I remember the first time someone told me that Halloween was her favorite holiday. I must have stared at her slack-jawed because I’d never thought of Halloween as a holiday.
Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Independence Day – now those are holidays! Times when families gather, holiday-specific food is prepared, and a jolly old time is had by all, but Halloween? Isn’t that just a day for little children to dress up and ring doorbells for free candy?
If you’ve read my blog for long, you know that I have an aversion to sparkle skirts and wearing costumes for races – except for our annual Thanksgiving Day 5K. Once our extended family got a turkey costume, and then a pilgrim costume, I couldn’t resist getting a pilgrim costume for myself!
So why exactly do I have this aversion to Halloween? Why don’t I get it? Let’s see…
2. Halloween was extremely low key in my house growing up and that probably has a lot to do with my meh attitude today. I remember my mom helping me throw together a costume about ten minutes before heading out to trick-or-treat.
3. Candy is okay, but let’s face it, it just doesn’t measure up to homemade cookies. If the tradition were to go door-to-door ringing doorbells, and then being knocked down by the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting out the door, you’d be able to get my attention.
4. Why do parents take their children to 500 houses to trick-or-treat, and what do they do with all of that candy? I suppose if you’re in search of a Mounds Bar you might need to go to 500 houses before you find one. In that case, wouldn’t it be quicker to just stop by the grocery store to buy one? 😉
5. What’s with the haunted houses and pop-up skeletons coming out of coffins that scare the bejeebers out of little kids? I see these things in front yards that little three-year-olds have to walk past to trick-or-treat. I just don’t get it…
Please don’t get me wrong because I don’t want to be a curmudgeon about Halloween. I actually loved trick-or-treating as a kid, and indulged my sons with non-scary Halloween traditions when they were little. I even spent weeks making just the right homemade costumes if we couldn’t find what they wanted at the store. Today I welcome trick-or-treaters with a smiling face, fun conversation, and great candy selections.
Joseph the runner
Daniel the Power Ranger (I made his costume)
I still didn’t quite get it though, and surely didn’t think of it as a holiday…
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Today I’m joining the Friday Five linkup with DC area bloggers Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed Up for What?!, and Mar at Mar on the Run! Be sure to stop by their blogs and say hello! While you’re there, be sure to check out other bloggers who are participating in the linkup, too.
This week the DC Trifecta left the topic wide open with Free Friday, allowing us to write about what ever we chose…
- Questions:
- Do you “get” Halloween?
- What’s your favorite holiday?
- Are you racing this weekend?
I am with you!
I am only ‘in to it’ because of the kids. I actually despise it! My sister actually loves the day and get all dolled up and the kids LOVE it! I just put on a mask and call it a day.
Thank goodness you said it – I don’t get it either! Sure when I was little I’d get excited about dressing up and collecting candy but even as an adult attending parties and dressing up never interested me. I don’t consider it a “holiday” haha.
Mar @ Mar on the Run recently posted…Friday Five: Embracing the Taper
I have been know to decline Halloween parties because I didn’t want to dress up; however, I’ve had a blast at a few when I thought of something good to wear. I’m actually surprising myself by dressing up as a cat for a race this afternoon. I guess I didn’t want to be the only one of my friends not dressed up! 🙂
I never really thought of it. But you do have a point. Love your costumes you made for the little ones…..too cute! I am not big into halloween either. I’m going to a corn maze thenwatching scarey movies in the evening. I hope I don’t get interrupted with trick or treaters.
[email protected] recently posted…Have you heard of the 0.0?
You’ve reminded me that I do love doing fall things! I’ve never done a corn maze and need to fix that!
I love dressing up- so it’s a fun holiday for me. But you nailed it when you pointed out the flaw with point #3. Oh man, door to door cookies FTW.
Patty recently posted…My Favorite Halloween Costumes | Friday Five
Could you imagine? Door-to-door cookies… Yummm!
Obviously I have found my tribe because I’m with y’all! For me it probably stems back to being left totally alone in the house when I was very young one Halloween (long story).
But I do love candy & have really fond memories of my brother & I trading out the loot.
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…Four Truths & a Lie
Being left alone on Halloween night sounds scary for a little one…
I actually enjoy handing out candy to our trick-or-treaters and admiring their costumes. It just blows my mind how huge the day has become.
Yeah, I’m there with you. I haven’t purchased halloween candy and I will leave my porch light off this year. If anyone walks all the way down our driveway and rings our bell I will give them a Larabar. I periodically will race in costume (running, generally) but if i’m out for a PR or completing a tri I don’t have any time for that. Love the turkey trot costumes!
Kelli recently posted…Run-fessions after a running hiatus…
Surprisingly I won my age group in that pilgrim costume! I thought the apron would slow me down, but it didn’t at all. 🙂
I love Halloween – I like clever costumes and cool carved pumpkins, but mostly I like the community aspect of it – kids out and about in the neighborhood, people opening their doors, etc. And I do like people who go to the effort of decorating their houses.
Coco recently posted…Five Reasons To Cheer On Marathon Runners
It’s a perfect day for Halloween! I’m headed out to a 4 PM Ghost 5K and I’m actually dressing up as a cat. Gulp! 🙂
Hope you have a great evening with your neighbors!
I also don’t think of Halloween as a full=fledged holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. To me, it’s more like Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day. Fun, but if we don’t get off work for it then it’ll just have to fit into my schedule. It is more fun now that I have a kid to dress up, go trick or treating with, carve pumpkins, et all. But we end up throwing away a lot of the candy she gets because by mid-November – I’m over it!
Alison recently posted…Friday Confession
That’s a good comparison to Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Hope your little one has fun trick-or-treating!
I don’t get into Halloween.. I never had and I probably never will.. If we ever have kids, I’ll probably dress them in cute costumes their first couple of years as littles, but not much more than that.. I’m more a harvest kind of Gal!
Sarah recently posted…My Solutions for Common Runner Gut Issues
Same here – I have my porch decorated for fall, not Halloween. When I buy pumpkins I don’t carve them because I want them to last until Thanksgiving.
those pictures are precious. i can take or leave halloween, honestly 🙂
Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC recently posted…Five Things To Love about the Marine Corps Marathon
Thanks! Can’t believe those two little ones are 28 and 25 now! 🙂
My daughter loves playing dress up, so that side of Halloween is right up here alley. We did the Halloween Party at Disney World and she loved the trick or treating there, more just getting the candy than even really eating it. Sure she loves a piece or two but not that much. She is not at all for the creepy, jump scare side of things. I enjoy more of the other general fall activities. The pumpkin carving is fun.
John @ run. geek. run(disney) recently posted…Why to Apply to be a BibRave Pro | #FridayFive
Yes, Halloween is such a fun time for little ones who love to dress up. Hope your little girl has a fun night trick-or-treating!
I never really liked Halloween growing up. Too much anxiety and anticipation leading up to it. The weather was too cold to wear what I *really* wanted to wear — and then I was too nervous to actually go to strangers’ doors. As a teenager and now as an adult, I love handing out candy!!!
sarah recently posted…Friday Five: Streaming Best-Of (add these right now!)
I remember throwing a fit because I had to wear a coat over my cowgirl costume one year! HaHaHa!!! Have fun handing out candy tonight!
The kids love it and that’s good enough for me. The one thing I don’t like is all the gore and creepy stuff. That’s what I don’t get.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Runfessions: Hold on to that feelin’
Yeah, I had lots of fun with my sons and seeing their excitement about trick-or-treating. Bill and I have a lot of fun handing out candy to our little trick-or-treaters these days.
I always enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and trick or treating with the kids. But I agree with you about calling it a holiday. It’s not. I work when it falls on a weekday. Doesn’t every one else? You are very talented at making costumes.
HoHo Runs recently posted…Five Runfessions (October)
Thanks – I’m a very talented seamstress who hates to sew these days. Hopefully I’ll regain interest when I have grandchildren to make little outfits and costumes for!
Have fun handing out candy to your trick-or-treaters this evening!
[…] store as soon as it opened to purchase cat ears and a tail. I had decided that despite my Halloween whining on Friday, that I would dress up for the 4 PM Ghost, Goblins & Ghouls 5K, and have fun! […]