My Halloween
On Halloween, I am thrilled not to be a parent. I don’t like H’ween and it wasn’t a huge deal where I grew up. I hope to not have to deal with it for at least 3 more years. In my neighborhood, kids and parents come from miles around to beg the businesses for candy. I have no problem with this when they are families who patronize these businesses year-round. But many, many of the beggars aren’t. I am obviously undemocratic–I like the idea of something like a beach permit to be entitled to come trick or treat where I live. But that isn’t gonna happen.
I avoided the local Halloween parade by traveling underground to see the movie “An Education,” which I enjoyed very much and recommend highly. But there are people who seem to have major objections to this film. Without giving away too much, the objections from the NYT online seem to be: 1)The “seducer” in the movie is Jewish and therefore the movie is anti-semitic and 2)Many parents of young girls felt that not enough bad bad things happened to the protagonist as a result of her affair with an older man.
To number 1 I have nothing to say except there are weak, opportunistic people of all races and religions and this movie is based on a real-life event. Get over it. To number 2 I say that according to the author of the memoir on which the movie is based, she suffered many consequences of this time in her life. True, she didn’t die or get a dread disease, so maybe your 16 year old will want to go out and do the same as the protagonist…but I doubt it. If you think your kid is dim enough to think there weeren’t consequences, you have bigger problems than having brought her to see this movie.
November 2, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Haven’t seen the film but based on some of what I’ve read about the “controversy”, I think I will agree with your take.
Also, on behalf of fetusbaby, HOW CAN YOU HATE HALLOWEEN??!! Candy is delicious! Costumes are fun!
November 2, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Hate…no. “Cranky”…remember. I am CRANKY. I won’t try to prevent my kid from having Halloween–I just don’t want to make it the focus of the universe for several months. I hope, i hope.
November 2, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I lost interest in Halloween until Dusty was old enough to trick-or-treat. We had avoided giving her much in the way of sugar until she was three. Then, I took her to my mother’s neighborhood (we were already out in the country by then and the only thing going out here is church “festivals” to which I say: NO). She went to about 2-3 blocks worth of houses and then declared she had enough candy.
Last night, after eating a number of pieces Sat night and Sunday, she counted what she had left: 70! 70 pieces of candy. I actually miss the days that my kids couldn’t count. Now, there’s no stealing when they go to bed.
November 2, 2009 at 3:28 pm
That’s what ya git fer learnin’ the girl.
November 2, 2009 at 3:32 pm
70! If you were related to me, you would tell her that she owes you a finder’s fee for the costume. She’s a lucky girl to have all that candy herself.
November 2, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Well, she is very generous so I don’t have to steal. Plus, she gave me all the dark chocolate and instructed Red to do the same because “it’s not very good.” I like this way of thinking.
November 2, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Also she’s right–dark chocolate is NOT very good.
November 2, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I have a similar issue, but we’re on the other side of it. Our neighborhood has big lots and long driveways, so most of the local kids go elsewhere where they can get more candy with less effort. I don’t allow that, because to me, trick-or-treating is really about visiting your neighbors. Lucky they make it fun for those who do stay — there’s a hayride to help the little legs out with the long walks and most houses give out huge amounts of candy to each kid who makes it there.
November 2, 2009 at 4:13 pm
That sounds nice, Harriet. As you know, in the city all of these Halloween issues are complicated by matters relating to race and class.
November 2, 2009 at 4:25 pm
We have no neighborhood and there’s no trick-or-treating out my way so it’s not even an option. So we’ve always gone into the city and gone with friends in their neighborhoods.
I didn’t see as many large, un-costumed kids this year as in the past. Maybe it was the change in scenery.
November 3, 2009 at 2:12 am
I went out walking amongst the trick or treaters in my little quaint New England Village and it was practically empty. I saw maybe 7 little kids. I was shocked. There were some obnoxious pseudo-Twilight vampire teenagers hanging out in the shadows. I actually went to see “Zombieland” on Halloween during the day. I don’t usually see stuff like that, but it was kinda funny.
November 3, 2009 at 10:31 am
Cranky, in my Chicago neighborhood the police and community leaders always warned parents NOT to let their kids go to houses or apartment buildings. Similar to what you describe, the store owners on the main street through my ‘hood would stay open and kids would trick-or-treat there. This always struck me as both necessary and very sad.
November 3, 2009 at 10:40 am
It is sad, but that’s not exactly the situation here. I just dislike the pandemonium of the holiday.