Here it is, almost October, and every child in America knows what that means. Halloween! But not everyone looks forward to this All Hallow’s Evening, as it was once known.
Modern parents cringe at the thought of Halloween, when someone might put razor blades in candy or when careless drivers speed down suburban byways, knocking over trick-or-treaters like bowling balls.
Boomers recall a different Halloween atmosphere.
For us, Halloween began early in the week. With paring knives, we deftly carved our pumpkins. I remember one year when I accidentally extracted all my scary pumpkin’s teeth. It was a Jack’O Lantern baring vicious gums! My Dad advised then that I should not pursue dentistry.
We also didn’t have the luxury of expensive costumes or rubber masks. We dressed as football players, ghosts, witches, goblins or whatever we could dream up and the minute it turned dark, we were knocking on doors, yelling trick or treat.
We also each carried a bar of Ivory Soap and if any neighbor was out and about that evening, his or her widows got “soaped!”
Boomer kids didn’t carry namby-pamby plastic pumpkins for the loot. We hit the streets armed with pillow cases that bulged under the weight of candy when we came home and sorted through our choice morsels. I recall three particular treats I looked forward to while donned as a spooky goblin.
One was a bottle of cold Seven-Up that Hal Turner’s parents always gave as a treat. They were small, ten-ounce bottles, ice cold, and we guzzled them down on the porch, putting the bottles back in the cases. They were, after all, returnables with a 2-cent deposit.
Another delicacy in my Halloween pillowcase was a plump popcorn ball, oozing with butter and syrup that the Loomis family distributed. Mrs. Loomis spent hours popping corn, and shaping balls and the treats were lined up on her dining room table. No matter how many children, she never ran out. They were the first treat to be devoured when I returned on Halloween evenings.
And the candied apples – red, sticky, gooey and delicious? We often saved those for the next day’s lunch – what a treat!
Modern children won’t find any popcorn balls or candied apples or even homemade cookies in their stash, because, you know, they may be tainted, and that’s a shame.
Each Halloween, it seems as if the number of children out trick-or-treating in our neighborhood grows smaller. Halloween is no longer a big deal. But it surely was for kids of the 50’s and 60’s.