Halloween is embraced by all ages. Kids want to dress up and go trick-or-treating. Parents enjoy the holiday with and through their kids. Even childless adults get into it. One couple I know holds a big party with tons of decorations, theme food, and a costume contest. Guests in their 30s and 40s spend weeks preparing complex and outrageous entries.
I guess we all like a good, safe scare. So in honor of the spookiest month of the year, I’m giving away a copy of my spooky middle grade novel, The Knight in the Shadows. To enter, post below and tell me what Halloween means to you. I’ll choose a random winner from the posts. Check back on October 31 to find out the winner (or make sure your entry gives me a way to contact you).
Food for thought: What is it that makes Halloween so much fun? The fact that you don’t have to travel long distances, spend all day cooking, or buy presents? The slightly naughty excitement of running around in the dark pretending to be bad? The chuckles brought on by little kids in cute costumes?
Chris Eboch won “Best Use of Materials” for her shower curtain skirt in the 2008 Steam Punk-themed Halloween costume contest.
Chris Eboch
Greg R. Fishbone
Nick
lindajoysingleton
Parker Peevyhouse
Joni Sensel
What better fun can be had than getting dressed up in crazy costumes, acting like someone/something else (blaming it for every weird thing you do), and scaring the jack-o’-lantern out of each other, all while stuffing yourself full of candy? Halloween is a great time to pause and take some time to laugh at yourself and be a kid again!
Thanks for the contest fun!
That is an awesome outfit you put together there!
Halloween where I live is a huge event with treats for adults as well as kids. The streets are blocked off for cars and neighbors will mull wine or apple cider on their front lawn. It’s like a big walking party with baked goods, haunted houses, creepy movies shown on garage doors and most of the people we know wandering around in good cheer. What’s not to love?
I used to go to our local mall where there was always a fabulous costume contest. I’m always amazed by people’s originality.
I hate having all that candy around, because we live so far from the main drag that it ends up staying in our house!
In Montana, for some reason it’s always the coldest night of the year, so most of the outdoor trick or treating costumes are covered up with snowsuits!
We live in a kid-packed neighborhood that goes all-out for Halloween. There are haunted mazes on people’s front lawns and more houses lit up than we see in December. What I love best is seeing all the families out walking — it’s the best community day of the year.
I’ve got kids from age 23 to 7. We still love Halloween. I can wear my costumes and NOT get stared at. Considering I wear a Starfleet uniform to work at least once a week, Halloween makes it okay to be silly, to step outside our normal selves at least for a bit.
Massive amounts of chocolate don’t hurt the holiday, not in the least.
I think this year, I’m wearing my Klingon outfit to scare small children when they come to my door…
The candy. It’s all about the candy.
maybe a little bit, these days, about having to make a cardinal costume for one’s young in an hour. Even with a hair dryer, paper mache takes slightly longer than that to dry. And then you have to glue the feathures on.
Halloween to me is when everyone, including adults get to be kids for a day and that’s all right.