There, I said it. I’m really not ok with Halloween. I just don’t like it. Scary things are not my jam. I’m more of a “happiness and rainbows” kinda girl. I hate having to go shopping anywhere and being greeted by creepy skeleton ghosts with red eyes and cobwebs all over. YUCK!
The “why I’m really not ok with Halloween” background story
On top of that, I grew up in a Christian home where “Halloween” = the devil’s holiday.” As a little girl growing up in mostly pentecostal churches in Puerto Rico, those churches encouraged people to have the lights off to make sure your neighbors knew you did NOT celebrate Halloween. We did not hand out candy or plan “trunk or treat” outreaches to the community. Oh (hell) no! lol! I can laugh about it now, but for the majority of my childhood and teen years, Halloween was skipped right over.
And, honestly, I was just fine fast-forwarding to Thanksgiving and Christmas!
But then, my hubby Adam and I got married and shortly after moved to California! The awesome church we went to (shout out to Pastor Tim & Michelle at The Ridge) DID celebrate “Trunk or Treat!”
What the heck is a “Trunk of Treat?”
In case you don’t know what that is (I didn’t), it’s basically a church parking lot party! People decorate the trunks of their cars (I mean, these people go ALL out!) Then, kids go from trunk to trunk to get their candy (instead of traditional house to house “trick or treating”). And there’s usually a TON of candy! People donate candy for weeks to the “Trunk or Treat” box at the church to get ready for all the fun!
Before you know it, flyers go out to the neighborhood homes and excitement builds!
Except that I had an internal struggle. Am I going to *shudder* celebrate *gasp* Halloween?
I looked around at our church friends as everyone planned and prepared for this Trunk or Treat. And everyone was super happy and excited! They were talking about their kids’ costumes. Some of the grown ups were dressing up, too! And I did a little soul searching.
But what was the point of all this?
If the point was to have fun and offer a place for the kids in our community to come have good, clean fun, why not?
If it was going to be a way to invite families to a church parking lot that they normally wouldn’t visit, it seems like a solid idea!
Trunk or Treat it is!
And the next thing you know, I was last minute “Halloween” shopping for my then toddler Christopher! We found a little Batman costume and I even found a cute pink wig!
My hubby Adam went all out, decorating our trunk kind of 80s style, with candy dishes made out of warped old albums, strobe lights and a disco ball (it looked really cool!)
And, a few years later, when my baby girl Ally was born, we LOVED putting together her costumes for the school’s storybook parade and our local YMCA’s trunk or treat, too!
But I’m still really not ok with Halloween
To be honest, I’m still not a fan of scary things. I still dread that “H” word. lol! But I can get past my dislike of it long enough to find the fun. I’m going to focus on Trunk or Treats and Fall Festivals! If there’s an opportunity to have fun with my neighbors, you know I’m gonna take it!
(Even last year, when one of our favorite neighbors put on a VERY scary haunted house garage … and we went over there anyway! LOL!) I did NOT go to the other scary house at the end of our neighborhood… that one was a little too spooky for me. Hahahaha!
My hope for you is that, even if you’re not a fan of the “H” word, you can still find ways to love on the people around you. Maybe you can even share some candy! (Just keep an eye out for kids with food allergies … safety first!)
The good news about Halloween?
We’re that much closer to the MOST wonderful time of the YEAR!!! And just like that, this 101 Days till Christmas Countdown continues!
Laughing thru life,
Coppelia
