Credit: MomminItUp.com
I like pumpkin stuff.
Yeah, I said it. I’m so far from a basic bitch I don’t even own one pair of yoga pants, but I never turn down a good pumpkin spice latte if I can help it. What’s more, I’ll have a slice of pumpkin loaf or a pumpkin muffin with cream cheese frosting right along with that latte and not even bat an eyelash.
It goes deeper than that, however. I love sweater weather. I own, and frequently wear, many garments made of fleece. I fire up the woodstove way too soon. I put up “black” strings of lights for Halloween. I regularly devote hours upon hours to making my son’s costume fabulous (while he’s thinking it’ll be good enough to cut something out of cardboard).
Maybe it’s because I’ve always lived in the Northeast U.S., where fall looks like the stock photo background of an inspirational Facebook meme, so I have certain expectations about the season (although I have been snowed on before), but I embrace fall in all its glory, no apologies.
As if to feed my addiction, the village I live in celebrates Halloween the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of kids going door to door seeking candy. No Trunk or Treat, no mall trick-or-treating, no healthy snacks and toothbrushes, no lockdown party in the fire hall. Nope, every year we have that ring-the-doorbell-and-demand-sugar free-for-all you usually only get to see in the movies.
The only frightening thing is running out of candy. I have gone through fifteen bags in one night and barely had any left over. Absolutely terrifying, running low on candy while the zombie hordes keep coming to your door, undeterred. I’ve heard you can hold them off by tossing scoops of granulated sugar on the ground and flinging handfuls of semi-sweet chocolate chips at them, but I’ve never gotten that desperate, so it’s still just a theory.
Credit: Goldielawx, Instagram
For those readers whose danger-alarm has flickered to life while reading this, no worries—our Halloween tradition is perfectly safe. The village is small enough that everyone pretty much knows everyone else, and all parents look out for all kids, not just their own. I’ve even witnessed older kids looking out for younger ones, and they aren’t even their siblings. Plus the police are out in force all night, even riding bikes through the throngs on the streets.
Of course, the village I live in isn’t perfect. No place is. And someday we might move away—who knows? If we do, I’ll still hold dear the fond memories of Hallmark-movie-worthy Halloweens every time I sip another pumpkin spice latte (because I’m not giving those suckers up for anything!) Happy Halloween!
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Jayne Denker 
Fellow unapologetic pumpkin lover here! If Halloween in our town were like it is in your town, I’d like it a lot better. We have lots of trunk or treats and mall trick-or-treats (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and people DRIVING their kids from door-to-door. Not even kidding. I love to see the kids who come to my door, though. Even the ones driven there. I also love everything else about fall. It’s the best time of year, hands-down.
Yay! Pumpkin sistah! We’re fortunate to live right in the middle of the village, where several streets are really close together and easy to cover in one candy-scarfing night without crossing any major thoroughfares. There are always loads of minivans parked outside our house—the kids from the rural outlying areas are bused into our high-yield area! 🙂
“Maybe it’s because I’ve always lived in the Northeast U.S., where fall looks like the stock photo background of an inspirational Facebook meme…”
Amen to that, sista! I lived in a suburb of Boston for almost 10 years. No one does pumpkin weather better than the Northeast!
Ooh which suburb? I lived in Brighton when I attended Boston College (grad school) and student taught in Newton.
I’m jealous. It usually snows in Alaska on Halloween, which kind of puts a damper on the whole trick-or-treating aspect, and costumes just don’t look as cute covered by puffy winter jackets. But I do love the Halloween season. I love how crisp and clean the air feels, and I love the wind, which feels mysterious in its almost-but-not-quite-winter glory.
Nice post. Thanks so much for sharing.
Ha we’ve had those Halloweens too! “In my day…” we had a whole lot of cold Halloweens and distraught children who couldn’t show off their costumes because of those pesky winter jackets. I may or may not have been one of those distraught children. 😉
Did you just call me basic? Or a bitch? I love my yoga pants :). I don’t have a ton of sweaters. I keep wanting to go stock up!
Hee hee I knew that comment was going to get me in trouble! I blame my illness for my not spelling out “pumpkin spice lattes + ‘omigawd!’ + yoga pants + Uggs + brainless obvious comments = basic bitch,” not just one of those factors in isolation. 😉
Your village sounds perfect. What a wonderful way to celebrate together.
Halloween is only starting to become a thing here (oz), but I don’t know if it will ever really take off.
While I feel terrible when American traditions invade other parts of the world, Halloween really is a lot of fun, so I hope it does become a thing out your way. If not, come visit and see ours! 🙂
I love the fall too! I took a road trip from NYC to Boston last weekend the scenic route and I was in such awe of the beauty of the fall foliage that I didn’t even mind the horrendous traffic (until I started getting road sick). Also a big fan of pumpkin-flavored anything except pie. I’ve lost of my love of Halloween though – living in the city as an adult, it’s become more of an excuse to dress up as someone else, get sloppy drunk, and pay double for drinks. I’ll stay home with my pumpkin spiced latte and watch The Hallmark Channel instead 🙂
So did I, Meredith! And yes, the traffic was…well, the usual, I guess! After a seven-hour trip up and another back, the return trip complete with a fever, I officially loathe I-90. But the scenery was lovely!