The girls have been excited about Halloween all week. Mostly I thought it was for their little parties at school and nursery which they enjoyed but it turned out to be more than that. They were looking forward to Halloween itself. I have no idea why and no idea what they were expecting.
When I was a kid we dressed up and were paraded around the doors to tell jokes and collect peanuts, fruit and sweets- sometimes the odd coin. It was very much a community thing. Behind every door that we chapped lay a person we knew and kids would constantly come chapping at our door to. There was a reason to get excited about this. Not now though.
Where I live I have lived for about 8 years, my wife for 13 years. Not once has anyone come guising at our door. I cannot remember a single time and this year was no different. Nor did we have any plans to take the kids out. In some ways that is a pity. Its a tradition that seems to be dying out and the kids will never know it.
Instead my wife made a buffet of assorted Halloween themed treats for the kids. While she did so I took the girls out for a walk telling them that we were going out ghost spotting. What I hoped was to see scream masked clad kids hiding in bushes waiting to pounce or white sheeted ghouls speeding across our line of vision from afar. The moon was big and shifting black clouds help set the scene. In eerie quiet we ventured out.
What we found were groups of kids drinking and smoking on benches. Younger in the precinct shaking a lamp post violently and trying to smash the lights with large stones. Shopping trolleys kicked over and the sound of smashing bottles. Not a costume in sight. Quite depressing.
The kids enjoyed their Halloween buffet though and after we had a laugh bobbing for apples. It reminded me of the days of trying to bite a swinging treacle scone with my hands tied behind my back only to be slapped about the face with it. Fun for the sake of it. The kids at least got something out of the night. When we were getting them ready for bed however I was drawn to raised voices outside and looked out the window to see to boys rolling about the road fighting surrounded by a baying pack.
In this little part of the world at least Halloween has long since died as a custom. I do find that sad. I'm sure though in closer knit communities it still runs strong but not here. I think next year I will put more thought into it. If we can't have it around about us then I will bring it indoors. Maybe some ghost stories by candlelight and more games for the kids to enjoy.
