Does anyone else share these Halloween memories????

[MyersFan1]

If the schools continue labeling Halloween as evil and don't have anything to do with Halloween within their walls, then the next generation possibly won't have such a passion for the holiday. Thus, overtime causing Halloween to become less and less popular which could lead to the dissapearance of Halloween.

[adrian]

As long as i'm alive there will always be at least one home with halloween littering their lawn

[adrian]

As long as i'm alive there will always be at least one home with halloween littering their lawn

[MyersFan1]

As long as i'm alive there will always be at least one home with halloween littering their lawn

I'm with you there.

[Autumnal_whispers]

As long as i'm alive there will always be at least one home with halloween littering their lawn

I'm with you there.

Ditto!

[Andybev01]

Oh heck yeah!

We wouldn't have thought not to wear a costume to school.

If we had arrived at school and there were no fall and Halloween decorations up we would have thought that the teachers were taken over by aliens.

Candy? Oh yeah, and cake walks, etc. Prizes for costumes.

I think about the state of things in modern schools and I'm convinced that I come from another dimension.

Sad.

[Big_Guh]

I'll never forget the instance which so eloquently epitomized my passion for Oct. 31.

In another epoch, when Big_Guh was more accurately referred to as, Little_Guh, I resided in a home positioned on a hill, overlooking a fairly good sized neighborhood. For you Stephen King fans, it rested on a perch much like the Marsten House, without all the evil, etc.

It was just after dinner. I swallowed my mandatory three bites of lasagna. No more. Not on Halloween. Too much excitement.

My parents were still busy tending to my brother, who was no more imposing than a wee tiger cub. I couldn't wait any longer. The moon shone through the paned glass, casting a cold light against the far wall. My shadow, careened around the room, like an autumn leaf, riding the gentle surf of an October zephyr.

I opened the front door, and stood on the porch. I stood next to the glowing Jack o' Lantern, breathing in it's sweet burning pulp. It's jovial eyes flicked and scanned the street. The sun's waning glow seeped into black. Nature's black and orange. Children's laughs and skipping footsteps reverberated through barren limbs, punctuated by the scratching, dried fingers of leaves drifting over the paved roads. A glowing quilt work of lights, distorted through pine needles, smiled, like the incandescent, oblong pumpkin.

The imagination runs wild in October. Shadows drift and detach themselves from their hosts, squirrels trundling through dessicated woods are prancing goblins meandering through hollow trunks, destined to celebrate All Hallow's Eve around a bubbling, overflowing cauldron. In a sense, Halloween embodies what it is to be a child. It's a day for everyone to ask themselves, "What if?" Even the white-collar world, regulated by ties and alarm clocks is breached by Halloween's mystique. In my world, at least.

That night, in some rudimentary fashion I breathed it all in, expanding my ribs as far as they would, and realized a myriad of emotions. I was so grateful to be alive. Something about the night, the colors, the smells, the sounds, the FEEL. I just knew I loved it all.

Pretty soon after that Spiderman, or should I say Little_Guh, thought about candy and whether or not the lights off at Old Mrs. Mortimor's House meant you couldn't ring the door bell.

[adrian]

I'll never forget the instance which so eloquently epitomized my passion for Oct. 31.

In another epoch, when Big_Guh was more accurately referred to as, Little_Guh, I resided in a home positioned on a hill, overlooking a fairly good sized neighborhood. For you Stephen King fans, it rested on a perch much like the Marsten House, without all the evil, etc.

It was just after dinner. I swallowed my mandatory three bites of lasagna. No more. Not on Halloween. Too much excitement.

My parents were still busy tending to my brother, who was no more imposing than a wee tiger cub. I couldn't wait any longer. The moon shone through the paned glass, casting a cold light against the far wall. My shadow, careened around the room, like an autumn leaf, riding the gentle surf of an October zephyr.

I opened the front door, and stood on the porch. I stood next to the glowing Jack o' Lantern, breathing in it's sweet burning pulp. It's jovial eyes flicked and scanned the street. The sun's waning glow seeped into black. Nature's black and orange. Children's laughs and skipping footsteps reverberated through barren limbs, punctuated by the scratching, dried fingers of leaves drifting over the paved roads. A glowing quilt work of lights, distorted through pine needles, smiled, like the incandescent, oblong pumpkin.

The imagination runs wild in October. Shadows drift and detach themselves from their hosts, squirrels trundling through dessicated woods are prancing goblins meandering through hollow trunks, destined to celebrate All Hallow's Eve around a bubbling, overflowing cauldron. In a sense, Halloween embodies what it is to be a child. It's a day for everyone to ask themselves, "What if?" Even the white-collar world, regulated by ties and alarm clocks is breached by Halloween's mystique. In my world, at least.

That night, in some rudimentary fashion I breathed it all in, expanding my ribs as far as they would, and realized a myriad of emotions. I was so grateful to be alive. Something about the night, the colors, the smells, the sounds, the FEEL. I just knew I loved it all.

Pretty soon after that Spiderman, or should I say Little_Guh, thought about candy and whether or not the lights off at Old Mrs. Mortimor's House meant you couldn't ring the door bell.

i love your description on this lol

[Andybev01]

I'll never forget the instance which so eloquently epitomized my passion for Oct. 31.

In another epoch, when Big_Guh was more accurately referred to as, Little_Guh, I resided in a home positioned on a hill, overlooking a fairly good sized neighborhood. For you Stephen King fans, it rested on a perch much like the Marsten House, without all the evil, etc.

It was just after dinner. I swallowed my mandatory three bites of lasagna. No more. Not on Halloween. Too much excitement.

My parents were still busy tending to my brother, who was no more imposing than a wee tiger cub. I couldn't wait any longer. The moon shone through the paned glass, casting a cold light against the far wall. My shadow, careened around the room, like an autumn leaf, riding the gentle surf of an October zephyr.

I opened the front door, and stood on the porch. I stood next to the glowing Jack o' Lantern, breathing in it's sweet burning pulp. It's jovial eyes flicked and scanned the street. The sun's waning glow seeped into black. Nature's black and orange. Children's laughs and skipping footsteps reverberated through barren limbs, punctuated by the scratching, dried fingers of leaves drifting over the paved roads. A glowing quilt work of lights, distorted through pine needles, smiled, like the incandescent, oblong pumpkin.

The imagination runs wild in October. Shadows drift and detach themselves from their hosts, squirrels trundling through dessicated woods are prancing goblins meandering through hollow trunks, destined to celebrate All Hallow's Eve around a bubbling, overflowing cauldron. In a sense, Halloween embodies what it is to be a child. It's a day for everyone to ask themselves, "What if?" Even the white-collar world, regulated by ties and alarm clocks is breached by Halloween's mystique. In my world, at least.

That night, in some rudimentary fashion I breathed it all in, expanding my ribs as far as they would, and realized a myriad of emotions. I was so grateful to be alive. Something about the night, the colors, the smells, the sounds, the FEEL. I just knew I loved it all.

Pretty soon after that Spiderman, or should I say Little_Guh, thought about candy and whether or not the lights off at Old Mrs. Mortimor's House meant you couldn't ring the door bell.

Cool. I totally stepped into that narrative

[WitchyMama]

My memories are just the same as yours.

In school, we always had parties and decorated our classrooms with ghosts and goblins. It wasn't evil, it was fun! We also did alot of costume contests...and I can't remember any kid NOT partaking in the fun. Teachers and principals joined in along with us. It created such kinship with my authority figures. I sometimes wonder if those who complain about it's pagan, "evil" roots realize how much damage they have caused? My kids can't celebrate Halloween at school. The most a teacher can do is a pajama party (kids all dress up in pajamas). And so far all of my girls' teachers have told me expressly that they wish they could do something....or maybe they say that because my reputation proceeds me? Anywho, when I was a kid maybe one house in my neighborhood didn't participate. And you saw at least 50 kids at any given moment running around and having fun. Hardly any bullies either. Most of us looked out for each other.

I moved to the south. Here, there are fall festivals. Tell someone you celebrate Halloween and they act like you got the plague. No kidding, last year my daughter (9 yo) invited an unpopular girl in her class to our Halloween Party. She was new and my daughter had hoped it would help her get to know the other kids. That kids mother called me up cussing, yelling, screaming, and threatening to call Department of Social Services on me because I was a witch (which I had not told anyone at the school at that point). She went as far as to call the school and request MY child get moved to another class. The school told her there was no need since there had been no issues at school and what I did in my private time was not their business. They further told her she could have chosen to ignore the invitation. Well she got real mad and pulled her kid out of school and is now homeschooling that child. I feel bad for that kid. And I feel bad for my daughter, she tried to do such a nice thing and it was blown WAY out of proportion. Word got around about my witchy status and no one has shunned me. Actually they have been quite supportive. Most said had they known before getting to know me they would have been freaked out, but since they know me and know I don't do anything harmful to anyone....they are ok.

Ok....didn't mean to hijack the thread....it's just something that i see here in my neck of the woods that tries to "kill" the holiday. My kids are always extremely excited about Halloween and are VERY passionate about it. I think that I have sufficiently instilled in them what Halloween is meant to be....fun. I started a whole new tradition in making Halloween 31 days of fun, I hope they keep it going with their own kids!

[NeverMore]

No kidding, last year my daughter (9 yo) invited an unpopular girl in her class to our Halloween Party. She was new and my daughter had hoped it would help her get to know the other kids. That kids mother called me up cussing, yelling, screaming, and threatening to call Department of Social Services on me because I was a witch (which I had not told anyone at the school at that point). She went as far as to call the school and request MY child get moved to another class.

Was the girl's name Carrie?

[MyersFan1]

Wow that lady needs to get a GRIP!! She definitely took that wayyyyy to far and I don't think it would be a bad idea for her to check herself into a psychiatric home .

I have no problem if someone doesn't care for Halloween, I mean, hey after all it is their decision and their loss. BUT i do have a problem with people (like that lady) who so strongly push their opinions on their kids, or other people for that matter, and affect the way they think about things. The right thing to do would be to let her daughter visit the party and let her make her OWN opinion on the whole Halloween scene.

I do feel sorry for that young girl, and I think parents like that are just ridiculous. I understand protecting your child from some thing but jeez it was just a party. Sorry you had to go through that.

[Andybev01]

Ok....didn't mean to hijack the thread....it's just something that i see here in my neck of the woods that tries to "kill" the holiday. My kids are always extremely excited about Halloween and are VERY passionate about it. I think that I have sufficiently instilled in them what Halloween is meant to be....fun. I started a whole new tradition in making Halloween 31 days of fun, I hope they keep it going with their own kids![/quote]


Beside our collective love of the holiday, that's why we're here, let it out Friend!!

If I may quote Poltergeist "All are welcome, all are welcome."

[WitchyMama]

LOL no her name wasn't Carrie....it was Samantha. Wonder if she could wiggle her nose?

Yay, it's VERY frustrating that people go so far to try and take away a holiday from others just cause they don't celebrate it. I have new neighbors down the street and they make me happy. I am finally NOT the only house on the street all decked out! So we usually get together and discuss stuff and try to help each other out. It's nice having someone in the neighborhood to collaborate with!

[adrian]

SAME way here witchy mama.. i've got one other house on my block that goes all out with me. granted the others with children may have a jack 0 lantern and maybe a few ghosts and bats and spider webs but just no explosion of celebration!! maybe one day something will happen and spark everyone into the halloween mode.