How did Halloween become such a thing?

I read again recently that the amount of decorations sold for Halloween exceed even what we shell out for Christmas. How did Halloween become such a huge thing?

First of all, many of us don't spend as much on Christmas because we have TONS of decorations acquired over the years, and much of it came from our parents or grandparents when they "downsized." St. Paul's and North Hills Community Outreach does a thing every Fall where we collect donations of Christmas decorations and then offer them for free to persons who maybe can't afford to purchase them. You can't believe what all gets donated. Clearly, there is a prodigious glut of Christmas decorations out there, languishing in attics, basements, garages, and probably even stuffed into the little doors and drawers under nightstands and end tables!

But what about Halloween? It's always been a kid-favorite holiday, with the costumes, trick-or-treating for candy, and the resulting overall sugar overload. And, many people like to scare or be scared. Also, there is a long dry spell between the July 4 holiday and Thanksgiving, which is basically a football and eating marathon, anyway, neither of which much appeals to children. So, Halloween filled the gap. As an aging Baby Boomer, I can say that my friends and I looked so forward to getting dressed up and going out on neighborhood candy hauls. Then, when I was about 11, something went wrong: deranged individuals began hiding razor blades in candy or coating it with drugs. I can remember how the whole Halloween trick-or-treating thing took a huge hit. It was a seriously depressing time.

Now, we aging Baby Boomers are grandparents, and our children are parents. Both groups of "adults" want our kids and grand kids to recapture some of the fun of Halloween, so we do what we always do--go WAY overboard. Decorations have become quite sophisticated, costumes have become much more fantastic, and all of the candy is hermetically sealed (in fact, it's almost impossible to get into it). Parents inspect every treat, just to make sure, though.

Adult costume parties for Halloween have multiplied, too. I can't believe the number of email advertisements I get from places selling elaborate--and costly--adult Halloween costumes!

All in all, I don't think there is anything wrong with all of this. People of faith have often had a kind of bittersweet relationship with goblins and demons, with many believing the "real things" are conspiring to use Halloween to recruit little ones into devilish behavior. They thought the same thing would happen if they read any of the Harry Potter books. I really don't see a difference in kids from either activity.

Still, Dara and I never celebrated Halloween with our children. Maybe it was because of some of these spiritual concerns, coupled with fears over getting candy from strangers. Maybe it was due, in part, to the fact that we were students during much of our kids' childhood, and we couldn't afford to reciprocate with the treat distribution. I do know that we taught our children about the significance of All Saints Day, and honoring the saints who went before us. And, I know we took our kids out for a special night on Halloween--dinner at a place of their choice, and then to the Carnegie Science Center, for example. I don't think they missed anything. And it didn't "poison" them to the holiday, as our daughter and son-in-law take our grandchildren trick-or-treating.

Whatever you and your family do for Halloween, be safe. And take some time to explain the origins of "All Hallows' Eve" and "All Saints Day." As we honor the saints of our lives, this may be almost as important as telling our kids about the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus.

Happy Halloween, Yinz.