Happy Halloween!

Halloween. 

On my list of favorite holidays, it’s second only to Christmas. There’s something in the air on “All Hallow’s Eve” that just isn’t there any other night of the year. Maybe it’s because, on this one night, the boundaries between the living and the dead fall and spirits fly amongst us, as the ancient Gaels once believed. Or maybe it’s just nostalgia, the kid inside bubbling with excitement over the thoughts of ghouls, ghosts and goblins come to life. Maybe it’s just the promise of free candy!

What matters is that Halloween is special. It’s a day to forget about all the serious stuff and let our imaginations run free. It’s not about moving merchandise or giving the candy companies a windfall, as the jaded amongst us might suggest. Well, maybe that’s what the corporations get out of it, but to me, Halloween is about showing that as dour and serious as our world can be, there is still a sense of mischievousness and whimsy left in the human race. There’s still an appetite to take off our business hats and replace them with zombie masks and vampire fangs, all in the name of fun.

It’s us saying, “I know this isn’t what life is really like, but let’s pretend for a night”. Let’s set our kids loose in the neighbourhood to have some wholesome fun. Let’s trust in the kindness of strangers once more. Let’s forget about the diets and gorge ourselves on candy.

Let’s have fun! I want to see a world at peace, of course, but I’m just as eager to see a world united in its desire to have fun.

As a kid out hunting for candy, nothing vexed me more than the sight of a darkened house on Halloween, complete with cars in the driveway. It’s still unacceptable! I’m not saying that grown men and women should go out trick or treating tomorrow night. That activity is definitely for children only. But definitely take your kids out to do it. Open your doors wide and give out as much candy as you can find. Go to a costume party, if you haven’t already, or turn off the lights and watch your favorite scary movie. Get into the spirit of things.

Holidays only come once a year. It’s part of what makes them special, of course, but it also makes them fleeting. So tomorrow night, grab some candy, paint on a scary face and hit the streets!