Missing Halloween

Fall in Virginia in the U.S. is a magical time. While the days are normally warm, the nights are cool and crisp and the stars grow sharper in the sky. Sweater weather usually creeps in during October, and by the middle of the month, the leaves are showing their colors.

Americans love to mark the change of seasons with house decorations, and fall inspires a lot of harvest-related displays. Pumpkins appear on porches along with potted mums and Indian corn may be hung on a door. Bales of straw become seats for scarecrows and corn sheafs are bundled and placed for effect.

The weekends are full of harvest-themed activities. There are trips to the pumpkin farm, apple picking outings, hay rides, bonfires, and various festivals, but the highlight of the month arrives on its very last day—Halloween.

This is second only to Christmas in commercialism. Elaborate decorations, costumes, parties, and events occupy adults as well as children. Trick or treating (going door to door in a costume and gathering candy) is the fulfillment of many children’s fantasies. When you’re a child, life doesn’t get better than this.

While I think fall brings the best weather Belgium has to offer, Halloween and harvest aren’t celebrated much here and it’s something I really miss. You can spot the expat houses in a neighborhood because they’re the ones with pumpkins on the steps. I remember reading last year that while there are Belgian communities where Halloween is catching on, it’s a sensitive issue culturally. Many Belgians and Europeans aren’t comfortable importing a commercialized American holiday, and trick-or-treating isn’t embraced because there are youth who are a little too happy to use it as an excuse to cause mischief and engage in vandalism. In a country that is divided and diverse, Halloween’s darker side invites trouble.

I understand that rationale, but fall without Halloween doesn’t feel like fall at all. Last year my children went trick-or-treating with friends at some American offices, but it lacked the sense of fun and drama one gets from leaving the house after dark and walking through the neighborhood through drifting leaves, flashlights cutting a path, laughter bubbling up from the street.

It was a time to stop and savor the children in the neighborhood and meet people you had seen but never spoken to before. I don’t know which part of the experience I liked more—welcoming trick-or-treaters to my door or traipsing about in the dark, holding my children’s hands and admiring the smiling jack-o-lanterns peering at us from so many directions.

After debating what to do about Halloween this year, my children and I have decided to share our Halloween tradition with our Belgian neighbors. By hosting a party for the children we know under the age of five, we can bring Halloween’s best side to light with crafts, games, and treats—creating a little magic for children and extending hospitality to our neighbors.

© 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved. www.v-grrrl.com

Comments

[amber]

What a great idea! I bet it will so fun for everyone.

:)

[Char]

That sounds like fun. My youngest just came through my office modeling one of her many costumes trying to decide what she should wear.

I am going on my final preschool field trip to Belvedere to pick pumpkins tomorrow. It will be bittersweet as I have lost count as to how many times we have done this one with the preschool.

If you need any fun printouts - check out http://www.printables4kids.com for a few Halloween themed activities.

Oh, and don't forget to take lots of pictures.

[Neil]

I'm beginning to have the same reaction to Halloween as I do to Christmas -- it is becoming too commercialized. And when did Halloween become such an adult holiday? I think we should let the kids have the fun...

[Flubberwinkle]

I miss Halloween too and it's because of this holiday that autumn became my favorite season as a child. Fall will always have the same spooky "ambience" for me, even though there's no last day of October to look forward to...

[Di]

Hey, thank you for posting on this. As a New Zealander, this holiday was a little mysterious to me but I loved how you described the whole neighbourhood thing ...

This explains a lot of what I didn't understand 'It was a time to stop and savor the children in the neighborhood and meet people you had seen but never spoken to before.'

[wordgirl]

Halloween is such a kid-centered holiday, though adults love it as well. And it's a centerpoint for autumn, as far as I'm concerned. Doubt I could enjoy the season as much without it.

[Shirl Grrrl]

We were overjoyed last year to realize that we had finally moved to a neighborhood that got all into Halloween. We had oodles of kids to come to the door, houses decorated to the hilt and like you said, I met neighbors I didn't know before. Before moving here, my kids, plus a few others would be the only ones trick-or-treating and I learned that all the neighbors really enjoyed them coming by. It seemed that the elders in the neighborhood especially got a kick out of seeing the little ones. My best friend (and her sister and even a few friends of theirs) would all come to take my kids out with me and they were usually dressed up, too. I don't do a lot of decorating but we shelled out many bucks for 7 pumpkins this year at the orchard. The kids just didn't know when to stop as there was just so many in that pumpkin patch! Yes, it has gotten very commercialized but it's still a lot of fun for the kids and the kids at heart.

[Nancy]

I love the idea of hosting a party for the younger kids in your neighborhood. What a great way to introduce them to the most fun aspects of the holiday!

I will have a mug of hot cider in your honor this Halloween as I enjoy the fall here in Virginia.

[Javacurls]

I can completely relate to your posting since this is our 1st Halloween overseas. It actually makes me quite sad when I think about all the fall festivals, apple orchard visits, and Halloween festivities we'll be missing out on this year especially with my son being such a perfect age to take it all in.

[Jenny]

I'm so caught up in my own little world I never even considered that Halloween wasn't celebrated the same way everywhere.

I love the idea of hosting a party to showcase it's best qualities. Wish I could come!

[V-Grrrl]

You can come, Jenny! Hop on a plane and when you get to France, turn right. Belgium is right there! It's a small place, I'm sure you can find us. ; D

[TB]

What a great idea. The kids are going to have an absolute blast! I bet you will too.

[Wendy]

I LOVE dressing up for halloween..more than my older kids now...Thanks for being such a good American abroad...Showing there is more to our traditions..than hype. FUN, good American FUN!

[Michael]

Adults can have fun on Halloween too. I recall college- era Halloween parties as a smashing good time.

A few years ago, the boss (the Low Maitenance one) and I dressed up as Drew Carey and his nemisis Mimi..the woman with all the horrid eye make-up. The boss bought a matronly dress from Sears and padded up. I just had a flat-top haircut,wore a suit and added some glasses.

The interaction between us as Drew and Mimi didn't take a lot of talent or acting.The neighbors laughed.

"Mimi" being the penny saver she is even took the dress back to Sears November 1st,saying it was the wrong size.

[V-Grrrl]

My 6' 3" BIG brother dressed up as Lil Orphan Annie one year. The orange curly wig, the little red dress, the sweet anklets on his hairy legs, and round glasses with the lenses whited out except for the center. Still makes me laugh.

Another year he was a smurf and coverd his skin in blue cold cream--and had an allergic reaction to it.