October is finally here. Yay!
And, you’ll soon start seeing everyone setting up their houses. Yet, in some neighborhoods, you’ll start to see “booing” as well.
I first encountered “booing” as a Christmas thing. Doorbell rings, no one there, a little plate of treats and a poem that amounts to a chain letter attached, telling you YOU now need to go treat someone else and hang a picture on your door so you don’t get it a second time.
Eventually, it translated to Halloween as well.
If there is one thing I loath about the season, it is this practice.
Don’t get me wrong, I PERFECTLY UNDERSTAND there’s a good intention behind the thing. And, I even can understand some people who lack the time, the ability, or the desire to build their own decorations may want a little something to help them feel the ‘spirit’ of the holiday.
However, here we are. My wife works. I work. We work opposing shifts so the kids are at daycare a minimized amount of time. If you are here, you can see I am putting a tremendous amount of effort into the holiday as it is. WE ARE BUSY.
We don’t really have the time to make a treat to go “booing” people. It’s just another little chore in an already crowded schedule.
So, for those wanting something to get them in the spirit of Halloween, why don’t you try Trick or Treating?
I’m sure you’ve heard the “evil” origins of the Halloween holiday. “Wicked” Druids building bonfires in the dark on Samhain and dressing in animal furs and skulls. You might even be able to gather how close that description can describe my yard…
However, did you know about where trick or treating comes from?
In the weeks leading up to Samhain, the children in the town would go to each house, and ask for wood for these bonfires. Now, some houses had wood to give. Some did not have enough wood for the coming winter, and could not. In these cases, those children would help chop the wood of those in need, and ensure they were set for the winter.
You want to help feel in the spirit? Don’t go “Booing” me. Instead, go out into the world Trick or Treating. Go out and find someone to help. Treat them to a meal, clean their yard, or whatever help they’re in need of.
My boys and I have gone Trick or Treating each year, collecting wood for the scarecrows. Neighbors and strangers who had felled trees that needed clearing from their yard have become our Scarecrows each year. Join with us in a much more rewarding tradition than ‘booing’ people, and help spread the real spirit and tradition of Halloween.