On All Hallow’s Eve’s eve, we on the Editorial Board find ourselves reflecting on the days of our past, to a time when we were free from the stresses of midterms and other work, and we thought only of candy.
Halloween used to be the second-most exciting holiday of the year. It was hard to beat Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Festivus), what with all the gift-giving (actually, we were young, so it was mostly gift-receiving). But the next-greatest holiday was, without a doubt, Halloween.
First, Halloween had the neatness of Christmas. Instead of the guy at the mall being the only one who got to wear a costume, everyone had the opportunity to become someone else. Wardrobes included vampires and cowboys, ballerinas and fairies. Dressing up as something fictional was fun at the time, but looking back, it’s all too clear that a little loss of reality couldn’t hurt from time to time.
Halloween was also a time to spend with family and friends. Who doesn’t remember their first Halloween and that long, scary walk up the driveway to the first house on the journey? Some of us had friends for encouragement, others turned back to look for a supporting parent, ready to come to the rescue if needed.
But Halloween was also about achievement. Once that first house was out of the way, a new sense of power overtook the juvenile you, and you no longer needed your parents or your friends. The fine art of “trick or treat” was yours, as was the world. To have such a feeling now — can you imagine?
Moreover, Halloween never ended. There was the school party, a friend’s party and finally, cruising the neighborhood. Oct. 31 was the sacred night, of course, so all the other events had to be moved to an earlier date. Halloween was pure fun, and the events seemed to last simply for your ongoing enjoyment.
Similarly, Halloween had a comforting feeling. If the porch light of a house was on, you were welcome. When else in life has there ever been such an elegant rule?
On the other hand, an aura surrounded Halloween that was just plain scary. Seeing a monster when you were dressed as Snoopy was traumatic as hell. So were the movies that were must-watches during the weeks leading up to Halloween. Nightmares were synonymous with the season, but it was all OK. It was scary — in a good way.
And perhaps most importantly, there was candy. Candy everywhere. Candy from everyone. Candy of all sizes, shapes and flavors. Enough candy to last a lifetime, or so we thought, but certainly enough to last until we were sick of it. We knew then how chocolate could brighten our day. Did we ever imagine it would still have the same effect some 15 to 20 years later?
Halloween is worth reflecting on because, for most of us, it was such a fun time. Perhaps it’s a bit strange to be so sentimental about a holiday that represents the evils of the world, but when you were young it wasn’t about that. It was about mystique and mystery. Halloween was happiness.
For some of us, we’ve reached the time of life where we miss these days, and for others, these days will soon be upon us — not as the trick-or-treaters, but as the watchful parents sharing the experience with our young ones.
Others are just a few years removed from a time where costumes and candy were not cool, when high school dogma dictated what was acceptable and what was not.
Perhaps most unfortunate is that Halloween has become a time of caution. The world is changing, some will say, and trick-or-treating just isn’t safe.
We accept these changes, too. The purpose of today’s editorial isn’t to endorse the act, but instead the feeling.
Think back to what Halloween used to mean to you, and embrace that feeling. So on All Hallow’s Eve, it is possible to celebrate the innocence of youth. And, whether the calories are good for us or not, enjoy the candy. It’s Halloween — you deserve it.
Hallow’s Eve commemorates joys, freedoms of childhood
Daily Emerald
October 29, 2003
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