Candy Holiday

“Mama, why do we celebrate Halloween?”  Dylan asked me as if prompted by the Holy Spirit in a moment of unexpected reflection.  The problem was that his question was met by silence on my part.  My mouth did open as if to say something, but the only thing that came out of it was CO2 for before I could formulate a coherent thought in my mind, I let out a sigh announcing my lack of any clue in the matter.

Dylan then proceeded to top my frustration by adding yet another question, why do we get candy at Halloween?  Well, that did it!  Total failure was now official.  I had nothing.  I looked at him empty-handed and did what most parents on the edge of the cliff do, I made something up.  What I said was so lame that I can’t even remember what it was.  Needless to say, Dylan walked away puzzled.  PTL for little boys’ lack of long term memory for soon after that, he had already forgotten the whole conversation and was off to better and more important things like playing with his trains.

Not me, however.  Dylan’s curiosity made me sit back and think about the holiday in question.  I had taken the boys trick-or-treating all by myself for the first time ever a few evenings ago.  I remember being annoyed at having to do that and at the persistent rain that began just the second we stepped outside the house.  I was uncomfortable taking the kids begging, or more accurately, assaulting people for candy in their own houses under the threat of performing a trick.  All these while having the children walking around in freaky costumes.  I know that the whole thing sounds perfectly normal to those who grew up here in this blessed country of ours.  To me…not so much. 

At any rate, I felt lost in my own neighborhood.  After visiting our dear next door neighbors, we got in the car and drove away in the rain to…the end of our driveway…I had no clue where I was supposed to go next?  Judy’s house!  Yes!  “Let’s go to Judy’s and Pastor Doug’s houses!” I announced in triumph.  “We can also go to Grandma’s!”  Grant said; “and to the Fire Hall too!” added Dylan.  GREAT!  We had a plan, and with a renewed spirit and a sense of direction we drove off. 

When we turned the corner to begin our mapped out route, a wonderful thing happened.  We saw a hey-ride!  We guessed that a couple of families had gotten together to hey-ride their way around trick-or-treating.  What a marvelous idea!  If I had had any guts, I would’ve asked them to join them; but my lack of confidence in the art of Halloween prevented me from making a move.  I didn’t know if that could be misrepresented as harassment or something creepy like that…so, no, we did not “join” them; but follow we did!  Wherever they stopped, we stopped.  Wherever they skipped, we skipped. 

After a while, we parted ways with the hey-ride and went to see Grandma.  “Hey, don’t forget the Fire Hall!”  Grant reminded me.  So after a quick stop at Grandma’s, we drove down to the Fire Hall to enjoy pizza, treats, pictures and conversation with neighbors. 

When we finally arrived home, it was already dark.  I went outside to check the bowl of candy that I had diligently placed on our front porch as instructed by Dan.  I was very happy to see that it was almost empty.  Great!  I thought, candy is gone!  My feeling of elation was short-lived, however, for as soon as I brought the bowl back inside, my sons emptied their booty in it.  The result was a bowl overflowing with the most unimaginable assortment of treats.  My teeth began to hurt…

Dan came home late that night and after a very lively-sugar-induced conversation with the boys, he asked me how the whole thing went.  I thought for a minute, and then I said, “I…I had fun.  It was a lot of fun.” 

Now, thinking back on the day, I believe that the next time someone asks me about Halloween, I would say, “well, it is a rather nonsensical holiday, and most people who celebrate it, can’t fully define it; but Halloween gives people, young and not so young, a chance to be silly and light in a world that is becoming increasingly grim and heavy.  And of course, most importantly, it is the mother of all candy holidays.”

 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  Psalm 51:12