With Halloween on the horizon I think back to my childhood. We lived down a country road with few close neighbours. Most of those had no children at home. I don’t recall that anyone ever came by for treats: no costumes, no masks and no shenanigans.
In elementary school, one of my teachers encouraged the class to participate; we often had parties and themed costume parades. Our outfits were homemade of necessity and we were often stumped when it came to new ideas.
My own kids were a different matter. Even as a toddler the eldest loved to dress up. He liked to wear a blanket dragged off his bed. With the blanket draped just so, he became Moses, leading the Israelites through the wilderness of our back hall, proceeding into the kitchen. Presumably it was the Promised Land? Sometimes he left the blanket in place on the bed and resorted to a large towel, tied securely to his head with the belt of his bathrobe.
When we visited my folks, my child tried on Grandpa’s shoes. He generally also selected a cap with a style to his liking and wore it all day. I have a photo of Luke in Grandpa’s big boots; his short legs disappeared completely into the depths. It appeared that the boots were holding him upright.
The folks had been to visit Uncle Clarence and Aunt Frances in Arizona, just once. Dad was not into flying at all. While there, he purchased a huge Mexican sombrero. It generally hung on the wall in their cramped living room, just for the visual appeal. However, there are countless snapshots with each grandchild, dwarfed in that huge, elaborate headgear. They all but disappeared in its embrace.
I have to say that I never understood the point of dress-up. My children were accustomed to participating in Christmas pageants at the church. When Halloween arrived and my boys expressed an interest, I was at a loss for costumes, as I had no experience. When Nick was small we found a puppy mask that he loved. I was able to create a hood with floppy brown ears that was passable. He was quite pleased with it. I didn’t tell him that his puppy was crafted from a fuzzy bath mat.
Many times mom was visiting at the appropriate time. Once she made each of the boys a stylish hat, similar to the Robin Hood character's. Her creation was made of folded newspaper. Simple but imaginative and they were well pleased. I don’t recall what they chose to match with it.
Another year mom fashioned a believable robot or perhaps it was a knight. Nick was clad entirely in tin cans of various sizes. The cans were tied together and clanked and rattled in a pleasing manner.
My children were very taken with science fiction. My house was overrun with Star Wars miniatures, posters and paraphernalia. One of Luke’s favourite gifts was a light saber. It played a large part in his attire that Halloween. Of course having the appropriate name helped as well.
When I started working at the seniors’ lodge, I watched as children came into the building to perform, singing or dancing. The seniors were just as delighted as the kids were. Some of them were just as likely to dress up. When I saw the magic they found in fancy dress, snazzy shoes, and makeup applied with shaky hand, I realized that their costumes transported them, back to a time when they too were children.
- Joyce Hoey is a longtime Gazette columnist
