October 25, 2014

5 things about Halloween that make me disproportionately happy

This past summer, my dear online friend - and fellow vintage blogger - Lindsay, from the wonderful site Ms. Lindsay Lane - shared an entry called 5 Things That Make Me Disproportionately Happy This Week. As someone who is a huge fan of happiness and making a conscious effort to take stock of the things in life that bring us joy, this post spoke deeply to me and I knew instantly that I wanted to write one (or more) of my own along the same vein.

I had a lot of posts in the works at the time, so I tucked the idea away for a rainy day, and as it has been pouring kitties and puppies (speaking of which, if I a fabulously cute vintage Vera novelty print scarf in shop right now with that very expression at the heart of its theme) for much of the past week, now seemed like an ideal time.

If you've been following my blog for very long, then chances are you know that I am wildly, head-over-heals, completely in love with Halloween. I have been for as far back as I have memories and know that I absolutely always will. It's my very favourite holiday and second favourite day of the year, trumped only by my wedding anniversary (which, intentionally, falls in the same month).

There is a certain sort of giddy glee that fills my heart come autumn that is unlike any other I've ever experienced. I start decorating in September, baking festive treats come October, watch my favourite spooky (and frighteningly cute) movies and TV shows weeks in advance, throw parties and/or family shindigs that celebrate All Hallows Eve, and usually (this year has been a rare exception for me on that front) have my costume picked out months in advance.

If it was up to me, I could happily leave my October holiday decor out all year round, but perhaps - as I was saying here just the other day - a fair bit of its magic lies in the fact that decking the halls and oneself for Halloween only happens once a year.

There's no shortage of things about Halloween that bring me bliss, but today on this slate grey, heavily windy autumn morn, a mere six days before the big night arrives, I thought it would be great to follow Lindsay's post theme lead and share an entry about five things in particular about Halloween that always, without fail, make me disproportionately happy.




It's fun without a worry!



{Unlike most of the big holidays, Halloween doesn't usually come with the need to cook an epic meal, have a house full of out-of-town guests, spend lavishly on gifts, worry about your decor looking like it's worthy of a spread in Better Homes and Gardens, or having some of the other stresses and pressures that go along with, say, Christmas or Easter. Sure, you can get just as swept up in Halloween and some certainly do, but for many - myself included - it's a massively welcome break from the formality and work of many holidays and a time to kick back, go to town on sweet treats, decorate how I please, don a costume, and let my inner child out for a night of good, old-fashioned spooky fun!}




Listening to campy mid-century Halloween songs


{One of the sharpest Halloween memories from my childhood involves getting picked up from school, dressed to the nines in my costume after a day of celebratory classroom fun, the thrill of the evening's events ahead of me, and hearing The Monster Mash and Purple People Eater on the radio as we drove home, the crisp, beautiful end-of-October golden light filling the car and shimmering on the tumbling leaves that whipped up on the road as we sped along. My folks always played all of the classic Halloween songs at home for us, too, be they campy, scary or just plain fun! These included those two mid-century greats mentioned above the Ghostbusters theme song, Thriller, Witchy Woman, Runnin' With the Devil, (Don't Fear) The Reaper, and numerous other hair raisingly awesome Halloween tunes that I still keep in heavy rotation each October to this very day.




Watching (and re-watching) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown


{While there is no shortage of festive TV shows and movies that I absolutely MUST watch without fail each October, the two that are the very nearest and dearest to my heart are Disney's 1990s classic, Hocus Pocus staring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker, and the 1966 gem that is the animated TV special, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I've seen far more times than I have years to my name and pretty much know it verbatim at this point, which just makes me adore it all the more. After all, who amongst us won't always secretly hope that the Great Pumpkin really did show up for Linus the very next year - or that we'd see him ourselves if we spent the eerie evening in a pumpkin patch?}



Going out trick-o-treating


{Though it's been 14 years now since I last donned a costume and went door-to-door in the name of gathering a pillow case full of candy, this beloved annual tradition still remains one of my very favourite elements of Halloween. I love to say, kiddingly of course, that between my young sounding voice and short stature (barely 5'2”), I could easily dress up and prance around the neighborhood in the name of mini chocolate bars and lollipops, if so desired. It is desired, I won't lie, but I haven't to date and will probably hold off there - tempting as it is - until I have wee ones of my own or nieces/nephews to take out for sweets on All Hallows Eve. Until then, I'll derive just as much joy from handing out candy, while in costume, to all the little ones that come to our festively decorated door each October 31st. }




The spooky, electric feeling in, and unmistakable scent of, the air


{There should be a specific word just for the way the air seems to be alive with...the dead?...well, at least a mixture of fun and fear, frivolity and fabulousness come Halloween night. Objectively, it's a blend of chilly mid-autumn temperatures, the scent of countless thousands of fallen leaves, usually a bit of earthy dampness, the smell of candles burning in jack-o-lanterns near and far, and, I swear, just a hint of sugary caramel. It's magical, it's unmistakable of a kind, and it will always be one of the elements of this hauntingly marvelous day that makes me over-the-harvest-moon happy about the very last day of October.}



{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}






This is but a mere drop in the bucket (or would that be "in the cauldron") of things that relating to Halloween that make me off-the-charts happy, and it was tricky (trick-or-treaty?) to stop here. Perhaps this will have to be a post I repeat in future autumns to come as well!

With these last few days ticking away, my happiness and excitement levels are reaching their zenith. Soon, in just six more sleeps, I'll be able to slip into my costume, celebrate with Tony and my folks, hand out candy, re-watch some of my favourite festive flicks, and revel in the fun fright night activities and merriment that make Halloween the sensationally awesome day that it is!

On the one hand, I can hardly wait, and on the other, I want to savour and enjoy each of these last few days as much as I possibly can! Tell me, my dear boos and ghouls, what are some things about Halloween (or if you don't observe/celebrate it, mid-autumn in general) that likewise make you as exuberantly happy as a ghost at a buy one, get one free creaky chain sale? :)

34 comments:

  1. I'm pretty bummed because the hubby and I will be missing our usual Halloween event so we won't get to dress up this year! And we live in an apartment complex so we don't get trick or treaters either. :(

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  2. oh how i miss the crisp october air. halloween is my favorite holiday, and it's just not the same since moving to florida. don't get me wrong, florida has its charms...but my favorite season is so very, very different here. (well, *all* the seasons are different here, LOL).

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    1. I'm sorry that you don't get that iconically crisp autumn air in Florida, dear Nicole. Hopefully you can enjoy the spirit of it and the whole festive season vicariously through the spat of Halloween posts I've been sharing lately and will continue to in the coming week (there's at least two more All Hallows Eve themed ones in the works as we speak).

      Big hugs & many thanks for your comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Ah your joy is so infectious! You're right that this kind of post is actually a really nice thing to read and makes a change from the norm indeed. As I've said before, I wish my country 'got' this holiday the way yours does, but I think we're years off that happening... last year I didn't get a single trick or treater come to my door! I mentioned this to a colleague at work and she said she'd had the grand total of one (and that if she'd known, she would have given them the whole tub of candy rather than getting stuck with it all herself!). I'm enjoying everyone's Halloween posts though, so that's something :) you're very right on the first point - it's a holiday all about fun with none of the stress. We need more of these! CC x

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    1. Aww, why thank you, sweet gal. I'm tickled pink (errr, orange?) to know that my jubilant passion for Halloween is inspiring you to feel even more festive, too. Yay! :)

      I hear you loud and clear. We lived in a high rise apartment in Toronto for a few years and on at least two different Halloween nights, got zero kids (with 10 or fewer the other years). Since moving to (my hometown) of Penticton, BC, we've handed out candy once at our condo and once at my parent's house. We had a better turnout at our place, so that's where we'll likely be doing it again this year. I really hope that you have a better turnout this year, honey! It's a shame that towns don't have registries of houses/apartments that were handing out candy so that kids would know right where to go to get their yummy sweets.

      Big hugs & very happy Halloween costume down wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Oh, dear...
    Jess, without knowing it, you have done me a grand favor here: I have been searching for "that tune" literally for a decade (that was the last time I've heard it!). So, it's "the Monster Mash" - can you hear a huge stone dropping from my back? :) It's such a relief, to finally cross that off my list (there are more "tunes" and "scenes" on the list, not to worry)..
    Again, your post is amazing. Even to someone who, like myself, has never had the chance to fully feel the joy of the holiday - as you know, we don't celebrate it over here. But, it still finds ways to inspire me - one does not need to celebrate it in order to like it. Right?
    We do carve pumpkins. It's the season for that.
    We also make pumpkin pies, pumpkin soups.. pumpkin everything! Simply because it's everywhere, and t tastes divine..
    ...
    AND: my doctor told me: "Pumpkin is our version of banana"

    I can only imagine your joy rising, as the day gets closer.

    Hug
    Marija

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    1. Yay!!! I'm thoroughly thrilled to have been able to reunite you with this fabulously fun (and completely campy) classic, dear Marija. That warms my Halloween loving heart to no end - as does knowing that I've helped to inspire you and fill you with the spirit of this frighteningly fabulous celebration. (Definitely, not one doesn't have to celebrate something to love it - there are various holidays from around the world and different religions that I've never celebrated, but which I love and would happily partake in, if given the chance to do so.)

      Huge hugs & joyful Halloween week wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Its so much fun isn't it? My children cannot wait and then 2 days later my little one turns 4!!!!! Gahhhhh xox

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  6. I'll have to check out the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Haven't seen this one in a few years and I'm sure my kids will love it:) It is also so much fun to pass out Halloween candy to the children and see all their costumes.

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    1. I really hope they do, dear Joanna. It is such a timelessly marvelous classic! I was just thinking last night how one year it might be fun to dress up as either the Great Pumpkin or one of the characters (in their Halloween costumes) to honour this fun 60s classic all the more.

      Happiest Halloween countdown wishes to you and your family!
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Hocus Pocus is on my list too!! Also, the Addam's Family and ET :) I like Halloween too, but in England we don't tend to do much or it and I am not in the swing of the full blown decorating that happens over here - this is the first year I bought decorations!

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  8. I could send you my kid to take trick or treating.

    I like the photo of the trick or treaters in the snow-most years we had snow on the ground by Halloween, or it was freezing cold and you needed a coat over your costume. Those kids must have had stronger constitutions, or a less neurotic mother than I. Maybe both.

    So my youngster is going as the Penguin from the Batman TV series, and I offered to dress-up and go as his sidekick. I was told, "That's not a costume...you ALWAYS dress like Ethel Merman." Ouch.

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    1. By all means, feel free to send your youngster my way. I'd happily take any wee ones around for the evening - and ensure that they said their "please and thank yous" at each house we went to (something my parents instilled in us from day one).

      I seriously love that your child knows who Ethel Merman is. Major props headed their way!

      Joyful Halloween wishes to your whole family,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Loved this post! I kind of hadn't realised how excited I was about Halloween until I read this! First Halloween in my own house so I am really excited to decorate and do some baking!

    Still an avid reader, keep producing the fun posts :)

    Authentic Alice

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    1. Thank you, sweet dear. Oh, that is wonderfully exciting!!! My mom let me take over the reigns to a degree with Halloween decor once I hit my teens, but there was nothing quite like the first time I had a place of my own to decorate. I hope you had/have a blast and that you're able to start building the beginnings of a lifetime collection of holiday decor from this fall onward.

      Joyful Halloween wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. I love all of your choices but Id add a few things to the list: the universal monster films, Arscenic and old lace, and the 1940s Disney Ichabod crane cartoon. I definitely like my movie marathons

    retro rover

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  11. I want to watch Hocus Pocus on repeat now.
    I have always loved Halloween as well, but sadly I didn't buy any decorations this year! I think I'll remedy that by buying some after Halloween, and keeping them in a box as we did when I was younger.
    We used to go all out with decorating our house and yard when my sister and I were kids, but with the neighborhood kids getting older, and a lot of families going out of the neighborhood to trick or treat, we sort of stopped. But I usually decorate my room!

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  12. I adore that black and white photo of those adorable children! Sooo cute! And look at that big paper bag! :D

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  13. I love that it's an excuse to get dressed to the nines in an elaborate costume. For a geek and cosplayer, that is heavenly!

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  14. What a darling post idea! I love how fellow bloggers inspire us, and I love seeing how other bloggers interpret various idea!

    I also completely agree with all of these things!!!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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  15. Oh, yes, The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I love that. Great post, Jessica. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  16. Fall is my favorite time of year too! And I'm crazy about Halloween! I really enjoyed this post. I watched Hocus Pocus for the first time last night and I see why it's one of your favorites. My favorite would have to be Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999). Johnny Depp plays Ichabod Crane. If you haven't seen it I bet you'd love it. My small Indiana town has the kids trick or treat the Saturday before Halloween. It is something to see the streets lined with kids on a beautiful fall evening. My 17 year old daughter sat on the porch with me last Saturday night giving out candy. She was dressed as red riding hood in a 1950's vintage red dress that had been her grandmothers. You would have approved! :0

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    1. Hello dear Alice, thank you very much for your terrific comment and for sharing some of your Halloween favourites with me. I love Sleepy Hollow as well. It was one of the first Johnny Depp films I remember seeing and the one that turned me into a massive fan of his right then and there.

      How fun that your town lets kids go trick-or-treating in advance. I've never heard of that before. I would have loved that as a youngster because it would have meant two full days of celebrating!

      Your daughter's costume sounds marvelous. I definitely give it my nod of approval! :)

      Big hugs & the happiest of Halloween week wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Fabulous post. I simply adore your poetic writing, dear. I enjoy it so much, and I agree on all five points. I don't dress up but love to decorate in general, you know, and in October I am completely in love with orange. Normally, not my colour, but it is just perfect this time of year. Please make posts like this regular, may I wish for a Christmas version? And could you recommend some cute Halloween movies? We don't have such things here in Denmark, and I would like to invite guest for dinner and a vintage Halloween movie. Not too scary because I am so easy to scare and cannot sleep for weeks having watched a movie not recommended for small children. :)

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    1. Thank you deeply, dear Sanne. I am keenly aware that my writing style does not find favour with everyone online, especially in this age of quick tweets and the zillions of posts that are little more than rows of photos, so it really does mean a lot to me to know that you're a fan of my poetic style of writing (autumn and things in general that I greatly adore really does seem to bring it out in full force in me! :)).

      Aww, that's a fantastic idea, you can certainly request a Christmas version. Thank you for doing so. Maybe a whole series pertaining to the major holidays?

      Happily! On top of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (which isn't as long as a movie, but as cute as can be and really worth watching), I would suggest the following:

      -Hocus Pocus (it's from Disney, so you know the scary factor is fairly low)

      -The Addams Family (1991) and The Addams Family Values (1993)

      -Nightmare Before Christmas (a super classic from Tim Burton)

      -Ghost Busters (especially the first one)

      -Edward Scissorhands (for the romantic Halloween lovers)

      -Casper (the Friendly Ghost - the movie from 1995)

      -An American Werewolf in London (great hit of 80s nostalgia there)

      -Corpse Bride (another Tim Burton Halloween classic)

      -Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVX2NgoJwTY)

      -Monster House (I haven't seen this one yet, but I've heard it's charming)

      -Hotel Transylvania (Ditto to Monster House - I should see if Netflix has either of them this year, come to think of it :))

      -The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (vintage Disney cartoon fun that is ideal for Halloween)

      -Young Frankenstein (such a fun 70s flick for All Hallows Eve)

      -Frankenweenie (so cute!)

      -Halloweentown (I saw this sooo many times on TV as a kid/teenager in the late 90s/early 2000s)

      -The Witches (staring Angelica Houston, one of my favourite actress of all time)

      -Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (and all of the Halloween-y A&C classics)

      And veering a bit more into "scary territory", but still not too frightening IMO, there's the terrific Sleepy Hallow with Johnny Depp from 1998.

      Thank you again for your wonderful comment and question, my sweet Halloween loving friend.

      ♥ Jessica

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    2. Fantastic list! Thank you so much for making it. I know a few of them. I am a big fan of Tim Burton and simply adore Nightmare Before Christmas. Ive seen the Monster House, but son and I didn't like it that much. I will see if our crappy Danish version of Netflix might have some of them. And I also thought about a post like this for each holiday, but since Christmas is the next coming up, it became the first on my wishlist. Wishing you a lovely weekend and hope you have fun tonight. :)

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    3. You're sincerely welcome, my sweet friend. I fully understand. We have a Canadian version of Netflix (Netflix.ca) and it utterly pales in comparison to the US one - which is really frustrating given we share a boarder! Hopefully you can find a few fun Halloween movies on the Danish ones.

      Wishing you a marvelous, mega happy, fun filled, super lovely Halloween, dear Sanne!

      ♥ Jessica

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  18. This is such an awesome post. It's so easy to forget to pause and take stock of things, but it really does make a difference in how you view your life. I might have to swipe this idea myself sometime.
    And what made me disproportionately happy is that you reminded me to make a Halloween playlist! I can't believe I haven't done that yet.

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  19. I certainly share your enthusiasm for this holiday and your vintage look at it reminds me of my childhood experiences back in the 1960's. Lovely post. And thank you thank you thank you for the wonderful comments you leave on my blog. You make me smile from ear-to-ear. You're such a nice person, Jessica.

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    1. You are wholeheartedly welcome, Ally. The feeling couldn't be more mutual. I always enjoy and look forward to your kind, insightful, fantastic comments here, too.

      I hope you've having a sensational trip and fabulously fun Halloween countdown!
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. I never thought of it, but Halloween is indeed a worry free holiday!
    This years I will not be home to dress up and scare my little neighbours when they come to the door. I am away in on work travel and will be on a plane on Friday night. :( However I do know someone who will be enjoying it deeply!

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  21. I really enjoyed that first poem, both to read and the lovely illustrations. I find it fascinating to read all about your Halloween experiences and preparations as it is so different to what I know in England. I hope you are having a fabulous week.

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    1. Isn't it so charmingly lovely? I adore how vintage poems were often illustrated and featured in books and magazines in decades (and centuries) past. We need a return to that again these days.

      The flu is letting up and I was able to go out on Tuesday night and find my costume at long last, so things are definitely looking up and I'm optimistic that Friday's celebration will be a marvelous one (as I hope it will be for you as well, my sweet friend).

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. My dearest friend, I can imagine why is such a exciting time in Halloween. Seems so much fun! Halloween as you experience in not known in Portugal yet. Influenced by films we finally began to celebrate Halloween in schools, for the joy of little kids. I wish I had grown with that magic too! :)

    Hugs,
    Beta

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