Newspaper articles - Halloween

As most of you know, I have been writing columns for the Daily Independent (the newspaper here in Ridgecrest) once a week. I will start posting my articles here on my blog to add to our family journaling. Here is the article I wrote for this week on Halloween:

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. I don't like scary things. I've only been on a roller coaster a couple of times, and I don't plan on going again. So, a holiday that is filled with goblins and creepy things isn't my choice of a good time. Now that I have kids, though, it is much more fun. I enjoy putting together their costumes and helping them plan what they want to wear.
I grew up in Idaho where there was practically a guarantee of snow on the night of Halloween. We always had to wear a snowsuit underneath our costumes, and there is no fairy or cheerleader costume that looks good over bulky jackets and insulated pants. Only the Hulk costume looks good with layers underneath, and that's certainly not an option for a girl. I remember one Halloween specifically where my mom worked really hard to make a beautiful white fairy costume. It was great. It had layers of white fabric that wrapped around. However, when I put it on over my layers of warm clothes, I just ended up looking like the Michelin Man.
My husband had the same experience in Colorado. He was Superman one year, and his mom made him wear a coat. He kept trying to explain to his parents that Superman would never wear a coat – Superman is after all . . . well . . . Superman. His parents finally made him a deal that he would wear his coat but he could take it off at each door when he rang the doorbell. Living in this desert town certainly has it's advantages on Halloween night when scarves are not a necessity.
I lived in a rural town growing up and with our large family it took so much time to pile out of our van and to the front door, knock, each get a piece of candy, pile back into the van and buckle up for the drive to the next house. We never got much candy (which I'm sure my parents didn't mind), but for us kids, it was depressing. My friends would brag about having a pillowcase full of candy from going to one of the towns and walking door-to-door, and I would have a measly 6 pieces of candy. I wanted a great way for my kids to go trick-or-treating, but only at houses where we knew people, and to be done before bedtime.
Now we go trunk-or-treating in our church parking lot. I think it's a fabulous idea. If you've never been to one before and you have young children, I highly recommend them. Everybody backs their cars up and opens up the trunks (or the back of the mini-van, in most cases). Some people decorate them and the kids walk from car to car gathering treats. There are also oftentimes games and activities. I feel much safer doing that, and usually we are home by seven.
So, the next dilemma is the Halloween candy. Each parent has a different game plan for managing the sweets. Some parents let their kids eat all the candy that night to get the sugar rush and crash over with quickly. However, it tends to leave a hangover-like effect, except that the parents are the ones that end up with the headache. Some parents let their kids have one or two pieces a day to spread it out over a couple of weeks. One set of lucky parents I know has convinced their kids to trade in all the Halloween candy for a big family trip or activity.
My absolute favorite idea is to donate all the candy to a program called Operation Gratitude. It sends the candy to the troops in Afghanistan. The servicemen and women give it to the children where they are serving. I think it is such a great way to avoid the sugar rushes and crashes for our children, plus it is a great way to teach them service and to honor the troops serving our country.
Maybe I can learn to like Halloween after all.
(For more information on Operation Gratitude go to www.opgratitude.com.)