Before we go into the insanity of the winter holiday season, I’d like to go back to my favorite holiday, Halloween. For me, it’s not about candy. In fact, with a peanut-allergic kid, it can’t be about the candy. I like the conviviality of this holiday. I like the fact that your friends and neighbors stop by and say hi with the “trick or treat!” and you get to see the kids having fun. My faith in humanity is often renewed. One year we had a group of very nice teenagers. They knew they were too old, but they were having fun. They were polite and complimented our Halloween display. Gave me hope for teenagers everywhere.
I also like the fact that Halloween is closer to its older roots than most commercialized holidays. I like the fact that it’s based on the concept that there is more out there than meets the eye. I like the concept that the veil between worlds is thinner. I like the iconography and the candles.
We have some long-standing traditions. Starting in the early 90s, a group of my friends gathered each year at the same pumpkin patch to go pumpkin picking. We had a song we sang at each step of the way. We went to a fast food restaurant nearby for curly-fries. It was a day-long thing. As the years went by, partners and kids joined the group. Even those who moved to other states would return for the pumpkin hunting expedition.
Things have been altered over the years to accommodate the changing needs of the group. This year we chose a closer farm–with kids it’s harder to drive a long way for pumpkins.
Once there, the kids loved pushing the wheelbarrows around:
We chose our pumpkins quickly.
This place had an elaborate corn maze
We couldn’t believe how intense the mud was:
At the top, of course, is Girlfriend as the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz books.
OK, you may now return to your normally scheduled holiday insanity.
