I have always loved Halloween, who doesn’t love dressing up and getting candy? I’ve dressed up as a clown, Dopey (you know, the dwarf from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves), a pirate, a victim in a horror movie (I wasn’t allowed to answer the door for trick-or-treaters that year), a book fairy, and others. Homemade, store bought, didn’t matter to me. For my Dopey costume, my dad made a large papier-mâché head for me. I couldn’t see very well, but I still had a blast. The book fairy is my latest costume, handmade and so cool (if I do say so myself).

Trick-or-Treating brought me quite a haul of candy and I treated it a bit differently than other children. As a child I would ration my Halloween candy, eating only one piece a day. Oh, I would make it last so long. There was a method to my madness; I ate my least favorite candy first, saving the good stuff (anything with chocolate) for last. There was a fatal flaw in my plan though, those rascally parental units. They liked candy as well and would raid my stash, eating the good stuff (why couldn’t they have stuck with Necco Wafers and Bit-O-Honeys???). I would get mad, but they were my parents and in the end I couldn’t do anything about it.

More than the costumes and the candy, I loved how much my dad enjoyed the holiday. As a minister you wouldn’t think it would be high on his list of holidays, but you don’t know my dad (okay, you might). My dad loves theatre, illusion, and creativity. Halloween is the perfect holiday for him. He would put together cool and spooky displays at home, and parties at church, all using his creative talents. We had dry ice and a creepy old lady mannequin that caused me many a nightmare. It makes me smile remembering how playful he was with us and other children in the community, I hope other kids have fond memories of his Halloween exploits. My dad doesn’t do much for Halloween now, he’s retired with no kids at home.

I might not go trick-or-treating anymore, but I still dress-up and decorate my house. Through the library Halloween parties, I hope I am giving the next generation a love for a holiday full of fun and wonder. And don’t forget, SPOOOOOKY!!!

Click here for info on the Halloween Parties.