Halloween aka Reformation Day

I love Halloween. Not the occult part, of course. But the dressing up part. I have seen people dressed as crayons, butterflies, magicians, trolls, and kids dressed up as various fuzzy animals. I am dressed in my costume for "Ghost Stories". It's fun, effective, and efficient, because I won't need to change for tonight's final performance!

Growing up in the Reformed tradition of Christianity, October 31 is not known for Halloween, but for Reformation Day. It is the day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Catholic church in Wittenberg, Germany, insisting that the Bible be read in the language of the people for the people, and denouncing the Catholic church for the practice of indulgences to atone for the sins of those still in purgatory, among other things (there were 95 of those theses...he had quite a list piled up!). It is strange when I look back on my childhood, and remember what some of my teachers in the Reformed Christian school that I went to said about Halloween. I respect their beliefs, and their stance on ignoring/avoiding Halloween, but I always knew that as soon as I got home from school, I would change into my costume (putting it on over my winter clothes...ah, Halloween in Chicagoland) and make my rounds in the neighborhood. I lived in a great neighborhood for Halloween. Mostly retired people, a relatively low number of children in a four block radius, and everyone knew everyone else. These adults watched me grow up, and when I would show up with my sister in tow Halloween afternoon (it was safe to trick or treat without adults back then), they would fawn over how much we had grown, admire our costumes, and load us up with goodies. There was the occasional roll of pennies (sigh), but for the most part, we would end up with huge bags of candy each year. I think my parents looked forward to it as much as we did. My parents, you see, are candy people. :) There were always excuses to eat our candy, "If you eat it all, you'll get sick." "Your teeth will rot, then what will the dentist say?" I know that parents still use these tactics today, because every year, after Halloween, my coworkers bring in their children's Halloween candy to share with everyone at the office. This, to me, seems like ripping off your kids. I guess it's as much payback as you're going to get for that $350,000 you're spending on them (see previous blog). :)

Overall, I have fond memories of Halloween. And I have to say, there is a darn cute picture of me in a Raggedy Ann costume, kissing the cheek of my parents' friends' son dressed as Raggedy Andy. I was two. And I was flipping adorable.
In high school, I was a witch, green makeup and all. (Rochelle, I think there's photographic evidence of that day, as well!) I still have that broom somewhere, you know I do. And today, I am dead bride #7, with brilliant tire tracks across my dress (my brother-in-law is a genius!). I was run over, you know, by farm machinery. And this time my picture is on Metromix. YAY! However Halloween finds you, playing dead, alive, famous or infamous...Happy Halloween!