Halloween. The name and date are the same. There are still pumpkins, costumes and candy. But the times, they have changed.  I just read a blog in the Huffington Post comparing Halloween of the 70’s with the current incarnation. I am still laughing. For me, I love the family traditions that create lasting memories.

I tried polling some of my friends (old) about their Halloween habits and memories. The results indicate that most of us made our costumes when we were old enough. There weren’t a lot of options for purchasing ready-made costumes, especially in small towns. Our big concern was whether we had to wear our jackets OVER our costumes. November in the northeast was cold. The coat over the costume mandate was always a downer. Here’s the other old-fashioned requirement. If you wanted to score any loot in my hometown: You had to recite a poem. I’m not kidding. We all wrote poems. Never did we get away with just saying “trick or treat” and digging our hands into a basket filled with treats. We had to earn our take.  Not sure where that tradition came from, but I clearly understand why it didn’t catch on –or last.

With most parents working now, few have the hours to devote to a time-consuming costume making project. And, there are now so many stores where you can drop so much $$$$. But this is also an opportunity for our great nannies to step up to the challenge. Some nannies are really creative and crafty. Over the years we’ve seen they’ve shared with us some terrific examples of handmade costumes for their charges.

While Halloween was always a fun-filled, if spooky, occasion, it started to get really scary when crazy people began putting razor blades in candy, among other dastardly deeds. Then parents had to be really vigilant and outlaw all the non-wrapped goodies. Those homemade popcorn balls were not going to be eaten no matter how good they looked or might taste

That brings me to the latest Halloween twist: teal pumpkins. Here’s the story:

The Teal Pumpkin Project encourages people to place a teal-painted pumpkin outside their door if they’re offering non-edible treats such as small toys, stickers and crayons.

Food allergies can be life-threatening, and they affect 1 in 13 children in the United States. We are thrilled to see so many people embracing the Teal Pumpkin Project as a way to ensure kids with food allergies can enjoy a safe, fun Halloween experience just like their friends, says Veronica LaFemina, spokeswoman for Food Allergy Research & Education.

Hope your children have a great Halloween and that the weather is nice enough for the jackets to be kept at home!

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