Scary How Soon This Holiday Season Begins
Boy, it just begins earlier and earlier every year, the celebration of the holiday. At least it seems that way. Months ahead of time, you see the displays in the stores, you get the commercials on TV, the kids start thinking about nothing else; sure isn't the way I remember it.
I'm talking, of course, about Halloween.
Oh, you thought I meant the long run-up to Christmas? I think we've all pretty much gotten used to that. But I still can't get over how Halloween-related marketing and preparation now kicks off right after Labor Day. A two-month run-up to a single day on the calender, for an observance that's chiefly characterized by people dressing up in outrageous costumes and looking for ways to be happily scared.
When I was growing up, Halloween truly was a one-day event, almost completely something for children, and I mean elementary school children. Along with our mother, my brother and I would begin thinking about a costume to wear to school.. I don't know.. a day or two before October 31st. Pretty basic stuff, for us: firemen, cowboys, pirates. We'd parade around the school auditorium, then that night, go trick or treating on our street. Some of the more creative neighbors would put out a jack-o-lantern to give a little scare to the kids. And that was it. It was all over but the cavities.
Now, it's as much an adult holiday. That's one reason why it gets started so soon. Gotta sell those products, get those ad campaigns up and running,.. there are parties to be thrown, fake "haunted houses" to get ready, decorations to go up on the lawn (in my neighborhood, there have been tombstones in yards and skeletons hanging from trees for weeks, already); and costumes to be sold, lots and lots of costumes. Each year, it seems to me, more stores clear out rows of their usual merchandise so they can creat a Halloween section. Heck, some costume/novelty stores spring into existence for the weeks leading up to October 31st, only to then disappear like.. well, like ghosts.
But I'm not sure it's not all about creeping commercialism, so to speak, and the exploitation of one more "made up" holiday. My kids are crazy for Halloween, and have been since before they could talk. It makes me think that maybe there's something very fundamental, very primal, about the passion--and the growing expression of the passion--for this essentially pagan celebration. Maybe it's not being led by marketers and beer companies just looking for new ways to make money. Maybe they're just following the unleashed instincts of people wanting to celebrate their dark sides, their alter egos, their fascination with the mystery of death... albeit in fun and mostly wholesome ways.
I've always suspected that behind our accepted, structured value systems and religions, we're all pagans at heart, endlessly fascinated—and frightened--by what's really out there waiting in the dark, and that the reason the Halloween "season" has expanded so greatly is we've decided that having only one day to act that out that just isn't enough.
Comments: 9
Never liked Halloween too much, especially hated it when people throwing eggs, which is not easy to clean.
By the way, be careful at night, I myself prefer not to go out. In other areas may be ok, but in this big city, I would be worry being robbed. And the worse case is that person is in Halloween costume or mask, you can't even see what that person looks like should this happened. I mean, one person with mask is easy to ID, 1000 people doing the same thing, good lucky with that.
WOW. Jim the way you speak about halloween you must be from OHIO. my polish people are spread around the state and relatives love to celebrate this wonderful so called holiday. The president should make it a national holiday but why would they? I mean have a national holiday with a little fun in the month of October. Anyway, I myself have a little daughter who is just turning 2 and will celebrate her first halloween. Candy treats to plain ol apples, maybe one of those disgusting popcorn balls that stick to your teeth. If not one of those ,I'm sure she will get gumdrops, jolly ranchers or maybe those mini tootsie rolls that daddy can munch away while watching that giants game. My favorite is the new mini charleston chews, the little one would have a field day but the clean up would make bounty even more richer. It's a wonderful holiday for our children, and it's great that were both off this year to take them out and see that wonderful smile on their face and realize that was US a long time ago and now we can bring that same JOY to our children. Thanks JIM, your friend CRB
WOW. Jim the way you speak about halloween you must be from OHIO. my polish people are spread around the state and relatives love to celebrate this wonderful so called holiday. The president should make it a national holiday but why would they? I mean have a national holiday with a little fun in the month of October. Anyway, I myself have a little daughter who is just turning 2 and will celebrate her first halloween. Candy treats to plain ol apples, maybe one of those disgusting popcorn balls that stick to your teeth. If not one of those ,I'm sure she will get gumdrops, jolly ranchers or maybe those mini tootsie rolls that daddy can munch away while watching that giants game. My favorite is the new mini charleston chews, the little one would have a field day but the clean up would make bounty even more richer. It's a wonderful holiday for our children, and it's great that were both off this year to take them out and see that wonderful smile on their face and realize that was US a long time ago and now we can bring that same JOY to our children. Thanks JIM, your friend CRB
WOW. Jim the way you speak about halloween you must be from OHIO. my polish people are spread around the state and relatives love to celebrate this wonderful so called holiday. The president should make it a national holiday but why would they? I mean have a national holiday with a little fun in the month of October. Anyway, I myself have a little daughter who is just turning 2 and will celebrate her first halloween. Candy treats to plain ol apples, maybe one of those disgusting popcorn balls that stick to your teeth. If not one of those ,I'm sure she will get gumdrops, jolly ranchers or maybe those mini tootsie rolls that daddy can munch away while watching that giants game. My favorite is the new mini charleston chews, the little one would have a field day but the clean up would make bounty even more richer. It's a wonderful holiday for our children, and it's great that were both off this year to take them out and see that wonderful smile on their face and realize that was US a long time ago and now we can bring that same JOY to our children. Thanks JIM, your friend CRB
I hear the biggie mask this year is going to be Bernie Madoff.
i found you from melissa morris's blog. great site and congratulations on being honored last week.
I would like to know why Mary Murphy is no longer a weekend
anchor with Peter Thorne. I know she does investigation reporting,
but she did that while she was an anchor. I like her style very
much, and she has a wonderful smile and personality, as well
as an outstanding anchor.
Please send me answer. You have my email address above.
I would like to know why Mary Murphy is no longer a weekend
anchor with Peter Thorne. I know she does investigation reporting,
but she did that while she was an anchor. I like her style very
much, and she has a wonderful smile and personality, as well
as an outstanding anchor.
Please send me answer. You have my email address above.
I think Halloween is the best holiday and I am so glad to see kids out and about again. Yes, perhaps the stores start everything too soon. If it makes the kids smile, who cares? I even have to say, maybe the toilet paper and egg thing is a pain in the neck but as a teen, we "participated" in some of that. It was silly and fun. I can't wait for halloween. My husband and I try to buy the kind of treats we would have loved as kids.
Enjoy the blogs, Jim