Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Halloween

From the time I was six through the end of high school, my family decided not to celebrate Halloween. I guess technically it was my parents who made that decision, one in retrospect they admit to be a bit irrational. Thus, instead of playing dress up and overstimulating my system with sugar, I spent the formative years of my childhood eating pizza and swimming at the Holiday Inn Holidome every October 31st. While my parents' decision led to many awkward conversations as a kid ("You guys don't celebrate Halloween?!"), it's a part of my story I wouldn't change if given the opportunity. Although, I do wonder if the absence of Halloween explains my aversion to costumes in any setting and my fear of horror movies. I have slowly warmed to the holiday in recent years, though my Halloween-temperature still registers as "tepid". A big thanks to Ryan Gosling and Dead Man's Bones for easing my distaste for the spookiest day of the year. Check out a song and video below, both released this time last year.

- Joel

Dead Man's Bones - "My Body's A Zombie for You"



5 comments:

starnes family said...

What was the reason for not celebrating? Just curious.....

Joel said...

They felt that too much of the holiday focused on glorifying evil things - demons, devils, witches, etc. Later on they decided that there was a way to participate in Halloween without focusing on that side of it.

Aunt Cindy said...

Hey, speaking of Halloween, come celebrate with us on the 31st. Chili supper, goblins at the door, and maybe a roaring fire in the driveway!

Aunt Cindy

trey kazee said...

it was the same thing for me - about the same ages, too.

what changed it for me was having a family: it's like a do-over. except instead of re-doing the kid stuff, you get to do-over your parent's decision.

and now, aubren has a huge halloween party every year.

abby! said...

I got to dress up a few more years than you but I, too, hate dressing up in costumes and scary movies. But I'm ok with that...