SPELLING BEA

BY BEA WESTERBERG

Halloween is Coming

Watch out for flying leaves. Watch out for confused squirrels who are trying to decide if they slept through winter and now it is spring weather again. Watch out for plants that are also confused and are blooming again. The people who know about these things say it will not affect next year blooms – we will see. Will this help those of us who are not going to live with the alligators in Florida or the dry winds of Arizona have a better winter? That is also going to be awaiting an answer in 2022.

The October holiday of Halloween is coming shortly and it will again not be as we used to know it. People are feeling they need to “break out” for Halloween this year and that along with the world problems are limiting the number of break out items available. Those who want to purchase a costume are finding the cupboard is already well picked over and horror of horrors – one might have to make or make do for a costume this year. The bed sheets will be called upon for ghost outfits and since white sheets are not the most common anymore, ghosts may look different this year. Hey, did you see the buffalo plaid ghost or the Christmas tree ghost will be regular conversations. We might also have a good use for all those Amazon boxes as they come in such a wide range of sizes and could be converted to almost anything. I was going to say that a real refrigerator box could just stay at being a refrigeration box but probably most of them are still on ships at sea.

The outdoor Halloween decorating fever is also affected this year with lots of negative things happening. The fun is being stripped by those who are stealing decorations from decorated yards. The question is, are these bad people adding them to their personal collection and might be subject to be a victim again or are they re-selling them? I have not looked at eBay or other sale places so I don’t know if there is a hot market for the witches and skeletons on the re-sale market. Maybe some of the sales would be just like the home market right now. It’s a great time to make money on homes and maybe the Halloween collection in the attic will cover moving expenses. Will the Christmas decorating be subject to “borrowing” this year? The answer to that question will be showing up in a few more weeks.

This bump in the road will probably not change Halloween too much. It is said that it has roots in both Celtic and Christian celebrations from way, way back when. It was a time to celebrate the end of the growing season and to get ready for a long winter. Big bonfires helped clean up harvest remains and it was said to chase away bad ghosts and spirits so a good winter could be had. Catholicism came to the Irish and surrounding areas and All Saints and All Souls Day were worked into the celebrations. The Protestant Reformation added in Guy Fawkes with his tricks etc. All Hallows Day became a mix of different ideas that were kept or left behind. In the United States dressing up in costumes and going door to door for treats became the pattern. Children usually do the dressing up and candy getting while the adults dress up and party. Mexican people celebrate their deceased family members by bringing food and spending time at their grave sites on November 1. Scary happenings, horror and fright are big deals for Halloween movies, books and plays. These usually are not for the people who need nightlights and listen for bumps in the night. Even if you love the above listed happenings, it is always best to have a few dependable friends very close at hand. Beware of friends who know your fright weaknesses and wish to add reality to your Halloween season. Of course you could pay them back with a few good tricks or fright moves of your own towards them.