October 5, 2017

My Halloween Obsession

"It's the most wonderful time of the year...🎶" - Me singing about Halloween

It's not about the day itself.  I mean, the most I do on Halloween is hang out with friends and help them pass out candy while drinking mulled wine. And as much I admire cosplay people, ren fair people and those awesome crazy people who dress up because it's Tuesday, I don't do dress-up myself. Although I did love dressing up as a kid and I have several happy Halloween memories caught in photos. There were cute costumes (me as a beauty pageant queen at 5 years old), uncomfortable ones (I got the idea to dress up as a "present" by wearing a cardboard box) and some just totally politically incorrect (why did my Mom think I should be Chinese?)

Cringe. What can I say? It was a different time.

But as much as I've grown up (literally not figuratively), Halloween is still my favorite holiday. It's not the day itself, it's the days leading up to the day itself. Much like Christmas, I view Halloween as a season. For me it's a month of pure unbridled, bloody, horrific JOY.
It's not just because I'm a horror movie lover. I can watch horror movies all year round, and in fact, I actually do. It's the fact that everybody embraces horror this time of year. Like, the love that I have for all things bloody and terrible extends to other people. I can share it without apologies. Heck even my best friend who abhors all horror gets into the spirit by decorating with sugar skulls (although that's probably because she's a Spanish teacher). And I realize that after the season, most people take down the decorations, stop watching the horror movies and go back to their normal lives. Still it's nice to see everyone coming together in peace, harmony, blood, skeletons and vampires. It's a good feeling.

And while I may throw up a tree, a wreath and a few assorted inherited decorations on Christmas, on Halloween I go all out. Yes, I do need to prominently display that vampire nutcracker. Of course the pirate skeleton sits on top of my DVD cabinet because that's his place and I don't care if it looks like it's staring at you with hollow eyes, I like it that way. I treasure these guys more than any lame-ass Santa or pudgy fluffy snowman because let's face it - Halloween IS my Christmas.
Although I do feel the need to apologize to every clerk or sales person in retail stores where they sell Halloween decorations. Because *I* am the girl that goes through and pushes every single button on every talking/dancing/singing Halloween piece because I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT IT DOES! I swear I didn't know that the dancing Mummy was going to sing all the lyrics to Michael Jackson's Thriller. But in my defense, how was I to know it would do that before I pushed the "try me" button? Now let's see what this skeleton with a banjo does....

Also stores like Spirit Halloween open and it's like they know me. There are wicked animatronics everywhere and I'm not happy until I've seen my share of talking statues, skittering devil babies or creepy singing zombie girls. You can keep your pretty ornaments and Christmas-scented candles. These are the things that fill me with delight. And if they happen to shriek, howl, scream or jump at me - that's even better.

So yes while Christmas is a time for family, heartwarming tales and television sitcoms ripping off the  plot of A Christmas Carol or It's a Wonderful Life, Halloween will always be my most wonderful time of the year.

That is, until I get to watch my favorite Christmas special. The one I watch every Christmas Eve -  Billy and Mandy Save Christmas. It's the one where Santa Clause turns into a vampire, and there are little vampire elves, and Malcolm MacDowell plays the head vampire who hums Singing in the Rain, while flossing his fangs. You know, the usual holiday special fare.

You know, come to think of it, I'm ready for Christmas too.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Speaketh thee up!