There will be no “boo” for me this year on Halloween. Well, let me clarify… for as long as I’ve been an adult, there has been no”boo” for me in Halloween. No “boo” because I don’t like Halloween AT ALL! Obviously “boo” here is a metaphor to mean, there is no favorable sentiment for Halloween with me. I don’t do Halloween decor at my house nor do I give out candy. I’m one of those neighbors that has their porch light off and most of the inside lights in the front of the house off for the evening of October 31st every year. Yep, I’m a Halloween Scrooge. Many have asked me “why” over the years.
Why no “Boo” for you Ingrid?
Well, I’ll tell you. Not that there is any, one, specific and concrete answer I can give, but here goes… I barely remember going trick or treating as a child. Part of that probably had to do with how I was raised. I was raised in a Christian household, but that’s not wholly it either. I can’t speak for my brother’s sentiments during that time, but I just remember not excitedly looking forward to going out in costume soliciting candy door-to-door. The candy I liked thought, and still do, but I don’t need a holiday to indulge my sugarholic appetite 🙂 I do remember a few times in my child year, not being able to go out on Halloween night because of some popular hate-motivated incidents during that time, with people putting razors in candy bars and other seriously demented sorts of things. We didn’t go out because it was unsafe. Remember, it was the late 60’s when people were still not too fond of people of color, so everyone was on guard… I pause, thinking… I’ll save that for another post. Back to my childhood Halloween memories… After being allowed back out to trick or treat, the goods received had to be so strategically inspected that you no longer had a desire for the barely recognizable sweets! Outside of the potential danger of it all, as I grew up, I just never really got into it. Halloween to me was simply a hurdle of holiday to get over, to get to the real holidays, Thanksgiving, the prelude to the big kahuna of holidays for me, CHRISTMAS, yay!!!
Bring on Christmas!
So yes, I am indeed a Halloween Scrooge. I don’t participate in the dressing up part of the holiday. And why should I? I’m not going trick or treating anymore. I’ve only been invited to one Halloween party in two decades. I can hear you thinking, “with sentiments like this it’s no wonder”, right? Haha! No, that’s not true 🙂 And the effort it takes to brainstorm a costume, put it together and then wear it all day at work? Like, for what?!?! Adults in costumes? seriously? Yeah, I am totally uninterested. If I had little kiddos I would probably indulge because it’s fun for them. And seeing the tiny tots dressed as cute animals and superheros is just so adorbs! Here’s me last year…
Halloween 2017
Those are Catwoman sunglasses on my head and were literally my only “costume” element last year. And I’ll be wearing them again today too. In fact, I’ve worn them for the last five years. It’s become a sort of joke now among friends, family and co-workers, when I say I’m dressed up as “me.” Ok, so I’m not a total Halloween Scrooge. I’m not walking around in a bad mood with a grimace, making the day miserable for everyone else that does participate in the holiday. I’m still my pleasant, silly, easy-going self, just waiting for the day to be over is all. Am I just way left of center? Does anybody else feel the same, or somewhat the same way I do? You’ll have to let me know in the comments so I know I’m not alone. (Que Michael Jackson’s “You are Not Alone” in my head.) I just never really got into dressing up as someone or something else on Halloween in celebration of the boo-tastic day. I don’t like pumpkins and I’ve never carved one. The spooky and ghoulish celebration of scaring people and being scared never sat well with me. It’s a holiday that doesn’t make me feel good, happy or enthusiastic in any way, shape or form. As a bonafide movieholic, I don’t even care for horror films. I saw “Carrie” when I was 15 and I needed serious comfort and consoling for the rest of the night!
“Carrie”, 1976, starring Sissy Spacek
It freaked me out for years. I just don’t like anything about the Halloween holiday. In fact, it is my absolute least favorite holiday. If it wound up somehow banned forever I wouldn’t protest it at all, I’d probably celebrate. On this day every year, what do I do instead? I prepare for the two holidays after Halloween! Yay! I usually begin my Christmas celebration on November 1st. You can read about my love for Christmas and my Christmas traditions here. No, I don’t skip Thanksgiving, it’s just that I want to make the Christmas season longer. Up until this year, I haven’t put up Fall decor, or Thanksgiving decor. But this year I’ve decided to change my dining room tablescape in honor of the holiday. I have no idea why, except for the sheer joy of decorating something, especially since I’m not hosting a dinner at my house. I’ll blame it on all the Pinterest and Instagram decor pictures I can’t seem to get enough of. So there you have it. There will be no “boo” for me this year. I’ll spend Halloween working on my dining room table and decor planning for this year’s Christmas season. Now that makes me feel good and puts a big smile on my face :)xo
Thank you for letting me post on it Ingrid. From the time since I first became aware of you & your work through some of our mutual friends, you have been an inspiration for you break down stereotypes in so many ways that one cannot help but be hopeful of the future in spite of all that is going on.
In one fell swoop by way of your life & life example you have demolished all negativity associated with race, beauty, gender, spirituality, and celibacy and in so doing lifted the weight of the useless burden that can best be describe as the need to conform; to dance to another person’s tune rather than your own.
That is a very special gift to have; let alone share, and as such many lives will be greatly improved through what you have done and what you are doing and that is something definitely worth celebrating.
Eric Smith
Thank you so much Eric, for your sentiments. If what I do lifts someone’s spirit or inspires someone to live their life unashamedly for good, then I am so happy! We are blessed to be a blessing. Again, thank you so much for your support. God bless 🙂
Ingrid
Halloween was okay I guess when I was very, very young back in the late 60’s & early 70’s but I didn’t do the store bought costume thing for too long, finding those plastic masks to be particularly uncomfortable. I also felt kind of ridiculous wearing a costume at all; preferring to be one of the many characters I created rather than those I saw on TV or in the comics.
I do know I lost all use for Halloween after the pristine white front door of the house we had moved in in early October of 1978 was thoroughly egged up because my parents refused to hand out candy that year. I was a pre teen & can still remember the sound of those eggs smashing into the door. We never could completely wash away the stains from those egg yolks and my parents refused to paint the door for over a decade for fear that doing so would just invite another attack.
I have wondered why Conservative white folks have been so into it to be honest because it really is little more than a form of begging if you get right down to it; you know asking for something for nothing but they of course don’t see it that way because they are the beneficiaries of that generosity.
I do see it as sort of a pagan holiday of sorts; a refugee from pilgrim times when people generally believed that witches, ghouls & goblins really did exist. I actually believe all of these things exist myself only I call them Republicans but that’s another story.
However I believe that folks who are into Halloween should be allowed to enjoy & partake in this ritual to their heart’s content just so long as they don’t bother me with it. However, if they do wish to go the egg route, my wife & I keep the outdoor water hose ready & in plain sight just in case.
Hello Eric, and thank you so much for checking out the blog post and for sharing your thoughts. I’m so very sorry you and your family had to endure ignorance of unjustified entitlement. I believe everyone should be left alone to celebrate holidays in the manner that is most comfortable and preferable to them. I also believe that it is better to maintain the high road when confronted with such foolishness. As our former FLOTUS so infamously stated at the 2016 DNC, “When they go low, we go high.” It may not feel as good in the moment as retaliation, but I do believe it is better for the soul and the spirit in the long run. Thanks for stopping by my little spot on the web!
Ingrid
You are so funny, I love you😂. I have children so All holidays are big at our home, however, if I did not have children I would Not celebrate it unless I was invited to a party that I really wanted to attend and they INSISTED on wearing a costume. Even then I wear my clothes I just make my face up differently, I would not wear an actual costume!
Yoshica, oh thank God, I’m not alone! Haha!!! I knew if I had kids I’d have no choice but to participate. It’s great to hear I’m not too far left of center. Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts. I love you too! :-)xo