Halloween Has Arrived

I know you’re saying, “But Keiko – Halloween is 26 days away!”

Not in Salem, Massachusetts it’s not. Halloween arrived bright and early on October 1st, as it does every year in Salem. We’d been seeing the uptick in tourists the last two weekends in September. But come October 1st, every year, they start coming in droves.

We’ve been a year in our house now. When we first moved in and started meeting folks around town, they would say, “Are you ready for October?” And we’d reply, “Is it really that bad?”

And then they’d laugh and laugh at us.

Let me be clear: I love living in Salem. It’s a great town with a fantastic mayor and a small business community to put others to shame. It’s just that October is a very special month indeed.

We literally have something happening every day of October to celebrate Halloween in our town:

We also have an entire magazine devoted to all of the things happening this month… “haunted happenings” you could say.

(To be honest, until I wrote this post, I always thought they were the same entity. Not so, apparently. I wonder if Haunted Happenings the organization and Haunted Happenings the magazine ever duke it out Sharks-Jets style.)

Salem certainly attracts a distinct crowd. Lots of capes around town – and not just in the month of October. Salem High School’s mascot? A witch on a broom. Salem News? Witch on a broom. Salem Taxi Co.? Witch on a broom. We have a large number of psychics and witchcraft shops. And the capes… did I mention the capes?

Funny thing is… for all the focus on witches and witchcraft, Salem was a pirate town before it ever became associated with witches. In fact, Salem was one of the largest, most profitable merchant seaports in all of the US  up until about the War of 1812. And most of the famous witch trial activity actually happened in Danvers, the next town over. They were happy to keep the two big malls; they let Salem take the brunt of the tourism.

It’s a cultural flavor to which we’ve definitely had to adjust. No one likes a touristy town when it comes to traffic and just trying to patronize your favorite local vendors on a lovely fall weekend. But weirdly, we do like living in a touristy town for all the fun people that come out. You hear more languages and accents walking around town. You might strike up a conversation with someone from Alabama or Ottawa. (In fact, we get whole busloads of people from Canada.)

And it’s great to watch people get excited about businesses you support in the dead of winter, when there’s nobody but us locals here.

I have to admit: after a year of living here, it’s nice to feel like one of the locals.

And so Halloween rolls into town like the circus: colorful characters parade the streets, businesses are dressed up in their finished blacks and oranges, and a nightly carnival complete with Ferris wheel and carousel and plenty of kettlecorn. It is extraordinary the amount of work the town does to get itself ready each year and they pull it off with style and finesse.

On October 31st, All Hallows Eve, the town celebrates with quite the festivities: concerts, costumes, and fireworks. Yes – fireworks. We romp and stomp in the streets, pose for pictures with the kids wearing the really cool costumes, and have ourselves a grand time. All of Salem turns in to one big Halloween party for the night.

And the on November 1st, save for the bit of confetti that got missed by the street sweeper – you’d never know anyone was here for the month of October. It’s like the Halloween Circus just up and vanishes overnight.

Salem residents go back to our lives, happy to have a little less traffic and a little more elbow room at our favorite bars.

. . .

Larry and I were really excited about having our first trick-or-treaters last year. We’ve lived in apartments and dorms, but this time we had an honest-to-goodness-come-ring-the-doorbell house last year, so we were excited to see all those kids in costume.

Last year, we only got 4 kids. Granted, we live on a side street, so I don’t think it’s on most people’s trick-or-treat routes, but still. We are toying with the idea of giving out full-sized candy bars (a dream of Larry’s – I wish I was kidding) so that next year, everyone comes to our house to score the GOOD candy.

. . .

I can’t wait to make my future children Halloween costumes, to parade them around the neighborhood, to help them carve their first pumpkin, to revel in all the mischievous fun that comes with Halloween.

You wouldn’t think Halloween could be one of those holidays that makes the infertile’s heart ache a little, but it does.

. . .

My parents are coming to town to stay with us for Halloween weekend to experience all the fun and madness for themselves. Fingers crossed, Larry’s parents will come up too. I have a feeling Halloween is going to be awesome this year.

Now I just need to figure out what the hell I’m going to be for Halloween!

I’m always up for timely, clever or quirky costumes, such as these greatest hits:

• Carmen Sandiego (red trenchcoat and fedora and hey- what happened to my drink?)
• Happy Bunny (white sweat suit, bunny ears, and rabbit make up, along with heartless commentary all night)
• House Arrest Martha Stewart (blond bob wig, denim button down shirt, khakis, handcuffs and smeared mascara)
• Failed Senate Candidate Christine O’Donnell (witch hat and a t-shirt I made last year that said “I dabble but I don’t diddle”)

I’m at a loss for a costume idea this year.

Readers: suggest your witty costume ideas in the comments!