I’ve been thinking recently of how Halloween night was when I was young. There were five of us back then—my sister and I, and three cousins, all close to the same age. My sister was the oldest. She was in charge of keeping the rest of us safe and together as we visited house after house in the neighborhood.
We would ring the doorbells, open our bags, and smile when little candy bars were dropped into those colorful bags. And, the older kids would trick or treat for donations to UNICEF. We five were given a number, and after each house, we had to count down so my sister would be sure we were all safe and together.
No one worried about what harm may come to anyone. No one had to worry about what might be hidden in the candy. Little wax pumpkins were sold with the intention that they would be used on windows. The neighbors all expected a little bit of harmless mischief on that night. It was fun. It was innocent. When I was too old to trick or treat myself, I had even more fun by taking my little brother out on this special, fun-filled night of ghosts and goblins.
Samhain
by: Joanne Matthew