Hallowe'en apples!

When I was a kid, that's what we shouted as we went door to door. Because if you shouted, "Trick or Treat!" then the people opening the door could respond with "Trick!" and then we'd have to come up with one. The standard my brother and I had was to sing "Mary had a little lamb" which was just surreal, dressed up as a Martian and a cowboy or a clown and a leopard. But such are the joys of childhood, right?

Photo: Contributed

Nowadays, many kids don't go door to door. Heck, they don't walk to school, so why would we think they would walk around the neighbourhood in the dark? The norm seems more to have a party, or taking the kids to the mall or other public spot for them to get a bit of swag. My Dad would have said that was a cop out, and that walking down the streets was a right of passage, a badge of honour you earned :)

In Canada, weather alone was always a huge consideration. Costume planning growing up in Calgary involved what could work over a pair of long johns and a winter coat. I think that's why many boys were dressed up as hockey players. Then there was the treat container to be considered. When I was small we had cute pumpkin buckets, but as I got older we discovered that they were a bit small. It took away from our available time to have to go home and dump out our buckets, so we switched over to the less stylish but more common and efficient pillowcase :) In retrospect it was all a bit silly. I don't think I ever ate all the candy I collected.

Speaking of candy... I am actually old enough to remember the days when there were still a few neighbours who gave out homemade treats. One older lady down the block made puffed wheat balls and included a note with her name, address and phone number. That was enough to make it safe to eat. The only thing was, I don't like puffed wheat balls. I prefer chocolate, and maybe the odd bite of licorice. To this day small packets of Smarties are a secret joy. My little brother loved lollipops and sticky candy like Tootsie Rolls so we would trade to maximize our supply. Our games of "Hallowe'en poker" were often as much fun as our trips out on the street!

"Hallowe'en apples" seemed to imply the tradition of bobbing for apples, which I never did until I was in university. It apparently does relate to the Medieval custom of "souling", receiving food in return for saying prayers for the dead as All Souls Day approached on November 2. Dressing up seems to derive from the Celtic tradition called "guising" where people would imitate evil spirits as a way to placate them on the day when they roamed the earth free. Did you know the costumers carried lanterns made from scooped out pumpkins, the forerunner of the modern jack o'lantern?

"Trick or treat" is a modern adaptation, and involves the pranks that have become an intrinsic part of Hallowe'en. I remember my Dad's stories of soaping the windows of the ill-tempered neighbour, or moving outhouses. We didn't dare try such things for fear of being caught, although I think now that my Dad might have had a giggle if the culprit was a curmudgeon.

Whether you are a grown up or more of a big kid, if you are giving out treats or dressing up, I hope you can enjoy the whimsy of Hallowe'en and all its rich traditions. This is one day when I recommend you have more than a healthy apple, regardless of what you shout at the door.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.