Photo Essay – A Halloween Night’s Dream
Many people have heard about my love of Halloween, and how my family and I enjoy going all out in decorating our house to celebrate this annual event of handing out all sorts of goodies to the neighbourhood kids. After years of seeing our neighbours taking photographs of our decorations to show to their family and friends, I decided I’d like to do the same by taking you on a visual tour of how we celebrate this wonderful night for childhood memories.
Regardless of its origins, for me Halloween is about creating magic, of celebrating the power of our imagination to dream up all sorts of amazing and bizarre creations. Through the decorations we place all over the front yard and on our house, we work to create this magical wonderland – a scene which through the lens of childhood stirs up that sense of wonderment and joy. Looking toward our house from across the street, there is that unmistakable look of a place that would seem to exist within our imagination, of something you only get to see on those rare occasions like Halloween night.
As you walk closer to the house, a charming little figure soon begins to capture your attention. In many ways reminiscent of little Miss Muffet, this little witch sitting on her bale of hay – her arm embracing the Winnie-The-Pooh shaped pumpkin by her side – has been one of the earliest pieces to adorn our house for Halloween. Her toothy grin and childlike demeanor have certainly helped to make her a favourite in our neighbourhood, with many parents taking photos of their children sitting alongside the enchanting little witch.
In addition to witches, another big staple of Halloween is the presence of tombstones and graveyards. As you take in the mini-graveyard setup on our yard, you’ll find this clown skeleton working his way out from the ground, still wearing his top hat and bow tie as his eyes twinkle to match his wide grin.
Working your way closer to our house, you come upon one of the most talked about features of our display – a cornfield-lined path heading to our door, with an illuminated trio of inflatable pumpkins casting light to beckon the trick-or-treaters to come forth to collect the treats that await them at the end. Though this year’s windstorm battered our field of corn, the sight of these tall plants climbing from out of the ground still caused its usual share of delighted smiles and thanks, if not a few children who wanted to reciprocate by serenading us with a song.
But before we reach the end of this tour, there’s one last piece of our display that deserves special mention. Next to our front door from which we hand out our share of candies for Halloween, there’s what I fondly refer to as the ‘antique’ Halloween decoration in our collection. It’s a piece that we’ve used to decorate our home for a decade now and one that allows us to add a touch of humour to our overall presentation. It’s another witch, though this one is not as lucky as the previous one, having not noticed the brick wall she was flying toward. Ouch – now that’s got to hurt.
After handing out our bags of treats to almost 200 kids, the time inevitably came for the lights to be turned off, the musical sounds of “Ghostbusters” and “Monster Mash” to no longer be played, and the fog machine to send out a final blast of its hazy mist. And by the next night, all traces of these decorations and the cornfield-like maze had disappeared, fading away like the wisps of smoke seen on the ground on Halloween night. And yet, looking at the smiles and reactions of the children who came by, perhaps it hasn’t completely gone away. Instead, it continues to linger for just a little longer, residing in that warm light under which can be found our fond memories of childhood, and the dreams they help to bring forth.
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What a magical yard! I always loved special houses like this when I was a trick-or-treater, but I never lived close by to anything this spectacular.
Thanks Saleema; I’m glad you liked it. It’s fun to hear the delighted sounds and comments as the kids walk up the driveway and down our path. Of course, the real payoff is seeing the big smiles on their faces when they reach our door.
Like you, I have fond memories of those houses people went all out to decorate on Halloween night. It’s nice to think that by creating this magical place for Halloween we can give other kids the chance to have such fond memories as well.
Thanks again Saleema for the lovely compliment.