Hayter’s article for Oct 16, 2022
“October: a month of celebration”
Halloween is going to be scarier than usual this year. When I drive around the neighborhood, I notice more than just stop signs, pets, and dry lawns. I notice the scary stuff displayed in front of the houses.
Since early September my neighbors have been preparing for trick or treat. I can see getting a two-month jump on Christmas. But Halloween? My neighbor, has had a gigantic spider web running from the eve of his house to a tree at the far end of his sidewalk. Fascinating.
Near the corner of our block are the bones of a horse, pulling a hearse with a skeleton in the driver’s seat. It’s been there since Halloween 2020. To the neighbor’s credit, he commemorates other special days with minor tweaks on the same contraption. On Christmas, he may place a Santa hat on the skeleton and a red bulb at the end of the bony horse’s nose. It’s genius!
Then there are carved pumpkins in yards and on porches, ghosts in trees, and a cat in our flowerbed. These are the early signs of Halloween… all except for the stupid cat.
This adds up to me needing to purchase more candy. I don’t skimp on Halloween candy. I get what I like in case there are leftovers. To make sure there are leftovers, I turn off the porch light when the bucket runs low.
Last year we did have a lot of Trick or Treaters, yet I heard only one “Trick or treat!” Kids today are apparently not comfortable threatening strangers to give ‘em candy. Instead of a shout from the porch, we generally hear a quiet rap on the door. Occasionally, a parent might raise a small ghost or minion up and let the child ring the doorbell. I’m eager to see what I’ll find at the door this year.
But, forget Halloween… if you dare. You may not realize it, but Monday week (Oct 24) is Diwali. I too was surprised to hear of the Hindu holiday celebrated at the appearance of the first new moon that appears after mid-October.
The five-day celebration celebrates the god Rama defeating the demon king Ravana. I choose to go no further with that brief synopsis. I’ve found that it’s impossible to defend one’s spiritual faith by using human logic as an arguing point. It’s the stuff of wars.
Diwali celebrates a victory of good over evil, light over darkness, help over harm… There are five hallowed days during the festival, and something special happens on each one. The fifth is where siblings honor one another. Brothers have to be nice to sisters and vice versa. Another day is for honoring parents.
My two favorite celebrations are the Row of Lights, which is a nighttime event involving lanterns, candles, fireworks, and electric lights shining all over the place. This happens during a new moon because that’s when the night sky is at its darkest.
Tied with the Row of Lights for the best day is the Day of the Feast. I like the sound of that. You take away the curry and I’m sure there is some Hindu food I would like. (By the way, there are at least two other religions that recognize Diwali. They’re not crazy about one another, but they accept the holiday.)
I don’t want to start a revolution or anything, but, I see the Diwali event as far superior to Halloween. More food and a longer amount of time to celebrate. Schools might be closed for an entire week. So with Diwali and the Christmas Holidays, teachers might survive longer.
Speaking of holidays, I completely overlooked last Monday’s holiday. I couldn’t even tell you whether or not schools were closed for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Nor did I realize that was the name chosen to replace Columbus Day. I am pleasantly surprised that a majority in Congress agreed to change the name. Congress made the decision in October 2020. Had they waited until after November’s Presidential election, Columbus would still own the day. Neither side would come close to agreeing on anything.
I do hope the descendants of the true founders of this land reach a consensus on a name not derived from Europeans. I researched the word “Indigenous and found that it came from the English who toyed with the Latin word for “Native”. I fear we’re at a point in civilization where it’s near impossible to be politically correct when referring to one another.
Other than their horrible treatment by Anglos, I don’t know if the different nations of indigenous people have recognized enough commonality with one another to agree on a name. -- And if what I just wrote was an insult to anyone, I did not intend it to be.
That being said, do any of you remember what started all of this? Halloween! Now, I don’t think I care to even celebrate it this year. – I take that back. I am reminded of something that happened on Halloween almost 40 years ago. This small boy was dressed up in a great Darth Vader costume. Cuter than cute. I asked the lad, “And who are you?” I could hear some heavy breathing from behind the mask. Thinking his mask would muffle his voice the kiddo yelled, “I’m Dawth Vadah!”
The moment was a prize that revisits me every Halloween season. As does the movie “Meet me in St. Louis”. I have watched the Halloween part of that movie more times than is mentally safe. So, this coming Halloween, I will be praying for another Darth Vader-like experience. – That was the cutest kid I ever saw… yet I never got a look at his face.
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