HALLOWEEN: A BUNCH OF HOCUS POCUS

Halloween is still 10 days away, but I cannot contain my excitement anymore!  After watching Hocus Pocus on repeat since September 29th, I am ready to celebrate.  Candy, costumes, parties, and whimsical décor make this an especially exciting holiday. As a child I remember spending afternoons in the sewing store, looking through different patterns for my Halloween costume. This was the one day of the year that I could be as sparkly and billowy as I wanted. Over the years, I was every kind of princess imaginable: a snow princess, hot pink and green princess, gold princess, fairy princess...the list goes on and on.  Sorry, I didn’t mix it up for you Mum! 

On Halloween day, there were school parties where we bobbed for apples, ate chocolate cupcakes with bright orange frosting, and listened to the monster bash on repeat.     By the time the school bell rang, and the sugar rush was already in full mode.  A sparkle touch up and a quick bite of dinner, was needed before heading out to the neighborhoods.  Each year we would use the same trick-or-treating bags; a personally decorated canvas bag from a craft store.  Mine often featured jack-o-lanterns, witch silhouettes shooting past a Harvest moon, and gnarly old trees. 

When Halloween night had finally arrived, we would all pile into my Mum’s  station wagon, and head to our friend’s house.  After photos and hellos, it was time to run wild.  With the parents close behind we zigzagged from house to house in hope of a “jack-pot”, AKA a king size candy bar.  We loved seeing what surprises each house had in store for us, except for that one family (a dentist of course) who gave out toothbrushes every year.  

At the end of the night we would all run home to sort our candy.  I would begin by pairing all king size candy bars, then slowly work my way to the smaller tootsie rolls, and sweeties.  During the sorting process my brothers and our friends would go back and forth, bartering for a better piece of candy.  And beware! There was always a constant threat of a sneaky little brother snatching up a prized treat.  

As soon as I got home, I would hide my prized treats.  Over the following weeks I would carefully eat one piece at a time.  By the time it was Christmas, I would still have left-overs.  My dad always use to comment on this, particularly when he would be looking for a sweet tooth fix on a late November evening.  My brothers, on the other hand, had more of an “eat it as quickly as you can” approach.  More often than not, this plan proved to be a poor one. My youngest brother is a perfect example of this, as he was sick before making it home one Halloween.   

Today I enjoy the costumes, parties, and the excitement of young children.  This is like Christmas for someone with a big sweet tooth, like me.  Snickers, Peanut Butter Cups, and Almond Joys, are a few of my favorites!  In addition to the candy, there is always decorating and pumpkin carving, as well as the question of “what should I be this year?”…this can take quite some time and preparation.
Image by AGA