Trick Or Treat
Trick Or Treat....It's More Than Just The Candy! BY:KURTIS PRIMM
Halloween!
Next to Christmas it was, is, the greatest night of the year to me. Having been born in 1967, the 70's was the heyday of Trick Or Treating for me.My adventuring group on the spooky, magical night of Halloween consisted of me, my brother, two years younger, and my cousin, same age as my brother, led by my Father. Our group knew how to Trick Or Treat. We didn't walk door to door, we ran! My Haunting grounds was Melvindale Michigan, and still is to this very day, and we covered the entire city. We were out for hours, we were on a mission, to see and do it all, visit every house, and every year I filled two entire pillow cases of Halloween treasure. My father also owned a house in Dearborn, briefly, and for a handfull of years, we would canvass that neighborhood as well.
I can honestly say, there have only been a couple times that I have been physically exhausted, and Halloween night is one of them. Little did I know back then, of just how much these magical Halloween nights would come to mean to me. Thirty plus years later, I still remember them clearly, and think fondly on them often. Trick Or Treating, at least to me, was not about the candy, well, it was, but not entirely, it was much more. It was dressing up and being someone, some thing, that you could only be on this one night. It was about being just one of a costumed throng of spooks out for a night of adventure. It was about the candy, and all the other special things that you would discover in your sack of loot at the end of the night. T he payment for all your hard work, and bravery going to the spooky houses, and I went to them all no matter how scary. My Father made sure of that. He said if they were going to all the work to make something special for Halloween, then I was going to do my part and go get that candy. But for me, Halloween and Trick Or Treating was mostly about our group together and our adventure. On Halloween it wasn't just a kid out being supervised by my Dad, we were a team that night.
Now that I'm older, with my own two grown boys, we enjoy Halloween running my yard haunt "Primmsylvania" and I take great pride and enjoyment every year, in making it the best it can possibly be. I like to give out the really good candy, and for the TOTS who really put in the effort, with a cool costume, and a loudly yelled "Trick Or Treat", I give them A little something more.
What is wrong with some of the kids today? Every year there are some kids that come up to the "Candy Shack" and just stand there with their bag open, expecting a treat. You have to say the words if you want a treat from "Primmsylvania". My candy passer will gently say things like "What do you say? What are the magic words, If you want a treat you have to work for it", you have to say the words, that's what it's all about. When I was a lad making my rounds, I yelled "Trick Or Treat" at every house, without fail, until I was hoarse at the end of the night.
Loot bags, Trick Or Treat bags, pillow cases, they all serve the same purpose. To hold the treasure that you work so hard to collect all night. My loot bag of
choice was always my trusty pillow case, my Linus' blanket. Now I love the old vintage Trick Or Treat bags with the beautiful graphics on them, but they could not hold as much loot as my trusty pillow case. The paper bags seemed to always spring a hole and dump my precious loot along the sidewalk. The pillow case was stronger, bigger, and with a quick spin, it would close, like Santa's sack, securely, and could be slung over my shoulder for easy carrying. Like a thief in the night making my get away.....a Halloween thief.
The loot, or candy, kids get today is much different than the loot I got as a kid. I feel sorry for the children of today. I know to them, this is their time and
their magic, and I am happy for them, and I hope it will always be great memories for them, and I'm sure it will....but I know different. I always had much more than just candy in my bag. I had wax "Witch Whistles",God how I miss them, and vampire fangs, and lips, and mustaches. I had money, and games, and noise makers. I had spooky toys, pop corn balls, full caramel and candied apples. I had spooky coloring books and crayons, rubber skeletons and bats, finger monster puppets, spider rings and necklaces,Halloween flash lights and spooky PEZ dispensers. You never knew for sure, just what you were going to find in your loot bag at the end of the night. It was Halloween and Christmas all rolled into one. It was adventure, and it was MAGIC!
I remember fondly, those special houses, that were decorated so cool, and the special people, who dressed up and played the part of their characters. I remember the people who passed out the special treats, and went out of their way to make this night magical in the eyes of a child, and now, the heart of a man. It was you who created me. It was you who took the spark inside of me and turned it into a roaring Celtic bonfire, and now it is me who works so hard to return the magic back to you.
I want to thank you all for what you did for me....for what you did To me. I don't know most of you personally, and you don't know me, but I did bond with you on whatever Halloween year it was through the years, that I ran across your path. And I want you all to know that I am honored to try my best to return some Halloween magic to you and your families.
Come on by this year, and see what I have created to share with you all. It won't cost you a penny, but if you enjoy it, and in some small way I helped to create a special memory for you, just give me a wave, or a smile, it means everything to me, and that's why I do it.
Remember to say the words, and say them loudly and proudly. "Trick Or Treat", I want to hear them.....I Need to hear them. My Mother asked me one year how long I was going to keep the haunt running, after things were dying down, and I told her "As long as there is one kid still out there Trick Or Treating, I will be here waiting for him." She smiled at me and said "we're all out of candy", and she turned to go into the house. I checked my pocket and found a few dollar bills there, "I'll give out a dollar, and after that's gone, I have poems and stories."
Come by and see me, I'll have something for you. Just come on up and say "Trick Or Treat", and one more memory will be created.
