When I was a very young child I could tell when Halloween was coming by the dried field corn that would magically appear on our porch. I never questioned where it came from. I just knew it was a sign that Halloween was not far off.
The corn was all part of the area's Halloween Corning tradition. Teens would steal farmers' field corn and use it to throw at things. It was a harmless prank when they threw it on porches like ours, but much more serious when they threw it at passing cars. On the dark winding roads of my county, being surprised by a handful of corn hitting a windshield was dangerous. But the teens didn't see it that way. They just saw it as harmless fun while sneaking around in the dark and surprising people with the corn. I don't remember any serious car accidents, but one of my friends in high school had several of her teeth ripped out by a clothesline as she was fleeing the scene of a corning. Needless to say, I was not allowed to take part in any of the antics, not that I wanted to. It seemed to me it was usually the popular crowd, who were also sneaking beer, who were the main perpetrators.
So what was happening back at our boring house? Trick or treating was always a big thing. Our costumes were homemade usually from things found around the house. We had a very limited area of houses we were allowed to go to and once we reached 12 years old, we were declared too old to Trick or Treat by my mother. Even with our limitations, it was always fun to get candy. That was back in the day when people gave out apples as treats and we had to make sure there weren't razor blades in them. I was disappointed when I was too old for regular trick or treating, but happy that I was able to go Trick or Treating for Unicef. That was usually done through a church group, and we would collect coins in slotted cardboard boxes for Unicef. If we were lucky, we would get candy along with the coins.
Not everyone had the same views on Trick or Treating as my parents. We lived in town, so we got lots of visitors - sometimes in the hundreds. Kids would come in from the more rural areas to Trick or Treat where there were sidewalks. Can't blame them for that, but I realize now that it was hard for my parents to provide something for all of the kids who knocked on the door with their limited funds. However, it just wasn't the country kids. Sometimes it was adults or very old teens with the stereotypical pillowcase. My mother did not have kind words for them.
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| Wally &Theo back in Houston where the weather was often warm for Halloween. |
So what about when my kids went Trick or Treating? They usually stayed in the neighborhood wearing costumes we got from the thrift shop. They would come home, sort and inspect the candy, and then I would put most of it away for later. They stopped Trick or Treating in middle school, much like I did, but I know many of their friends Trick or Treated even when they were in high school. I don't necessarily think that that is a bad thing--or at least it didn't bother me as much as it did my mother.
More stories to tell, but it's time to get ready for the kids that will be visiting tonight. We usually have 20 or so. I'm prepared for more and if we just happen to have some Reese's Cups leftover, well so be it. :)
Until next time...
