Halloween--What's the Point?

In October I'll be host
To witches, goblins and a ghost
I'll serve them chicken soup on toast
Whoopy once, whoopy twice
Whoopy chicken soup with rice
                                                            from Chicken Soup With Rice    
                                                                          by Maurice Sendak

       Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. I was always too little to go with my sister and her friends. My brother was too much of a baby for me to even think about going with him. I wasn’t allowed to go to people’s houses who I didn’t know, so I didn’t go with the neighborhood kids who were allowed to go really far. Then there was the issue of getting lost. I was really afraid I might not be able to find my way back home in the dark. So mostly I liked to stay home and give out the treats.
       As a grown-up, I question the sense of warning kids about strangers all year. Then for one night, encourage those same kids to go to strange houses and ring the doorbell.
       Why do we tell kids they need to avoid sugar and sugary snacks all year long, and on one night, give them the okay to overindulge?
       Then there’s the issue of the costumes. Sometimes it’s really cold on Halloween. The hard work and creativity get covered up by winter jackets, hats, scarves and mittens! Then there’s the problem with the gory, really scary make-up!
       All in fun, people tell me. My idea of fun is something other than going to great lengths to scare little kids then tell them it’s okay to drown their fear in chocolate covered everything!
       I give the kids who come to my house quarters instead of candy. No one has complained, yet and I like the leftovers!
       I’m only kidding a little bit about all this. I will get past Halloween. I always do.
                                                                                                                                                      --stay curious!