Why Halloween is So Special

I LOVE Halloween. It is my very favorite celebration/holiday/event. When I was a kid I loved it for the candy and the costumes, of course. But there's more to it than that.

Halloween, at least the way I celebrated it in my youth, is the original community building event. It's like an annual block party. Everyone in your local neighborhood, unless they are a big old meanie, participates. Either you turn your lights on and hand out treats to the visiting neighbor kids, or you are a kid or parent walking around visiting those neighbors asking for treats. It really isn't about the treats. It's about seeing your neighbors and sharing a little excitement with them. For at least one night a year, you pay attention to all the other people you're living with in a neighborhood, providing a safe place to walk around in the evening, and exchanging friendly greetings and a few "boo!s". Kids get to dress up and have fun running around, and they learn that there is a polite way to ask for favors.

Think about it - what other nationally recognized and sanctioned holiday has something to do your with local community? Many of them are religious holdidays - Christmas, for example, while mostly co-opted by retailers these days, is a Christian holiday and is usually celebrated with family. Thanksgiving is also usually a family event. Labor day and Memorial Day might inspire picnics with friends and family. Independence Day might mean a local community celebration if you live in a very small town, but more than likely any community parade or Fireworks offering involves traveling past your own street to participate at a larger level.

Halloween is about your own block, and maybe the one next door. At least, it used to be.

Now you take your kids to the mall or the offices at work or your church or library to trick-or-treat. Older kids go to  townhome communities nearby or not-so-nearby that are known for having lots of candy with very little walking. Fire stations offer to x-ray the candy for your kids to make sure someone you don't trust hasn't tampered with it. You have adult-only costume parties at the clubs or a friend's house. You go to a hay ride or Halloween parade at a park. All fun, all safe, all worthy activities. But, they are no longer centered in your home neighborhood. They no longer allow you some contact with the people across the street or around the corner that you otherwise don't run into all that often. It's no longer about forming some neighborly bonds, building considerate relationships with the ones you share a street with. It's a damn shame, too.

I miss the Halloween of my youth and I think the fact that it is disappearing represents a terrible loss of community.