Halloween
This used to be a holiday second only to Christmas to children of my generation. I can well remember “Trick or Treating” in the neighborhood where I now live. My home base was on the corner of Church and Truitt Streets. We always headed east toward East Salisbury School. The treats were better and we didn’t have to venture through the “tough” section near Naylor Street. Yes, it was not wise to go there even 60 years ago. When we went to the movies on Saturday afternoon, we walked quickly and purposefully.
The treats were bountiful on the streets I walked. We used to start off with a standard brown grocery bag. They hadn’t invented those fancy cloth pumpkins with a handle yet. I always had to go back home and get another bag because the first one was full. We never worried about tainted candy, razor blades in apples or anything that would hurt us. And Mom never checked our “stash” for objectionable objects. We had enough candy and other goodies to last a week. People would bake cookies especially for Halloween and wrap them neatly in waxed paper. We never liked it when somebody, with all good intentions, would drop an apple in our bag and crush the cookies. I will always remember this house on the corner of Saratoga Street and Phillips Avenue. They used to give out quarters. Now, remember that in the 1950’s, a quarter was a lot of money. In fact, you could buy five candy bars with a quarter.
Since my birthday was October 30, I always got a nice costume as a birthday present. Since most grade schools only went to the 6th grade, I got to enjoy Halloween for the two extra years at St. Francis. During my last year at St. Francis, 1956, I represented the school for a Halloween party on WBOC-TV. I dressed up as an old lady and really put a lot in that costume. Of course, all the other kids were at least two years younger than I was and when I won the first prize, they gave me a plastic train, something I had outgrown several years ago. But, I had the same enthusiasm as the man in the “Christmas Story” movie when he won the “leg lamp”. I had won FIRST PRIZE.
Nowadays, several organizations put on a Halloween party for the children and their efforts are rewarded by the shrieking children throughout the evening.
I used to sit at home waiting for the Trick or Treaters to come around, but I just turn my lights out now. Out of the 35 or 40 who came to the door toward the end, I might have known two. The rest were “bussed” in, and some didn’t even bother to wear a costume. They just stuck a bag in your face and expected you to fill it.
A recent good memory is the year my son, Mike, was too old to go out with the younger children. We dressed him up as a scarecrow and had him sit on a bale of hay in the front yard. He would scare the bejeebers out of the Trick or Treaters when they came to the door, and we really had some laughs with that gimmick.
I think door-to-door Trick or Treating is a thing of the past. We were unfettered and free to gather as much booty as we could carry home. The gaiety of the old Halloweens when the neighbor was filled with little gremlins I knew is something I will always miss.
9 comments:
I really appreciated this post by Mr. George. I am only in my 30's with 2 young children that love the excitement of going door to door for Halloween. We watched Charlie Brown's Halloween cartoons Thurs night and as we did I told them that I used to watch the same show when I was their age.
We look forward to walking from door to door. They like get acknowledged for their costumes and I love seeing their faces as they hold their "treasure" up as they tell me they got sourpatch kids, or a hershey bar, tootsie pop, etc."
For me and my husband it is enjoyable to spend that time with our children making memories. We don't live in any town so we do have to travel to a town to trick or treat every year. However, when we get to the town we park in a community lot or on a side street and we walk with our children. We take the time to look at decorations, admire others costumes, and even to oet the friendly dog that is also dressed up.
It is really disappointing to see so many people driving from house to house and watching 4-6 kids jump out, run to the house and then run back to the vehicle to be driven to the next house. Granted these days we could walk a full block and only two houses are passing out candy, but that is part of trick or treating.
It annoys me when I am walking with my children trying to enjoy the evening with my little ghost/gobblin/princess and I have to constantly be worried about the numerous vehicles on the road driving 10 ft, letting kids out and slowly drifting forward as they wait for the kids to hop back in. I think it is dangerous to the families that are out there putting the effort into the holiday and the tradition of trick or treat. I feel any one shuttling kids house from house should be fined for impeding traffic and it should be banned from neighborhoods while the trick or treating events are taking place.
Thanks for sharing George, I remember the same type of Halloween. But even sixty years ago we were told to stay away from dark houses, and go inside no homes unless we knew the family.
Interestingly there are still fun filled neighborhoods in Salisbury, perhaps Newtown is not one, but there are families and fun in Camden and Johnson's Lake. Everyone talks like the world is ending, but there is fun and and it can be safe fun, wherever neighbors come together for a common purpose and cause.
I remember those times very well George, and by the way Happy Birthday and Happy Halloween too.
I to grew up loving halloween and trick or treating. I remember even 10 years ago neighborhoods passing out candy tons of porch lights on waiting for the kids. however last night was Delmar's trick or treating and I took my 4 year old son and 56 other children around little acres (a delmar community) and they had people slaming doors in thier faces mumbling it was not halloween... some even turned the llights out as we walked up to the house.Trick or treating used to be a wonderful time but somewhere in the retail world it has lost its shine. My son has worked on his costume for 3 weeks hand making a trian costume he was very upset. what kind of poor attitudes are we showing our youth. how long befor halloween is totaly wiped out. People please give this night back to our children so they may enjoy it just as we all did at their ages...Also i ask each town to look in the paper to confirm the trick or treat times... only 3 houses have candy to our children out of over 30 houses...we had the same problem last year.I have also noticed berlin, and parts of salisbury were blacked out last year please turn the lights on and participate at least for the kids, were only talking about a few dollars and a max of 2-3 hours please dont be the grinch that stole halloween....
Where I gew up in PA we had a blast trick or treating and had to run home and empty our bags. The best houses were the ones who gave regulare size candy bars.
My children were blessed enough to grow up in Bivalve and we would have to drive them house to house (only a few) then head on over to the Westside Community Center for a fun filled evening.
I put together most of my childrens costumes and they won.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Mr. George!
And another happy birthday to you, George. Very enjoyable article today. EL
11:46 - maybe if we weren't so concerned about being politically correct and left trick or treating on Halloween more people would know when it was and participate. When I was a kid trick or treat was on October 31st, not 1 or 2 days before. You can't please everyone so instead of trying we should just leave well enough alone.
George, for the first time in my life I, too, will not open my door this year for the children. I am so sick of the truckloads of rude strangers coming into my neighborhood and ruining the night! Many of these kids are rude, grabby, choosy, and even the parents have candy bags they expect me to fill! I love Halloween and always looked forward to it, but not any more. It's really sad.
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