By True Places Magazine Staff Writers
I didn't grow up with Halloween. It wasn't celebrated where I lived and was viewed with at most mild curiosity by my family and local community. It just wasn't part of my (or my partner's) childhood traditions, so when we had our own kids we didn't expect to give Halloween a second thought.
But turns out it's a BIG DEAL where we live now, in a densely populated urban area. It's a true communal event, and one of the only times in the year that almost the entire neighborhood gets together outside and actually interacts with each other. Driven by our kids not wanting to miss out, we've come to love it.
I still couldn't explain to you why people celebrate Halloween (well, I could go into the pagan origins but no-one cares!), and neither could most of our neighborhood. But it's become a national secular holiday divorced from its origins and the reality is people love an excuse to dress up in costumes, decorate and collect candy. More importantly, people love the chance to meet their neighbors, sit on their stoops, see others on the communal streets and have a shared experience. And, let's be honest, carving pumpkins is pretty fun!
What's your favorite part of Halloween in your community?