When I was a kid in Colorado, it was often so cold we had to wear parkas over our Halloween costumes. Kind of took the buzz off of being a ballerina if you know what I mean.
And still, it was one of my favorite holidays.
Roasted pumpkin seeds, carameled apples and the neighbors with the extra-spooky foyer.
These days I love it all over again.
My kids went truckin’ off to school with their costumes this morning (Betsy Ross and Harry Otter) and they’ll cap off the day with an all-school Monster Mash.
In Small One’s classroom there’s an altar to their loved ones who have passed, with photos and pan dulce and the vivid sugar skulls they decorated yesterday.
And this weekend the clock falls back and — hallelujah — it is chilly in Texas.
In honor of this brisk and soulful season, a poem by Louise Gluck.
Happy Dia de los Muertos, mi amigos…
All Hallows
(Read the rest right here…)
That last line gave me the chills! Love the painted skulls. *reaches for a blanket*
Me, too. I was so surprised when I got there!
In Wisconsin, we’d have extra-large costumes, so we could wear them OVER our snowsuits.
–Jennie from Biblio File
We ended up moving to Wisconsin but I was past trick-or-treating age. Drat.
Tanita Says 🙂
What I miss this time of year is the biiiig altar for Dia de los Muertos we had in the middle of the administration “parlor” at grad school. It was gorgeous, and I know there’s one up now. There’s nothing like that in the UK, but they have taken some of the holiday tradition and gone with big splashy costume parties tonight. But people don’t trick-or-treat here; it was kind of a surprise our first year. We had candy and no takers.
The American kids across the way have put a jack-o-lantern on their third story windowsill in defiance of custom.
…and the toothed moon rises…
Re: Tanita Says 🙂
Oh, I hope those little rebels go trick-or-treating. You might want to lay in a few chocolate bars just in case!
Love the poem (and the skulls :). The mood reminds me of this cool Halloween book called MASKS that I found at a library sale. Scary beautiful photos of kids donning homemade masks in a dark autumnal landscape.
I’ll look for that!
I always felt like a flasher on Halloween. Between the boots and winter coats, it was never much fun. Add to that the fact that there were only 7 houses in the farmland where I grew up, and well, you can imagine what the night was like. It is not one of my favorite holidays, but William has given me a new appreciation for it. And I do get to have fun being crafty at least once a year!
So Tricia — What’s he going as?
Bald Eagle! There are feathers all over my house. I’ve made a kicking hat covered in white, a mask with a beak, and covered a black shirt with feathers. I’m hoping it looks awesome. We’ll see. I promise I’ll post a picture!
Oh… I have a memory of climbing about 100 steps up to this house built into the mountain side. They never imagined trick-or-treaters would climb up so they had no candy and we left with a bar of baking chocolate in our bags!!
The last line of that poem says something different to me every time I read it!
I, too, had a Colorado childhood with coats over costumes. My favorite trick-or-treating memory, though, is going to the elderly lady two houses down every year all the way through high school, whether I was in costume or not. It was our special joke that I would always be the little neighbor girl no matter how old I was. (Gretchen Zogg. Rest in peace, dear friend, and know I’m thinking about you again this Halloween!)
Oh, that’s lovely, Mary Lee. Gretchen Zogg…. rest in peace indeed….
The are the cutest skulls I’ve ever seen! And what a wonderful poem, chilling . . . haunting.
“cutest skulls” — isn’t that funny and not a phrase you ever thought you’d utter?
Liz and Mary Ann, two of my most favorite bloggers both had Colorado childhoods?? No wonder I like you both so much. Shaped in the shadows of the Rockies, of course I resonate with your words and humor and visions.
There is nothing like the Rockies, is there?
Harry Otter–tee hee. I have to tell Lucas that one.
I might have to send you a photo, Adrienne. You have never seen anything so cute.
Here in Minnesota, my daughters pretty much ignore the cold and freeze their butts off on Halloween:>) Fashion over frostbite.
This poem is beautiful and creepy. Thanks for sharing it. Must get more Gluck. I’ve read several individual poems of hers, but never a collection.