Free Loot

Halloween is a beloved part of American culture, offering people a chance to kick back and have a little fun. It’s a time for all ages to embrace creativity, fantasy, and maybe even a little goofiness. The holiday encourages people to dress up in costumes, often depicting the heroes or villains of the day, as well as celebrating a love for the spooky. Some people prefer to be as scary or gruesome as they can, but I prefer the cute costumes, the superheroes, angels, kitties, puppies, and even the inanimate costumes, like the little girl I once saw dressed up as Lego blocks. You know, the ones that make me smile. It isn’t just the kids that dress up either. Many adults dress up. They might be things like gangsters, pirates, Indians, or maybe the girls of the “Roaring Twenties.”

In the US, Halloween’s roots can be traced to European immigrants, especially those from Ireland and Scotland. The term “Halloween” comes from “All Hallow’s Eve,” the night before the Christian observances of All Hallow’s Day on November 1st and All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. Like other Christian holidays, it included vigils starting the previous evening. Together, these days form Allhallowtide, a time for honoring all saints and praying for souls of the recently deceased. People pray for the dead for reasons such as hope for salvation (believing prayers might free souls from sin and prepare them for heaven), coping with loss (helping Christians handle grief), and charity (doing good deeds for the departed to atone for their sins). While I don’t personally believe these prayers achieve such things. But this was the tradition from that era and maybe still is.

Of course, Halloween has evolved to include other customs. Some lean into its darker side, while others keep it secular, focusing on kids’ costumes and free candy. For children, costumes are fun, but having a huge stash of candy is the ultimate thrill…especially when they think they can have some whenever they want to. Naturally, most parents won’t let them have full control of all that candy, but hey, a kid can dream! Either way, they get to go out trolling for free candy, and coming home with a bag full of “loot” is the best part of it all. Happy Halloween everyone. Have fun and stay safe out there.