wednesday nights. You get my drift of how much church was in my life as a kid, right?

So therefore Halloween, was not a "celebration" in my household. Birthday's, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas were "celebrations". Honestly not really Thanksgiving because for black families, it's just another excuse to get together and eat and tell what we are thankful for. Also as an adult finding out what really went down with the pilgrims and the indians, as to why Thanksgiving is a thing well....let's not go there today.

Back to my household... my mother let me dress up for Halloween. But it couldn't be anything scary or demonic. All I can remember was that I was Angel one year and for nearly the rest of elementary a pumpkin. Costumes were for the school parties and for what we had here in Kansas City during the 90's called "Trick or Treat Village" at Ward Parkway Shopping Center. It was literally a built spooky village that was built in a mall, where you could come trick or treat safely and get a bunch of candy.

Between "Trick or Treat Village" and the yearly Halloween party for our class. I was good with candy for awhile. That was it, that was my Halloween and I was happy.

I think one year, my Dad took me around our neighborhood to trick or treat. I just remember it being really cold and dark. I can't stand the cold.

I don't want to say my parents didn't believe in celebrating Halloween, but other than my dad and his yearly bag of candy corn that was it.

As an adult, I just really like to stay in and eat junk and watch scary movies. For our son, the trunk or treat events were perfect...you get in line, show off your costume, collect some candy and you're done. Perfect!

Now fast forward to 2009...I got married to man that has a sister, who's birthday is on October 31st. (My husband was born October 13th and his sister October 31. Kinda odd, huh?)

I'm sure I had prior knowledge of this before we got married, but it didn't register that Halloween we would be babysitters so his sister could go out with her friends.

So in my husband's household, Halloween has always been a BIG thing. A "celebration" because it was a birthday. They used go to haunted houses together, go to the rich folk neighborhood and trick or treat, stay up and watch scary movies all of that.

So naturally I think we had been married at this point 2 or 3 years. I was feeling adventurous and wanted to appease my spouse so I went into the cold to Trick or Treat, with my husband, Mother-In-Law and Nephew. (Now that I think about it my sister-in-law wasn't even with us...that's a whole other story)

Bad decision!

Not only was this a night that the Chiefs were playing, nobody had their porch light on. We went to some neighborhood that had a loooooong block. I for one was freezing and tired of walking. Not only was it that my Mother-In-Law didn't want to just hit a few houses, but nearly the whole block for her 3 year old grandson!

As a young married couple honestly "family" stuff is the only thing we've ever clashed on. I may write a post later on how we came to compromise on a bunch of stuff over the last 14 years later next month.

Do you see how this can become an issue?

We kinda grew up polar opposites when it came to Halloween.

What do you guys do for Halloween? Does your family have any standing traditions? Were you born on Halloween? Do you know anyone else born on Halloween? Or do you "celebrate it at all"?

Let me know in the comment section...

Until next time...