60's Halloween Memories

Halloween

Perhaps the greatest day in a kid's life would have to be Halloween. It was so much fun to dress up in a cool, or scary costume. In school, the anticipation of it was wonderful; it was like a holiday that no adult ever recognized. Halloween was that one special evening that belonged to kids. Night, candy, scary things, ghosts and goblins, and neighborhood ritual all comprised this beloved event that came every October.

School always recognized Halloween as something special, and the teachers usually set us about the task of creating something special, or celebrating with some unique Halloween activity. One of my favorite memories was of the Halloween of 1962 when I created a really cool Halloween picture out of construction paper. There was a fence with a black cat on it, and a yellow moon.

I can recall one Halloween in 1962,when I went as a hobo. My Dad burnt a cork to use for my whiskers, and my Mom made me a "hobo bundle" to carry over my shoulder. Trouble was, I had to carry that bundle and my Halloween candy sack. For dinner we always had these festive treats like hot dogs with melted cheese or something special that just us boys liked. Food with yellow, orange and black colors was served on Halloween night. She even made this really cool orange cake that was made into a jack-o-lantern, and used Hershey bar squares to do the face with.

Then came the gearing up for going outside and heading off into the dark unknown. At first, the streets were filled with kids and parents tagging along. Doorbells were ringing in tandem, and treats were dispensed by neighborly hands. To this day, I can still hear the familiar voices that echoed such greetings as: "Oh my, what do we have here? A mummy? Oh my!" or "Who is this behind this ghost mask?" This was all part of the ritual. It was normal and to be expected. But, venturing out farther, where streets weren't as familiar, was what the real thrill of Halloween was all about.

I can still feel the cheap thin plastic of the masks that were sold at the local grocery store. Pirates, witches, ghosts, and skulls as well as plain old boy and girl masks, or superhero masks hung by their thin elastic bands from a shelf hook. I Remember how Mom would ask me "what do you want to be this year?" as a mask was to be included in the weekly shopping. Of course, wearing them was a different story; they were sweaty after a bit, stifling, and it felt hard to breathe. When you're a second grader, the masks hand down a bit, obscuring your vision. You struggle to peer out of the plastic eyeholes, straining your neck to look upwards.

And of course, my brothers, or my friends all had to dare me to go past the most dreaded house on the block. These "haunted houses" were always named after the residents who haunted them. In our neighborhood, it was the "Anderson house", just off the bumpy dirt road about 4 blocks away from the school. Halloween just wasn't the same without the horror, the terror, the demented curiosity of the neighborhood haunted house. Yes, those were the days, and I miss them every year come Halloween.