Tomorrow is Halloween night!
Although I don’t have kids myself I remember what it was like to go knocking at people’s doors dressed up in a costume which was either too big, too small, too colourful, too bleak, too daring, too dull, too something or another! I never managed to get the famous Goldilocks “just right” bowl, bed, bear kind of thing.
But that didn’t matter because for me Halloween was all about filling up MY BIG candy bag which was more like a vacuum cleaner so I could suck up all the candies that other kids left behind along the way. And of course I could sugar coat the story by saying I would share my treats with the others but that was just not the way kids behaved back then! You may say I was selfish… I think you are right! But that was the 80s – we didn’t share! I’m sure kids are very different now…
Fast forward from my childhood/teenage days to my well established adult days and the last Halloween party I attended was last year. I dressed up as BatWoman: black cape, black mask, black gloves, black leather pants, black high heel leather boots, and a touch of red here and there. By the looks of it I could have easily been going to another kind of party! What can I say? I like superheroes (especially the good looking ones with a cool cape), I like black, (it’s stylish, hip, and it hides well what it needs to hide) and I like to test out different personas. I could never dress up like a pumpkin for example, or a frog or even a princess (unless she is BA Princess even better if she is an MBA Princess – I’ll let you figure that one out).
So I was ready to conquer the neighbourhood that night: I had the look, the vibe, the superpowers! But to my great disappointment we didn’t go trick or treating …. I thought it was because I didn’t have Robin with me but I actually learned that it’s not proper for adults to pretend to be like kids and “steal their candy and their show”. Oh well, I thought to myself, no harm to put the superpowers to rest and enjoy the evening. We actually had a great time even without Robin: good food, bad jokes, horrific stories and a pretty bad night for humanity as we ended up playing the most politically incorrect game I’ve ever played, Cards Against Humanity. Perfect Halloween game!
Now I know what you’re thinking! BatWoman (me) and her amazing powers should have won this game but she (me) had really tough adversaries. I mean who can compete with Pluto, Yogi the Bear, Darth Vader, Richie Cunningham of Happy Days, Slash and a couple of BA Witches? So, as dramatic as it was, BatWoman (me) lost! No candies and no prize. Very humbling experience for a superhero BUT if you think about it, a superhero is supposed to save humanity not destroy it, so by losing the game, she (me) actually won…. Such a great example of reframing!!
Anyway, at the end of the evening (or night), we said goodbye and left the party with a promise we’d meet again in 2020. Promises, promises…. always watch out for those promises, they maybe broken without you even having anything to do with it.
So here we are in 2020. The world has turned upside down! We’ve plunged into a surreal new reality! Nothing is like it was before! Everything has changed! But, wait a second… has it really? I mean clearly a lot has changed and for sure we won’t have our traditional Halloween night party, meet in person, share food, drinks and candy (the comeback of the 80s….no sharing !) but it seems to me that Halloween is even more special this year than lever before. Especially for the kids and the families.
Here’s why:
- Festivities like Halloween have a reason for being and can be traced back all the way to the Celts. Celebrate that reason without forgetting its origin! To a great extent we are the result of our heritage. Read about it, research it and notice how it has travelled through time to reach us. (History.com)
- Yes Halloween is about gathering, getting together, collecting candies and playing tricks but it’s also about commemorating those who passed away in particular on All Saints Day which is on November 1st, the day after Allhalloween, (contraction of All Hallow’s Eve) or also known as All Saint’s Eve. As 2020 has seen a spike of deaths across the world due directly or indirectly to the virus, this is an opportunity to honour and celebrate those who are no longer here with us and to do it the way they would like to be celebrated and remembered.
- Superheroes are IN! Just when you thought you had enough of silly black capes, magic wands, and superheroes no human can truly match, this year we discovered real superheroes we can emulate, celebrate, admire! Frontline workers, essential workers, hospital workers! They are the ones that are making the difference and they are not only the ones working in hospitals and clinics; they are keeping the factories running, delivering goods (including food), providing essential services to all of us (not only to those in need).
- Dressing up is IN! It’s exactly during troubling times that we must DRESS UP to the occasion not DOWN! We’ve had enough of dressing down by staying in track suits, and pyjamas while working from home during the lockdown so now whether you are an adult or a kid, this is THE TIME to put on a far out costume. Not seeing your friends or relatives is not a good excuse for not doing it! See it as a way of exorcising whatever negative energy, thoughts, things, events you may want to dispel! Be creative in your costumes, find ways of being playful while honouring the festivity. There are some pretty amazing costumes out there and even if you only show them in the family you can always show case them with your friends on line, take pictures, have live parties (Zoom Zombie Parties!)
- Masks are IN! If ever there was a year to wear a mask it’s 2020! This will probably be called the YEAR OF THE MASK! Al Stewart should rewrite the lyrics of his famous song, the Year of the Cat. This is the time to show off your best mask! Make it colourful, unique, funny, scary, spooky, make it anyway you want but make it and wear it! No one will grin if you do, but everyone will if you don’t.
- Lastly, a full Blue Moon is IN ! That’s when 2 full moons fall in the same month. And it’s the first full Blue Moon in 76 years! (WBTV). Not sure what that means… but it’s a great excuse to create spooky stories, talk about werewolves, howl louder to your neighbours if they refuse to give you candy (even if it’s only virtual candy)! Just make sure you don’t scare the kids! You want to make it a nice memorable night not a nightmare on Elm Street night.
So there you have it! All of the reasons why I think it’s important to have fun and celebrate this festivity, the way that makes you and your family feel safe and joyful!
As for me, although I may not wear my BatWoman superhero costume this year, I will still have a superhero mask (the real human one), a magic protective cape and get on my Virtual Zoom BatMobile to visit friends and family across the world!
The TRICK? Easy. See the celebration as a TREAT!
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