My daughter's birthday at the end of this month heralds the season of crinkling wrapping paper that doesn't end until the first blissfully silent fall of snow in January. One birthday seems to follow another after a holiday until all of this comes to a halt on Christmas and the following week of, "I can't believe I forgot to...."
By the time it's over, I remember why I so much love Halloween:
1. Everybody is included in a party
2. I which the pure spirit of play permeates everything.
3. Costumes reflect the wildest dreams of the children wearing them,
4. As they receive the wonderful gift of every kind of candy
5. And people invite them into their bright and warm homes
6. So they can pick their favorite treats.
7. Kids are at the center of everything,
8. And their pleasure in receiving bits of candy
9. Reminds us it doesn't take much to be happy, to feel good.
10. Everyone laughs.
11. Halloween is a feast of the imagination,
12. So there is no reason or need to opt out of the fun.
Best of all,
13. Being outside with everyone else in the world under the stars and in the dark reminds us the spirit of the world is vast, mysterious, and wonderful--and nobody is left out.
Thursday Thirteen
42 Comments
Hi Sandy, this is sooooo nice a post. It sounds 'orignal' too!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realized you were teaching, it must be a lot for you to do family, work, and still all the blogging you do. I am amazed!
Thank you for peeking in at Amber (cat) and for your nice comment.
Happy WW!.
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I like your pumpkin picture, it almost puts me in the Haloween mood. :-)
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Beautiful shot on that pumpkin. Love the texture.
ReplyDeleteYay Halloween!
ReplyDeleteFor me the best part of it is being able to wear my favourite fringy-black dress without looking like a fool.
I come from a family full of November birthdays; your daughter's lucky to be born this time of year. I love, LOVE autumn, and I love your Thirteen!
What a fun post!
ReplyDeleteNice post. I don't have any kids, though, so I tend not to notice. I usually have a bag of candy on hand in case anyone rings the bell but no one ever does.
ReplyDeletehalloween is a fun holiday. Very good looking pumpkin
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween too! It's just a fabulous time of year - and the parties are the very best!
ReplyDeleteHappy TT!
(oh hey, I'm denver cereal too!)
I love the smell of bon fires and roasting marshmellows and hot chocolate :) Hay rides are cool but seldom happen any more :( and of course the candy LOL
ReplyDeleteI pretty well covered how I feel about fall and halloween in Lin's last post... But, I agree with you. I think it's a time to celebrate, and we do.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too big into the scary stuff, so my family and I coose to ignore it, let our imaginations soar, take another bite out of a snickers bar and build another memory.
We live where the children don't come to our house, it's too far out of the way... so Wayne and I are putting on our costumes and delivering a treat to the lil guys in our vacinity. I can't wait!
well this year will be interesting as I just got diagnosed with diabetes type 2-non insulin. Sugar is out and its so much a part of every celebration or party. reward for this that and the other. i have a little two year old grandson who just got 6 baby teeth capped because they are decaying. he naps with a bottle of chocolate milk in his mouth. sugar leads to lots of things that aren't positive-obesity is one. so trying life without treats or non-sugar treats is going to be a challenge and no chocolate-hmm....
ReplyDeleteFor the first time ever, I'm not "doing" Halloween. It was always such a fun time when I was a child and my own children were at home. This year, I think I might actually go out that night and do something for me.
ReplyDeleteBut for a minute, just for a minute, your post made me reconsider :-)
Peace - D
Oh that reminds me of Halloweens past - both when I was a kid, and also as an adult, dressing up to answer the door as a cackling wicked witch. Sadly, no one goes "trick or treating" where I live now, on this semi-rural road. I think it's because of the lack of street lights and sidewalks, plus ditches and other hazards. Probably the wisest decision, but I miss the sights and sounds of the kiddies! Maybe on the 31st you could consume a Tootsie Roll in my name...lol!
ReplyDeleteI just love seeing all the little kids dressed up. Happy T13!
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween too...my birthday is 6 days after. I was actually supposed to be born on Halloween...lol.Happy TT. It seems the TT site is a little slow this week:)
ReplyDeleteWonderful pumpkin here! I enjoyed your list ... and find myself wondering now about how I lost the spirit of Halloween in the past few years and what I might do to recapture it. Thanks ;--)
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings,
I'm also celebrating my birthday at the end of the month, days before the halloween :)
ReplyDeleteGreat list!
Happy TT!
Sandy, your 13 points are splendid. I fully agree with the last one, too: we are all included in a Great Design and, even if we don't realize it, we are strictly connected one another.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful time, to be sure. Thoroughly enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteAnd your posts.
ooooooooh Yes Sandy ,
ReplyDeleteIts again soon Halloween, I do not celebrate that personally but in the north and South of Holland we see this ORANGE fruits too... Thanks for shwoing and reminding my memorie...
Watch my sailingtrip on the IJsel-Markermeer in Holland and some windmils +History& poem..
Greetings JoAnn's D Eyes Holland
www.joannwalraven.blogspot.com
I'm so looking forward to Halloween this year! We're on post, so there should be lots of trick-or-treaters, and our nieces will be coming to go trick-or-treating with our son. Last year was pretty low-key.
ReplyDeletePeople began to celebrate Halloween in France 10 years ago. It was exactely that 13-points-celebration you write about. I found it great and funny, my kids loved it. Shops were decorated.
ReplyDeleteThen around 5 years ago, there was less and less people outside celebrating it. I regret today it's over.Our family continue creating costumes, pumpkin, candy, but most of the time, it concerns only my children, their guests, and me.
I really loved that spirit, but we miss participants to share!
I dont celebrate Halloween, but love the wonder of a crisp fall night! Happy TT.
ReplyDeleteHalloween is my favourite holiday!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the dressing up. I like to dress unrecognizable and go to a party where no one knows who I really am. It's so liberating and mysterious.
ReplyDeleteYou know by now, I LOVE Halloween too. That is one perfect pumpkin you have there.
ReplyDeleteHave a super day today.
I only learned how to celebrate Halloween here on the Blogs ! It only starts here now (in Belgium)!
ReplyDeleteI love the Halloween season on through to Christmas too. :)
ReplyDeleteNumber 11 is my favorite reason. I love how you put it--a feast for the imagination. Happy TT!
ReplyDeleteHalloween is so much fun. I think I like the pumpkins the best. I've always loved pumpkins, have yet to grow one of a 'decent' size though. LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat list Sandy!!!
Hugs,G
www.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com
When my kids wee young, I loved it too because I usually made their costumes. I made whatever they wanted. One year, I made a tomato for daughter, a one way sign for oldest son and and a ghost with a peaked head for other son. Some asked if he was KKK and I said, heavens no!
ReplyDeleteLove the pumpkin and the shadow on top!
Your comments are always so kind and interesting, Sandy.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the flowers in my post are lavender.
Have a nice day!
I love this post! Because I love all the fun that Halloween evokes--the dress-up, the little scary moments, the laughter and joy in the children's anticipation, the playfulness, the spookiness. It's a wonderful holiday, and I don't get caught up in any of the negatives...just remember how much fun Halloween was for me as a child, and always encouraged that spirit in my child, and now my grandchild.
ReplyDeleteAmen, sistah!
ReplyDeleteI love it too. Something about the new chill in the air that makes me want to smear fake blood all over my face and chest and jump out a the unsuspecting candy hoppers!
LOVE IT!
I never wanna' grow up!
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh and I was comment number 33. My magical number!
ReplyDelete:)-
I like all that you listed, and also the first chilliness inside my nose, and the smell of folks starting their fireplaces for the season, and drivers who drive v.e.r.y slowly through neighborhoods with little goblins on the street, and parents escorting their ghosts to one safe house after another. Once I saw a recently returned soldier (from Iraq or Afghanistan or any of the others) taking his two daughters around, and he was in uniform! We couldn't do that after returning from Vietnam. Like it was our fault, not Lyndon Johnson's!
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween. Always have. In fact, I have a friend whose middle name is "Hallowes." (His mother's maiden name if you can credit it.)
ReplyDeleteI need to get to work on my costume, but I suppose that I could always be Miss Scarlet in the Library with the Rope again. :D
Beautiful picture! October is a nice month. It finally cools off. The kids start getting excited about the holidays. And of course fresh pumpkin pie! I can't wait until my pumpkins are ready.
ReplyDeleteFun List!
ReplyDeleteYay for Halloween. I'm very much looking forward to the festivities this year.
ReplyDeleteExactly!!
ReplyDeletenice TT. I too love to be outside on that evening handing out the treats. It's exactly like you write.
ReplyDeletewe don't really get halloween here in costa rica, but i definitely miss it, and my 4 year old never really felt yet!
ReplyDeleteMuchaCostaRica
Thanks for being here.