To Trick or Treat or Not To Trick or Treat

That has been the question every year since we've been having children.

Let me start with a little history.

I trick or treated as a child.

We lived on a farm and my dad would take my brother and I to

2 or 3 other farms, the last one being a farm where his high school friend lived with his

parents and Mrs Degleman would give us popcorn balls and we'd sit at her table while they

visited with my dad and eat them!

Then, as we got older we'd go by ourselves with groups of friends.

No parents.

By older, I mean like 10.

I'd never, never let my 10 year old go by himself nowadays.

Fast forward to my mid 20's.

I was working at a Montessori school as an assistant teacher.

The rule there was No Costumes, No Halloween.

The reason being that children have many fears and it can cause jealousy among them.

So, we just did "Fall" stuff.

Fall treats, Fall crafts, etc...

Fast forward a couple years later.

I have my own Catholic daycare now.

(named Come Little Children Catholic Daycare)

Anyway, I decided to do the same as where I was teaching.

It made sense.

Fast forward 3 more years.

We now have a child of our own.

I kept with the "no trick or treating" thing.

I hate that "give me, give me" attitude.

Everywhere we go, kiddos get stuff.

Free cups, free toys w/meals, free stickers and suckers at the grocery store.

Gimme Gimme

Oh, yeah, and I have this wierd fear of answering the door...

might have to be a job for the girls!

Then, neighbors of ours had some thoughts on the subject.

The husband (a good friend of ours) believes that Halloween has become the devils holiday.

It is known to be the biggest day in the Occult.

A day of anti masses, devil worship and Antichrist activity.

Even more reason to not participate, right?

Well, I've always been on the fence, but it's been, let's say,

easier to not do it.

We don't need all that candy anyway.

I think we still have Easter candy up in the cupboard.

Now we have lots of children and it gets harder every year.

We have always gone to parties and dressed up for fun.

I've always tried to put our emphasis on All Saints day instead. Halloween is, after all,

All Hallows Eve. The Eve of All Saints.

This year is different.

I have decided we can go trick or treating with friends, we can take the good out of the day and keep it good.

No scary costumes.

No loud scary music coming from our house.

The kids are very excited.

I'm excited too.
Have I given in to the world and it's ways?

I think we will be fine.

Because tomorrow this will just be a memory.

And

we will go to Mass and celebrate All Saints Day.

And

we will walk through our backyard, and through the woods and go to

the graveyard and pray on Tuesday, All Souls Day for all the Poor Souls.

Life is what we make it.

It's how we approach it.

So

We have a

Spanish Conquistador, a Native American Indian girl, a Karate girl, a Ballerina and

a wee little puppy all ready to have some

soup with friends and go trick or treating.

This morning, Babycakes (age 4) said:

"Is it Halloween today?"

I said, "Yes it is!"

She then said, "But it's not dark out!"

What do you do?

Have a blessed night!

Pictures later this week, of both Halloween and All Saints Day costumes!