10.29.2006

BOO!


Our town has a very big tradition -- the very big Halloween parade. It's probably safe to say that anyone that spent any of their childhood here has marched in that parade at least once. I know I marched several times. Once as laundry on a clothes line; it was my mother's (aka troop leader) way of keeping a gaggle of young girls in one place for a few miles. We all wore Dad's dress shirts and they attached us to a rope with clothes pins.

We've not taken the kids to a parade yet. Too much chaos. The folding chairs have been curbside for almost a week saving places for the big night. You can't near a curb unless you're ready to arrive with your coffee and a bagel Tuesday morning. The parade, mind you, is after sunset.

With this behemouth tradition comes a little unconventialism. We trick-or-treat the day before Halloween. Yes, my kids will be out mooching candy tomorrow afternoon. And tonight, tonight I sit with the front door open and the front lights blazing in an attempt to ward off mischief nights miscreants. I'd comment further on that but I don't want to jinx myself.

If I'm a little a head of myself here, perhaps now you'll understand why. Happy Halloween!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can fully understand the whole 'not taking children to parade' thing! It's not until you have children can you understand this! Hope your halloween goes well, a tradition not traditionally observed here in Australia...

Here via Michele today but I will be back...

... Paige said...

Because my folks are from the north I understand that Trick Or Treating goes on for a couple of days (or use to anyway)
Here in the south, one day out in the dark rain (cause there is a real cool front coming in) fighting off mosquitoes & sweating our makeup off or smothering in a mask is plenty of fun.
If only our kids would accept the bag of candy we buy to hand out as their own, it would be good with me to sit in my dark house in the air condition with the bugs.
Although we do like making little kids scream, cry & sometimes run away. Ah what fun. But tonight I will trick or treat with my kids, Yes that is correct I will join them in begging for candy & I plan on getting more then them!