Halloween is weird.

(Tara as a witch for Halloween, sometime in the 80's.  The party was at a casino.)

I was raised in Nevada and October 31st is Nevada Day, the day Nevada became a state in 1864.  Happy 150th birthday Nevada!  We always had the day off of school and work.  Banks and the post office were closed.  It was a VERY big deal.  Carson City always has a parade each year.  When I was in high school, we went to Carson City every year for the Nevada Day Parade.  I was a part of the band and colorguard (flags).  We would march in the parade and won first every year I was in school.  Coincidence?  I think not!  There was an elephant in the parade and I did not enjoy the elephant if he was in the parade before I was.  Elephants leave very large messes on the road.

I went to Idaho for college.  I was pumped for a day off in October.  October started off good, the middle was going well, and I re-read my syllabus again.  Wait, does it state I have class on October 31st?  Hold on!  I am pretty sure this is a mistake.  I asked a professor why there appears to be class on Halloween.  He let me know that Halloween is not a holiday.  I argued with him that, yes, I always had Halloween off of school.  Apparently, Nevada is the only state that celebrates Nevada Day correctly.  Everyone else dresses up and goes trick-or-treating AFTER work and school.  What?! Now, I have lived in Idaho for 19 years.  I still consider myself a girl from Nevada and try to take Halloween off of work.  I don't do anything special, just let myself have a Nevada Day.

This year The Daughter went off to a Halloween party at a friend's house, X-man dressed up as Iron Man, and T dressed up as a box.  Yes, a box.  Like a Box Troll, you ask?  Nope, just a box.  He comes to me and states he has spoken to many people and he believes being a box for Halloween is a good idea.  My mom had bought a Captain America costume a few years ago and I really wanted him to wear it again this year because it would probably be the last year he could wear it and I really needed him to wear this costume.  I finally folded and went with the box costume.

While we were out asking strangers for candy, T would drop something and try to pick it up and it was very funny.  He couldn't bend or walk up stairs very well.  He would ring the doorbell, say "trick-or-treat", and the people handing out candy would ask, "Are you a box?", with a confused look on their face.  He seemed to get an extra piece of candy at each house.  That poor child who couldn't afford a costume.

Halloween means something different to me but, I have grown to really appreciate Halloween in Idaho because of my kids.  They love Halloween even though they had to go to school.  They love dressing up as cats, superheroes, pumpkins, and even a box.

This year, Halloween was a good time.  I really needed a good Halloween!

Bonus:  A friend of mine took a picture of the current band and colorguard from my old high school in the Nevada Day Parade this year.  It made me smile the rest of the day.  Watch out for the elephant!