“October proved a riot a riot to the senses and climaxed those giddy last weeks before Halloween.”
Yesterday was a lovely day with the temperature over 70°· Today too is a delight with a bright sun, a blue sky and a high of 68°. Yesterday I was out and about doing a couple of errands. Today I’m staying close to home. I have a few chores. The dogs are outside and have been for a while. They came in only to get their morning biscuits and coffee then went back outside. They are loving the day as much as I am.
When I was a kid, Halloween planning started early. We never bought costumes from Woolworths, but I do remember the costumes sold there and kids wearing them. The costumes had a similar look, were worn over clothes, tied in the back and had plastic masks which got hot and made you sweat. The masks were held to the head with a black elastic which broke easily. We wore costumes my mother put together through sometimes we also wore masks, Lone Ranger sort of masks. My mother was quite clever in using what was on hand to make costumes. We decided what we wanted to be, and she figured out what we needed. One year my sister was a ballet dancer wearing a tutu. That one, though, was an obvious choice. My sister took dancing lessons. Ghosts were the easiest needing only a white sheet and holes for eyes. I was a hobo one year. Another year I was an old lady. I wore my mother’s fur stole. We sometimes carried Halloween shopping bags while other years we used pillow slips, wistful thinking I suspect.
I have ordered my Halloween candy. I’ll be giving out Hershey bars, Reese’s and Kit Kats, all candy I like in case of leftovers. It seems every year I get more kids. They love the big bars, what we used to call nickel bars. I figure my house is probably marked in some way, the way hobos used to mark houses when they were looking for food or work. Last year I had only a few bars left, probably a good thing.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
October 27, 2022 at 2:56 pm
When I was a young MDH, the concept of Halloween did not exist in the Old Country. This time of year we were driven by November 5th otherwise Guy Fawkes night.
The shops, especially the news agents, were full of incendiary devices like rockets, bangers, roman candles, jumping jacks and sparklers. Demanding attention either individually or in a box the call was right there “Light up the skies with standard fireworks”
In the early days it was a community effort. A bonfire would be built a Guy Fawkes effigy planted on the top and with some drama the fire would be lit as fireworks went off all around.
The neighbors slugged down a beer or three and the kids ran riot for just a little while.
My kids loved Halloween, the Prince loved it and now I wait anxiously to see the outfit of my Grand daughter who will take on trick or treat in Denver
Time moves on at a frantic pace.
.
October 27, 2022 at 5:21 pm
My Dear Hedley,
I always looked longingly at the celebrations of Guy Fawkes night. I loved the idea of all those fireworks in the hands of mere mortals. They are illegal here in Massachusetts. Cars flock north to New Hampshire where fireworks stores are all near the border. Stories have arisen that Massachusetts state troopers wait by the border to nab cars filled fire works.
The only bon fire around is in Provincetown, but I think it is closer to Christmas than Halloween.
Already I have a grand nephew too old for Halloween at 16. He gives out candy. The others in Colorado are not far behind though one nephew only now has a one year old. The rest love Halloween!!
October 27, 2022 at 11:07 pm
We have a training center in the U.K. south of London in a place called Burgess Hill. Once a few years ago I went there to conduct instructor training. One trip was in early November and another one of our American Instructors and I went to London on the train to spend the evening of Guy Fawkes night. This was the first time I had ever heard of Guy Fawkes and the celebration with fireworks and bonfires.
October 27, 2022 at 11:23 pm
I wish I could be there for the celebration. I have known of Guy Fawkes for a long time. I did a report when I was in school.
October 27, 2022 at 6:39 pm
Thanks for reminding me of Halloween! I’ll have to buy some sweets. Only sweets I like in case no kids show up. I will count and report 🙂 Even less Halloween decoration around here this year it seems.
It’s still quite warm here, I sat outside til midnight like the nights before. Scaring temperatures when you think of climate changes but nice that I did not have to turn on my gas heating yet, just open doors and windows when it’s warmer outside than inside, the old-fashioned way to warm up or cool down.
October 27, 2022 at 8:29 pm
Birgit,
My candy came today so I’m all set but I will not be opening the boxes until Monday, too many favorites in the boxes. We’ll both keep count! Lots of pumpkins around here.
Tomorrow will be seasonable, in the mid to low 60’s and colder at night. Last night it stayed warm into the morning. I turned on my gas a couple of times until the house got warmer then I turned it off. My sister in Colorado had snow and it got down to 33°. She can have it!!
October 27, 2022 at 11:13 pm
Hi Kat,
When I was a kid I always had a costume from the store which always came with a plastic mask with the elastic band. Tomorrow we are getting more rain.
My spouse has prepared us by buying a bag of candy. She knows the candy that I like so we will have more than enough for the neighborhood kids.
October 27, 2022 at 11:28 pm
Hi Bob,
I know were had masks from the store if our costumes needed them. My sister the ballerina got make-up. I also got make-up when I was a hobo. I wore a mask only a couple of times. Most of my friends too had home-made costumes. I liked we were original.
We had a deluge Wednesday morning then it rained all day until 3 when I went to the dump. We have cold coming.
I bought the big bags M&M’s what we called the nickel bags. I also bought a box of mixed bars, all my favorites.