Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

Why Do People Like Halloween So Much?

A ninja, Snow White, and Undertale Sans went to a Halloween parade. They met up with Mario and grim reaper, and were escorted by glowing hair woman, tall creepy guy, and a Handmaid.

Why do people like Halloween so much?

Why Do People Like Halloween So Much?

People like Halloween because they dress up, follow firetrucks and a gigantic pumpkin balloon in a parade.

They delight in an oversized dinosaur dancing in the street.

People like Halloween because you run into friends and neighbors, and you may not recognize them in a sea of people walking behind firetrucks in a parade.

Your people, and all people, become community, because our collective kids believe in Halloween. The kids inside of us believe in costumes, dressing up, and in the magic of being somebody else for a little while.

We like Halloween because we become somebody magical, or powerful, or scary, or beautiful, in a way we don’t feel like we can be during work, or school, or at the grocery store.

***

Halloweens of years past flip through my mind.

There was the year I carried my newborn around the neighborhood in a dinosaur costume, sure that there’d never been a cuter trick-or-treater.

The year he was a cowboy.

The two Halloweens in a row when he was a fireman.

Tucker’s Halloween Costumes, age one through four.

There was the first year I’d worried about him not saying “trick-or-treat,” and then a second year of that, and a third.

The year Robert and I dressed up with him, as the failed Supers. Robert more daring than I with a fake belly on top of his own.

What. We

What. We’re so totally cool. We’re the Supers, afterall. And super parents wear robes, messy hair, ketchup stains and sometimes, a fake belly.

But oh, the costumes, friends. The costumes.

There was last year, when a man called Tucker over to show his costume to his young son.

The young boy crying, afraid, and Tucker ripping his mask off to say “I’m so sorry, little guy! It’s just a mask,” and the father handing Tucker a few bucks to say thank you.

why do people like halloween

Us, trying to refuse it and accepting it because it felt weird to not accept it, after he insisted.

My niece, crying about why a dad wanted to scare his son. Us, trying to explain but also having zero words to explain because what’s funny in that, when you’re the kid?

***

The parade last night, and a teenage boy telling my son that his Undertale Sans costume was the coolest he’d ever seen.

Tucker, glowing and swelling with those words. Words that gave him the courage to approach Link, from Legends of Zelda, to tell her that her costume was cool.

The beaming as she yelled down the street, “Sans!” “Thank you, Sans.”

Tucker, saying he’s stupid because he mistook another grim reaper for his friend. Trying to not cry, and then forgetting tears when somebody else recognized his costume, and then mine, and took a photo.

“It’s like we’re celebrities,” he said.

I hugged him, and realized that this is the Halloween I realize everything’s changed, although not that much has changed, day-to-day.

As the calendar chuckles, I remember drawing a silly Halloween report card.

I remember before I became a mom meeting two people whose names I never learned. I’ve always wondered whether they met. Maybe, they became a family.

The “girl next door” seemed like she’d like “one night stand.”

I hope they met.

The Halloween I realize that I’ll never worry about being a Wonder Woman Skank, because those worries have been traded for something that feels deeper somehow, or maybe, just more “age appropriate.”

Not that any society who uses Handmaids would cast me as anything other than an Aunt… but still, it felt good, having people ask for a photo, and seeing two other women dressed as them.

handmaids halloween

No I don’t know these women, but they’re obviously awesome.

I’ll remember this Halloween, when I remember past ones as I decorate our home, and delight in a not-so-little little boy’s getting Boo’d with treats at the door.

This Halloween, I remember that eight-years-old is still young, but old enough for the calendar to remind me that if I add the short time of my life as a mom to the next eight years, he’ll soon no longer hold my hand during trick-or-treating, and will likely chuckle at my nostalgia for the year he was Undertale Sans, and a teen boy told him he had the best costume ever.

Those memories, and the calendar laughing, makes me want to remember this Halloween, always. After all, these are the reasons that people like Halloween, so much.

***

This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. This week’s sentence is “When it comes to Halloween…” and is co-hosted by the lovely Vic of Taking it a Step at at Time.

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  • Vickie - (I got a weird message when I tried to post a comment so if this turns out to be a duplicate, feel free to delete)
    The “I don’t know the people standing behind me” photo made me laugh out loud! Love the costumes – all of them. I think my son also loves the attention expecially when people tell him how great he looks. I hope it never ends.October 26, 2017 – 10:38 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Hm. I wonder why you got the error. I think Facebook comments are more sketchy than the ones down here… but yes, I hope it never ends for either of our sons! October 27, 2017 – 7:42 pmReplyCancel

  • Emily - Great costumes!! I’ll be very curious to see if my 13, almost 14 year-old “little dude” goes trick-or-treating this year. Says he isn’t sure right now. He’s at that in between age, I think? It will make me sad if we officially “age out” of the trick or treating stage, especially because I won’t be able to “share” his candy! 🙂October 26, 2017 – 11:44 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Oh I hope he decides to go trick-or-treating! And that you get some candy! I remember the in between age. It was cool, then not cool, then later, way cool again… October 27, 2017 – 7:44 pmReplyCancel

  • Allison G smith - Fantastic post. For reals. Loved traveling down Halloween memory lane with you. And your costume rocks ( even though I’ve never seen the show). Enjoy Halloween, it changes fast. Only have one trick-or-treater this year😭. Oh, and Cammy’s Slender Man this year and he scared the crap out of Bear. Realty bad. I laughed my a$$ off, so I probably suck like that dad😲October 27, 2017 – 5:49 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - LOL Allie! Slender Man IS scary. I’d have laughed, too. The dad was actually really cool – I didn’t think much about it until my niece was so upset. And thank you! You haven’t seen Handmaid’s Tale? It’s REALLY good. Like, really good. And weep to only one trick-or-treater this year! I want to see a photo though. Slender Man is cool….October 27, 2017 – 7:46 pmReplyCancel

  • Lisa @ The Meaning of Me - First, is that tall costumed person your little boy??? How is he that tall? Amazing.
    Second, I LOVE that he took his mask off to reassure the little kid. What a great young man you have – that is a sensitive and compassionate heart.
    I think you’re probably right about people wanting to be something they normally aren’t – or can’t be. That makes a lot of sense.October 27, 2017 – 11:44 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I know Lisa! He’s so tall. I wish he’d slow down a little bit. I can’t believe it. At this rate, he’s going to be taller than I am (and I’m not that short) by the time he’s 10. Gulp. And thanks – he’s really sweet and compassionate. One day, he’ll have to hang out with Zilla!October 27, 2017 – 7:49 pmReplyCancel

  • Kenya G. Johnson - Awww man I feel out of the loop with The Handmaid’s Tale. I’ve seen memes that I didn’t get because I haven’t seen the show. Aside from that y’all did a great job with the costumes. As for the little Tucker pictures, if I had to choose, the chubby cheeks fireman (yellow & black) is my favorite.October 27, 2017 – 1:32 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - It’s a disturbing show but really really good. And yeah, the chubby cheeks fireman is pretty adorable. Ach, they get big so fast! October 27, 2017 – 7:50 pmReplyCancel

  • clark - it must be fun to share make-believe with Tucker. by definition* make-up believe is always personal and one of the most protected parts of (a young person’s) life… and Halloween, at the least the one you’re showing us in the your post is a active sharing of make-believes.
    as I think about it, there (should) be a curious reversal in the authority on the make-believe, being still young, Tucker would have more…standing in the matter of the real and the imaginary allowed to show, at least for one night a year.
    very cool

    *ok, by my definitionOctober 27, 2017 – 8:30 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - It’s fun* for sure to share make-believe with Tucker, and you’re so right – it’s personal… and protected, I think, although I’d like to hear more about how it’s protected – is that because it’s allowed, this one night each year? Also LOL to the one I show you in my post, because there’s always so much more to it, right? *ok, by your definition ;)PS I love your worldviews. You’re fascinating and totally awesome, every night of the year. October 27, 2017 – 11:40 pmReplyCancel

  • Echo - I love Halloween, probably because I was born so close to it! Aven is going to be jealous! He wanted to be Papyrus, but settled on going as a Cheeseburger instead!October 27, 2017 – 9:17 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Are you dressing up??? And OMG Aven wanted to be Papyrus???? So many people don’t know who Sans or Papyrus are. I don’t even know the story much, and Tucker only knows them through YouTubers playing the game and he loves the music (which is pretty awesome even if it’s not Lars awesome). The people who recognized him seemed cool though – totally alternative, or geeky, which is my people, and so awesome. October 27, 2017 – 11:42 pmReplyCancel

  • My Inner Chick - Tucker has come SO FAR & will only go Farther!)))
    (Because of ‘YOU.”

    OMGGggg, the Handmaid costumes are spectacular!!! xxOctober 29, 2017 – 10:32 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Awww…. thank you thank you thank you! Are you dressing up? Do tell do tell… October 29, 2017 – 7:11 pmReplyCancel

  • Linda Atwell - I love these memories. Especially the one where Tucker felt so bad about scaring that young kid. Empathy! It is so wonderful that he has empathy. I like how Halloween has evolved and that you are still into it because Tucker is into it. Your post made me smile BIG TIME!October 30, 2017 – 12:12 amReplyCancel

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