Halloween full

Ken Johnson

The halloween season kicked off with a spooky lunar eclipse in the week and ended with little goblins and other trick or treaters filling their treat bags and getting the odd trick Sunday.
Some say halloween, like so many holidays has become to commercialized. But I can’t fully agree with that.
While the costume end of things, may have become more store bought than thirty years ago (when I was a kid), much of the holiday’s traditions have remained intact and in some cases are making a resurgence.
Last Friday I travelled to a friends place where we spent the evening carving seven pumpkins. All of us, from the 3 year old, his sister (11), her two friends, myself (37) and their Mom (29 and holding) gathered around the table, newspaper underneath, markers in hand. We drew the faces on the pumpkins and then cut the tops open. The gooie insides were thrown out, but the seeds were saved and later roasted. Every year since I can remember this has been the tradition in my family.
We then placed them on the steps and in the windows with a candle lit inside.

On Sunday, I was back in Rainy River where my Mom kept her 22+ year tradition alive. She has always had Halloween Spirit. Some call her crazy, but the family all knows she just has amazing spirit. Okay, it does help to be a little crazy to come up with these spooky tricks every year (sorry mom).
Every year she puts on a show that entertains some and frightens many. This year was no exception. While some swear they will never come back, they always remember the trick that Mrs. Johnston had for them. In fact some of the parents bringing their kids around this year remember her doing the same thing to them when they were kids.
Halloween is one of the last holidays that has not become fully commercialized. In fact if anything, the candy has gotten so small that soon it will disappear and all the fun will be dressing up and the tricks people play.
–Until then,
Ken