Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, is a time of both celebration and superstition. For children (and some adults too), it is a time to dress up in costume and canvas the neighborhood, knocking on doors and soliciting candy.
For a child, it is one of the greatest traditions, next to Christmas. What child doesn’t like candy? And free candy? Well that is a no-brainer.
Trick-or-treating has also evolved over the years. As a child of the late-1970s, early 1980s, I can still recall the “candy tampering” incidents, which were widely reported in the media during that time. Reports of children getting razor blades, needles or drugs in their candy were rampant during this time, sending parents into a tizzy.
I remember coming home from gathering candy and having to wait patiently as my mother meticulously went through the bounty before we had a chance to eat any of it. I now get to do that for my children and it’s always fun to see their excitement and anticipation as they anxiously await the green light to dig in.
While I cannot recall any instances of candy tampering in Maine, it’s better to be safe than sorry. No longer do we allow homemade treats to be eaten, unless we know the home from which they came. For those who have hesitations about their children going door-to-door in their quest for candy, check out the “Trunk or Treat” event at the Houlton Wesleyan Church, starting at 6 p.m. Halloween on Kelleran Street. Children in grade 6 and younger are eligible to participate, but must come in a “non-scary” type costume.
The event typically draws more than 500 children (and another 400 adults) each year and features a brief program followed by a multitude of carnival-type games inside the church. The loot for candy continues outside as cars park in a semi-circle and owners hand out candy from the back of their automobiles.
Many decorate their vehicles in Halloween fanfare, with lights and music. Each vehicle has an individual that has registered for the event to ensure safety. Parents need to pre-register their children to get a proper head count. For more information, visit www.houltonwesleyan.org.
Selecting just the right costume was another highlight growing up. Costumes have changed dramatically since I was a child. Back then, we purchased a vinyl costume that went over your regular clothes and came with a large plastic mask. Today’s costumes are really more like full articles of clothing, complete with built-in padded muscles and capes.
“Spider-Man” and “Darth Vader” costumes were always my favorite and it’s neat to see those are still popular today — albeit on a much fancier level. Long gone are the days of new vinyl costumes that smell like a swimming pool liner and plastic masks that cover the face, but wind up getting all wet from perspiration and condensation.
Since I was fairly tall for my age, trick-or-treating came to an end a lot sooner for me than it did for others. I’d routinely hear, “My aren’t you a big one?” and nobody believed me when I said I was 10. I remember telling my mother one year that I wanted to take my birth certificate with me so I could show it to people.
Later on, I substituted trick-or-treating with dressing up as a scarecrow, complete with leaves coming out my shirt and pants for effect. My best friend Jeff and I would sit in front of our houses for hours, not moving, as people walked by. Some looked inquisitively, wondering if we were real. For some, we’d never move. For others, we’d twitch ever so slightly. And for others still we would spring to life to see their eyes get wide as they let out yelps. Of course, we never did it to the small children, just the bigger ones or the adults.
For those seeking a more frightful event, the Linneus Haunted Hayride will hold its final two nights of shows on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-25. I am always amazed at the quality of special effects they put into the event. It may be a bit too much for younger children, but if you’re looking for a good scare, you won’t be disappointed. Rides begin at 6 p.m. and go to a good cause, financing the town’s recreation programs.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281.
