Alright, right off the bat, I want to make a disclaimer. This article will primarily pertain to countries where the holiday is more prominent. While I understand it’s grown in popularity outside of those places, since most countries have some kind of celebration revolving around the dead, I don’t know enough about those holidays to speak about them with confidence. I guess for those who celebrate them, you can apply what I say about Halloween to them if you notice any similarities. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.
What’s the earliest memory about All Hallows’ Eve that you have? Was it a favorite costume or the piece of candy from the first house you visited? Maybe it was something less pleasant, such as a prank by an older sibling that scared you out of your wits, or an embarrassing outfit your parents made you wear. Maybe it was a mixed bag. In my case, I have a distinct memory of being in the car with my brother while our mother drove.
It was night, and as we passed the woods, I was bored and kind of just letting my wander as I looked out the window. That’s when I saw it, a massive inflatable jack-o’-lantern glowing like a beacon between some trees. I was intimidated by the scale of it while also finding it mesmerizing. Sure, I’ve come across things that are far more impressive since then, such as light shows, which I love watching online. At the time, though, little me was in awe of that oversized orange sphere and green stem with the most generic face you can think of.
It sparked a fascination that led to me becoming the horror lover I am today. Actually, I can’t remember if I was already into the genre by then. My point is both my fascination and that holiday fed into each other, an infinite source that took me way too long to draw inspiration from. Naturally, I always dove headfirst into the holiday when October came around, right? Well, as much as I was allowed. You see, we never went trick-or-treating except maybe once, but I was too young to recall.
Instead, most of my brother and I’s Halloweens before we were old enough to do our own thing were spent at Fall Festivals. The reason for this is a combination of growing up in a religious and overprotective household. Don’t get me wrong. Those events were great. We got treats, went on hayrides, and jumped in bounce castles.
They were a lot of fun. That said, I feel like there’s a certain skill gained by the act of going door to door and asking for candy. Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be me lamenting about what I missed out on (vengeance will be mine!). No, the reason I bring this up is think of what the act entails. For those who did trick-or-treat, what was your earliest memory of it?
Who were you with, your dad, mother, perhaps an older sibling? Did you feel nervous walking up to that door and holding out your bag or pale for a stranger to give you candy? I know I would have. Eventually, as each your passed, the process got easier, right? You became more confident to the point that you didn’t need someone much older to accompany you. Instead, you could go with friends or by yourself, or you could even be the one helping another little kid like you at that age experience trick-or-treating for the first time.
What skill do children gain from this, from the frankly bizarre holiday practice of getting candy from people they don’t know? Put simply, it’s a way for them to step out of their comfort zone. It isn’t simply this part of the holiday either. What do you think costumes are for? It’s meant to make people undergo a temporary transformation of sorts.
They can be something and act a certain way they normally wouldn’t at most other times of the year. For many children, it’s also their first taste of something approaching independence. No longer do they need to be holding someone’s hand when they go out to enjoy All Hallows’ Eve. They can enjoy the holiday on their own or with friends. They get to have a taste of freedom for a few hours.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean caution should be entirely disregarded. As overblown as the poison candy panic is, there are legit dangers to be wary of, mostly bad drivers and sometimes kidnappers. Also, for legal reasons, I can’t say I support any forms of vandalism that may take place on this night, even if it’s happening to the stick-in-the-mud teacher who always seems to signal you out over everyone else. Barring all this, if children know how to handle themselves, they should be able to enjoy the holiday without a cloud of overprotectiveness looking over them. Yeah, look, I’m going to be that guy. I understand if your kid has some medical reason why they can’t go out and celebrate with friends or just celebrate how other people normally would.
However, if the reason for them not being able to celebrate is either due to you always having to keep a bird’s eye view on them or some cultural reasons, I’m sorry, but this is extremely foolish and limiting. First off, I don’t know why a lot of people see All Hallows’ Eve as a religious celebration. Sure, there’s All Saints Day, but that’s for the day after. Halloween itself has some religious origins, sure.
When it comes to how it’s celebrated, though, most people don’t have that in mind. There’s not much more thought behind it than “fun time for spooky stuff!”. Yet, it gets treated like it’s Lucifer’s birthday, not by all religious people to be clear, but ma,n do the ones that rag on it bring down the mood. I guess that’s my real issue when it comes to parents not letting their kids get into the holiday.
If they decide something isn’t for them, that’s their choice. When parents try to nudge them into thinking a certain way, not out of misplaced love (which I will get to momentarily), but out of some blind loyalty to traditionalism, that’s where I have a problem. It’s not about guidance. It’s about control, and that’s something I refuse to abide. Alright, as for the other reason parents are hesitant to let their children celebrate, a saying comes to mind.
That would be good intentions often pave the way to Hell. Given our subject, I suppose some may find that destination is fitting (Lucifer is going to be having his birthday party after all). Okay, on a more serious note, from what I have heard through the grapevine, Halloween has gotten a bit watered down in terms of how it’s celebrated over the years. I don’t have an issue with events such as Fall festivals or trunk or treating on their own, as in if they’re held on days before or after October’s end. I don’t think they should be an outright replacement for trick-or-treating. Again, kids need to do things independently of their parents to develop certain social skills.
I also want to repeat that you shouldn’t literally let them do whatever they want. That’s how they end up in serious trouble. I mean, I’m no psychologist (something I know I bring up a lot, it’s for people who aren’t familiar with my articles) or even a parent for that matter, so you’d be fair in saying I am underqualified to talk about these things. I guess think of Halloween as a way to test how much responsibility they can handle.
If they come home in the back of a cop car, then yeah, that doesn’t bode well, most likely. If they get back and everything is all well and good, other than maybe some minor yet ultimately harmless pranks, I think you can trust them. After all, what’s All Hallows’ without a little mischief? Just not too much. On that note, have a happy Halloween.
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