Why I Love Halloween

I love Halloween, first because it is the beginning of the holiday season. Being a gardener, I also appreciate it as a great time to celebrate the harvest. I think of it as a celebration of autumn.

It is the only day of the year where you can dress up as someone else and get away with it. Both children and adults can play act and "play dress up". It brings out the kid in everyone.

If you are worried about the darker aspects of Halloween like ghosts and goblin costumes, encourage your kids to be cowboys or cowgirls, firemen, doctors, nurses, clowns, hillbillies, soldiers, princes or princesses, bible characters, cats, dogs, lions, tigers, or bears.

It is a great excuse to get together with friends, coworkers and relatives which is always enjoyable. People love to have parties and Halloween is a great excuse for a party, but not just any kind of a party, a costume party!

It is a chance for kids (with supervision) to go around the neighborhood or mall and get candy. I love seeing all the little kids that come to my house on Halloween and see their costumes and pretend I don't recognize them because they look so different, then act surprised when I realize who they are. If you go out trick or treating with your children, you get to know your neighbors and your neighbors get to know your kids.

Carving pumpkins is always fun. There are so many creative ways to carve your pumpkins and I love the roasted seeds. It's the only time of year that I get to eat them. I love going to the pumpkin patch to bob for apples, get lost in a corn maze and go for a hay ride.

Whether you decide to celebrate Halloween or have a Harvest Festival, I hope you have a fun and safe celebration!