What has happened to Halloween?
No longer are parents buying two rolls of black bags and warning each child that “There will be wigs in the green, if you come back to me with that bag ripped before Coronation Street ends” (that could be just my childhood?!)
Oh no, now we are met with fairies who clearly have not used cardboard for their wings. As for the costume; there’s no way anyone could be that creative with a black bag or an old communion dress. These little kids actually look like fairies; which I have to admit, is adorable.
The costumes are awesome and expensive these days. I did try to ‘handmake’ costumes one year but even I had to admit; it was crap.
I buy costumes. There I said it.
I tend to buy during the summer and a few sizes too big, but the dictator has thrown this off along with his ever growing older brother J. This year I have to buy again, and I am buying late – “You lùdramán” I can hear my daddy already.
Oh where oh where has Halloween gone? (I am part of this problem, I know)
No longer are €1.99 masks ‘grand’.
No longer are there any masks, unless they are breathable, rubber and sweat free…what the hell ?! Us ‘80’s and ‘90’s kids knew how to sing, dance and laugh all while struggling to breath as the cheap plastic almost stuck to our faces, while we wished we had used the tweezers to rip those nostrils holes that bit bigger.
Singing?
When was the last time you opened your door to an ‘ol song and dance? We worked for our treats there was none of this ‘Trick or Treat’ lark and a bag shoved out as far as little arms can stretch…oh no, we were like the ‘Billy Barry kids’ –”Halloween is coming and the geese are getting fat…” If that didn’t get you more than an orange, you began another song and dance “Get up old woman and shake your feathers, do not think that we are beggars …”
Where are those songs gone?
When was the last time you gave them an orange? Or some nuts?
I am going to do that this year, oh yeah, they want treats, well, I want a song!
This year I am going ‘retro’ kind of…sort of…almost…
I am going to open the door dressed as a ‘princess’ (my wedding dress- my chance to wear it again!) and hand out fruit, nuts, and lastly sweets. I shall demand a song before giving them their ‘fix’. On a side note; I will also be giving a shot of wine to the parents to keep them warm and sane.(And no, whisky will not be handed out because as my daddy would say “I am not St. Vincent”.)
My boys will be dressed as the cast of ‘Super Mario’ as Ethan loves saying ‘Mario’ and J is a huge fan of the game …these costumes will not be handmade – but, but these kids will be singing, so if they call by your house, ask for a song!
The dictator already knows one song , Ethan is able to say ‘treat’ so he will be doing the ‘seconds’ (so to speak!) while J will no doubt be wishing he had a mask … (mammy loves ya J, you’re a good ‘sport’!)
I can’t bring back the black bags nor would I want to! I can’t and would never want to bring back those air stealing, excessive face sweating masks but I sure as sh*t can try and bring back the singing and the dancing!
Who’s with me? Let’s try to take back Halloween! (Within reason, there are many kiddies with special needs and sensory issues; worth bearing in mind )
Ps. If my daddy is reading this; gone are the days of taking the fuse from the fuse box and letting your kids come back to a dark house while you wait to scare the bejaysus out of them…. Gone are the days of the parent egging the kids on to call the ‘Candyman’ in the mirror …thanks for some great Halloweens dad & mam!
This was originally published on FamilyfriendlyHQ