This year has flown by like a witch on a rocket-propelled broom. It is Halloween again and this year it is going to be different. Due to the COVID-19 world pandemic and increasing cases here in my home county of Cibola and the rest of our state “trick- or –treating- door- to- door” and Halloween parties as we knew in the past probably are not going to happen. We won’t be at Hillcrest parking lot this year handing out thousands of pieces of candy to our county’s kids that have enjoyed the “trunk or treat” event Bob Ewell started six years ago where classic car owners sit on tailgates or on opened trunk edges of their vehicle to hand goodies to hundreds of costumed children. There will be no “Haunted Mine” at the New Mexico Mining Museum this year either; museums are shut down per our state Governor’s order due to the rising number of cases.
I researched the phrase “trick or treat” and found it is not really known where or when the phrase was coined but the custom was firmly established by 1951 in popular American culture when trick-or treating was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. In 1952 Disney produced a cartoon called “Trick or Treat“ featuring Donald Duck along with his nephews Huey, Dewey and
Louie. I remember grade school Halloween parties and carnivals in our town. Many people wore handcrafted or handme-down costumes. Today the norm is store bought and the “scarier the better” it seems.
There are Halloween movies on television almost nightly until and including Oct. 31, Halloween night. Scary movies to watch from the safety of one’s home. Hotel Transylvania 2…Ghostbusters… Beetlejuice? And perhaps Scooby Doo on Zombie Island?
I personally would like to see smiley faces and happy stuff… it’s just me…there is enough uncertainty out there now, a smiley Halloween would be my choice. But kids are kids and should be able to portray the scary monster they need to depict in order to secure treats in lieu of tricking the homeowner!
Speaking of monsters, we do have about 16 little monsters on our block that will probably stay home this year. Evelyn and I have talked to the parents of these little ones and we have decided we will trick -or -treat their homes and give small bags of candy to them. I have heard others may do the same as well. We will be masked up and social distanced. Booooooo! Booooo, booooooooo!
Trick or treat!