Halloween and Holiday Traditions

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When Halloween rolls around each year, it feels like the official kickoff to the holiday season, at least here in the United States. With the holidays, come celebrations – and also traditions.

Traditions for Halloween and other holidays are a big deal because they give meaning to our lives and our years. Traditions help forge strong bonds with family and friends, and to our communities. They give us a sense of belonging. Holidays also provide “exclamation points” to a year – something to anticipate and plan for. Memories and traditions connect us to our history, to previous generations, and to family and friends who have passed on. They live on through these traditions.

Holiday traditions seem even more important this year, after 2020 left most of us unable to celebrate like usual. This left a gaping hole in the year for many of us. Without these celebrations, no matter how small, and with the isolation, the year seemed to pass without any punctuation. Although things are still chaotic, people seem more optimistic about the holidays this year.

Halloween and traditions

Halloween in particular, connects families with young children to other families and neighbors they wouldn’t otherwise meet. Halloween has ties to ancient Celtic, as well as Catholic, traditions. According to old Celtic lore, the veil between the living and the dead is at its most porous at this time. It’s a great time to think about and honor one’s ancestors.

Now that I have kids (who are now teens), Halloween traditions in recent years have revolved around their costumes and activities. They now prefer to trick or treat with their friends, but I still love Halloween. I love the adult parties, and the fact that a street in my town closes to traffic for the evening, turning into a Halloween event for kids and adults alike. And yes, I’ve been known to swipe a few pieces of candy from my kids’ loot.

My Halloween traditions and memories

I continue a Halloween tradition from my parents, which is pumpkin-carving on the day before Halloween, and then retaining the seeds, cleaning them, and roasting them. Growing up, I was always amazed at the creative carving of which my mother was capable. Sadly, I did not inherit her skills, but my kids have come up with some creative ones over the years.

I also have vivid memories of my childhood and teenage Halloweens. I don’t remember all of my costumes, but notable ones were a detective, a Ghostbuster, a cat, and a rock star (can’t remember who, but possibly Joan Jett or Pat Benatar). I recall making a “leather mini skirt” for my rock star costume from a trash bag.

My childhood neighborhood Halloween memories

Growing up, people in my hometown really got into Halloween. In my neighborhood, it was almost a competition to see whose house was the “scariest.” As a teen, my brother and his friends would decorate our entry way and front lawn by putting gravestones and chairs for “zombie” dummies to sit in the yard, crank the spooky music, place dry ice everywhere for creepy steam, and some strobe lights for added effect. They would all dress up as “dead people” and sit in some of the chairs in the yard, blending in with the zombie dummies. When the sun went down and the little kids came out to trick or treat, they would come to our house, only to be fooled and scared by one of the “dead zombies” who would pop out of a chair to frighten them.

Rubel Castle

Our haunted house didn’t hold a candle to that of a neighbor, who literally lived in a castle behind us called Rubel Castle. There is a lot of history at the castle, which is family-owned and even boasts its own cemetery. It is now a tourist attraction in the city of Glendora as well as a residence. However, in the past, the Rubel family really knew how to make a haunted house. The cemetery was the centerpiece, and family members who would hide and scare the neighborhood kids. Dummy “mummies” would drop from the ceilings in some of the corridors. There were a few years that I couldn’t even bear to venture in – it was that scary.

The present day

As for this year, I am dressing up as Little Red Riding Hood, going to a party, and will continue the pumpkin carving and seed-roasting traditions. We don’t make a haunted house or pass out candy to kids, as kids don’t trick or treat on our street. Our town designates a couple of streets and neighborhoods for trick or treating. I enjoy walking down Oak Street, the main Halloween drag in my town, to see all the spookily-decorated houses.

I hope this holiday season brings us the joy and connectedness that so many of us need today.

What are some of your Halloween traditions? Do you remember any of your childhood costumes?