Hallowed Halloween

I just realized this year for the first time in my adult life that Halloween is a big deal to me. I think it's because my own mom made it special for my brother and me when we were small.

Every year, we raised and sold pumpkins, crafted homemade costumes and always attended the annual Halloween carnival at school. We fully embraced and celebrated the flavors of the season.

This weekend, while I battled through the fray of costume prep and getting the house ready for partying, I realized I had tackled all of this because Halloween isn't just about giving the kiddos some fun for one night. I have to celebrate, too.

I have to delight in one night of pretending to be something or someone else entirely after donning a goofy costume.

 

 

I need to lay my eyes upon slimy pumpkin guts.

 

 

Opening our home to friends for some good fun was a great idea, too.

And since I'm raising my children in the city, I've learned the joys of getting out and meeting our neighbors with some good old fashioned treat-hunting.



There's nothing spooky about such sweetness.



Oh, we DID Halloween this year. We slathered it with cream cheese frosting, lit it up from the inside with votive candles, dressed it in sequins and tulle, ladled green chile stew and spiced cider over it, clasped glow-in-the-dark jewelry on it and took it trick-or-treating by moonlight.

And we'll probably do it all again next year, mostly because I had the time of my life doing it all this year.