Fall Is Here!

Do you know what that means? That's right...I am a Halloween junkie, and I am going to be celebrating Halloween here on my blog, because I can. Why Halloween? Why not, say, Christmas or Groundhog Day? What's so great about Halloween, you want to know. Okay, I'll tell you.

My Top Ten Reasons for Why I Love Halloween:

10. It's finally okay to have spiderwebs in the undustable corners of your home.
9. Free chocolate.
8. I love pranks*. Halloween is a great excuse to do them.
7. Socially, it's great fun to watch**.
6. It's a day to let creativity run completely loose (i.e., you have a kleenex, a rubber band, a bunch of markers, and 15 minutes to come up with a costume. Go!)
5. I can dress my kid up any way I want, and even he won't complain, because he knows he's gonna get something sweet out of the deal.
4. I love it because it's solidly FALL at that point: it's cold and there are bright colors everywhere (unless you live somewhere like Vegas, I mean. That is nothing but dirt, year round.) I get an urge to break out the hot chocolate and get snuggly with a blanket and a book when the wind is howling outside.
3. It is a perfect time of year for things like candied apples (or at least, dipping apple slices in melted caramel) and apple crisp...love, love, love it.
2. Scary stories.
1. Kids can extort candy from adults. Does it get any better than that?

To share my joy, I am going to be hosting two contests here on my blog! The winner of each will receive a bit of Halloween from me, the Queen Dork of Halloween. I can't promise that these packages will be ultra-cool or anything (more than likely, they will be just plain stupid) but at least you'll be getting a surprise in the mail. Now, who wouldn't want that?

Contest winners will be announced on October 16th (this way, I have time to mail you your treats so you get them before the 31st).

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*I'm not talking about vandalism or anything mean-spirited, I'm talking about surprising people. Putting a sound-activated spider in the doorway of your office where it couldn't be seen, and a sign out: Clap for Candy. Sitting by the front door dressed as a scarecrow and when the kids get close, suddenly coming to life. Or, my favorite, to pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters, I dressed all in black, wore a black cape and a Scream mask, and (here's the prank part) stood on a chair and put a black skirt on the front of it. That way I looked about 7.5 feet tall. When I opened the door for the trick-or-treaters, I didn't say a word. Just bent down over them at the oddest angle and dropped candy in their bags. Most of them completely forgot to say "trick or treat" and just stared. But as soon as I closed the door, there was an eruption of laughter and chattering. What could be better than that?
**It's a holiday with really no significance at all: there is nothing historical or religious that we celebrate about it (don't go off about the origins of Halloween and All Hallow's Eve, the Night When Dead Walk, the Harvest Holidays or anything like that; in America, superstitions as a way of life is DEAD, and there is nothing historical we are celebrating), so why does it continue to be such a popular holiday that we celebrate?
I think it's a way for society in general to let off steam. It is a day for kids (of all ages) to face their fears in a safe environment—they can face something scary and be brave about it—conquering fears of all kinds; or it is a day for some to be able to live out a fantasy and not get ridiculed for it. Say, loads of glitter and wings. It's so fun to watch what different people choose to do with this holiday.