Saturday, October 31, 2009

Why I Hate Halloween

I hate to be scared. Sometimes, at night, when my husband comes home and I didn't hear him and I see him out of the corner of my eye when I'm doing dishes or something. I freak out. By this I mean that I gasp, I scram, and then I actually cry real tears because I'm so startled and scared, and throw myself into my husband's arms feeling happy that he's not a bad guy while he apologizes for startling me. My stepmother always said it's because I have a guilty conscience that I get startled so easily, but really, I'm just a scaredy cat. I hate scary movies, I hate haunted houses, I hate it when people talk about ghosts or paranormal activity, and I absolutely, positively abhor anything that celebrates witches, ghosts, goblins, murders, blood, ghouls, demons, or pretty much scary anything. Which sort of rules out Halloween. Which is sad, because I love to celebrate. I celebrate obscure Saint's Days, just because. Also, I love to wear, make, plan, and look at costumes. To top it off I really adore the idea of visiting one's neighbors to say hello and share a little treat. I'm happy to celebrate things that promote goodness, generosity, bravery, selflessness, new life, thankfulness for a good harvest, love, rest, friendship, or joy, but I will not celebrate fear, evil, darkness and debauchery. Bah Humbug!

I do have and alternate idea for the fall, that incorporates treats, visiting, partying, and all fall wonderfulness, such as apple dunking, pumpkin treats, and also, bonus, dancing!!! I think I'll have a Hoe Down in the fall. It could be a family event to which everyone brings treats, sort of like a dress up dance, only it's all Cowboys and Prairie Princesses. I could incorporate a talent show, or a one-act play, or even a comedy act.

People who think like me usually hunker down on Halloween, hoping no one too scary comes to their door asking for candy, but this would be much more fun. I've been wanting to have an annual "event" to which I invite my friends for a big blowout. Perhaps I'll throw a great big Harvest Dance in a barn somewhere in October to sort of replace Halloween for me and my kids. I don't mean a normal Hallelujah party with costume competition and trunk or treating with a "salvation message" thrown in... I mean an old fashioned Hoe Down, that celebrates that all the hard work of summer is over and the harvest is in and we have time to throw a party (put your "hoes down" ladies and gentlemen!). I wonder if anyone else would come if I specified that it was "Not a Halloween Party", or "Western Dress Only"? The menu could include:

Corn dogs: they're portable and kids love them
Candy apples: ditto
Apple butter and pumpkin spice donuts
Crudites
Cheese and Crackers
All the finger foods and desserts people care to bring to share
Hot apple cider, Iced tea, lemonade, and a cooler of cool water to cool down after gettin' down!

To solve the whole costume envy thing, we could move the costume party to New Year's Eve... then the whole scary undertone wouldn't be there and people could get as creative as they like, without offending my delicate sense of all being well with the world. Why not just completely remake cultural norms because I want to! Get on board people!

8 comments:

  1. Your stepmother can go dunk her head in a barrel of apples. Guilty conscience my face.

    I like your idea! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. We can start with the New Year's party Brenden... start planning your costume now! Lord Byron? Cowboy? I think I'll be Madame LaFarge... maybe

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds inspired. Keep us posted on this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love it! Love all of it! Can I come? =D Costume, I'm thinking, something I already have? Or can alter... I love costumes! We never have enough places to wear them, do we?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Of course you can come!!! We might have a barn raising, too, and have a dance for that next year. New Years dance: would you be willing to buy tickets?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes I would! Sounds spectacular =)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice to meet you, too! I've enjoyed reading up on your blog and super excited to hear more about the new farmhouse - what's the word? To be honest, I have no clue about the Single Girl quilt because I've never made it and have yet to even read the pattern, but I'm gonna give it a go! I have a feeling that if you can follow a garment pattern, you can handle this one, too ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't know you at all, and here I'm sitting wanting to be invited as I read your wonderful idea! Truly inspired!

    ReplyDelete