Boo! Halloween is here!

The air is cooler and crisper. We grab a sweater or jacket as we go out the door. Our grocery stores offer pumpkins and gourds of all sizes and shapes. Mums in yellows, purples, and oranges beg to be taken home. Then there is the candy. All kinds are ready to be handed out to eager trick-or-treaters. According to Candy Store, the top five choices for 2026 are M&M’s, Sour Patch Kids, Skittles, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and NERDS Gummy Clusters.

Halloween is a test of willpower. Big Guy and I try very hard not to buy trick-or-treat candy until the very last minute. Going to the grocery store is tough; you have to pass mountains of tempting candy. Putting calories aside, we indulge. After all, it is just once a year.

As a young trick-or-treater, I could not wait to get home and sort out my collected goodies. My goal was to get lots of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Some trick-or-treaters would trade — a Snickers or a Baby Ruth might get me another Reese’s. Some houses tried to give healthy treats like apples. They got eaten last, if at all.

Fast-forward, and we watched as our own youngsters got caught up in the excitement as Halloween approached. We would help them choose and then make their Halloween costumes. Nowadays, it seems there is less creativity, and youngsters opt for a store-bought character. One Halloween, my three boys set out to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood. It was a rainy night, and it seemed the youngest’s bag dragged on the ground, allowing his candy to spill out the bottom. His older brothers had to share, not cheerfully.

Halloween and its traditions go back many centuries. Its roots are often traced to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in Ireland and other parts of the Celtic world. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead grew thin. People lit huge bonfires and gathered to protect themselves from harmful spirits. Over time, these traditions blended with Christian observances, helping shape the Halloween we know today.

Today, adults and children dress up as creatures from the underworld — ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, and goblins. Children knock on doors to gather fruit, nuts, and sweets. People decorate houses with pumpkins or turnips carved with scary faces. What began with ancient beliefs and customs has evolved into a holiday filled with costumes, candy, and fun.

I have strong memories of carving pumpkins and the distinctive smell of the gooey insides as we scooped out the seeds. We would toast the seeds in the oven and add lots of salt. Again, times have changed, and people carve less and paint and decorate more. One plus is that the decorations last longer.

Sadly, we live in a neighborhood where it is rare for a trick-or-treater to stop and ring our bell. We still get candy, just in case. We remember our old neighborhood, and as darkness fell, jack-o’-lantern faces flickered and grinned back from porches. The doorbell would ring, the dogs would bark, and Big Guy and I would go to the door to see what had arrived on our doorstep. We would see it all, from beautiful and glamorous to ghoulish and scary.

Embrace the holiday. Grab a mask, a bag of candy, and get spooky!