Dear Mermaid O,
As you slide on your black lipstick and don your witch hat for Halloween 2023, I remember my Halloween experiences during the 1950s and 60s. The Halloween festivities of my youth were vastly different from the spooky celebrations you enjoy today.
Finding the perfect costume was not as convenient as it is today. There was no Amazon or online shopping; instead, we relied on creativity and resourcefulness. Your Great Grandma, Myrtle Ade, might sew up something for us. But, more often than not, we’d scavenge through closets and old trunks, piecing together costumes from aged garments and remnants of fabric. Ghosts, witches, scarecrows, cowboys, and clowns, we would transform ourselves into a myriad of characters.
Halloween, for farm kids of the 1950s and ’60s, was very different from your Halloween. There were no door-to-door adventures in our small farming community. Living in the country, our neighbors’ homes were scattered far from our own, and we were very busy trying to get the grain harvest out of the fields. I was actually very jealous of the kids who lived in towns because they got to go door-to-door trick-or-treating.
If we were lucky, like the kids in town, we might get to visit Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim Morgan in Otterbein, IN, and, occasionally, we would drive to Grandma Martha Ade’s and Aunt Alice, and Uncle Everett Wright’s residence in Lafayette. The treats we received were a far cry from the mountains of candies you see today. Our treats were usually homemade treats like popcorn balls, apples, and cookies. If we were particularly lucky, we’d get a candy bar as the ultimate prize. Back then, there were no “mini” candy bars; we indulged in the full-sized ones—Milky Way, Three Musketeers, and M&Ms held a special place in our hearts.
Halloween for your Dad mirrored the experiences you’ve had. Residing in the heart of Indianapolis, Halloween had transformed into a grand holiday celebration by then. Costumes were crafted at home or easily acquired from stores, transforming him into superheroes like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Superman.
One highlight of your dad’s Halloween escapades was the annual stroll down our street, Pennsylvania Street. Carrying his plastic pumpkin bucket accompanied by Papa, they would venture through the neighborhood, returning with a bucket brimming with candy. The corner of Pennsylvania Street and 49th was known as Hamaker Corner, where all the kids would gather. Hamaker’s Drug Store, Friendly Foods, and even the local gas stations warmly welcomed neighborhood children with treats.
Another memorable Halloween was a Spooky Supper we hosted for your Dad and his cousins (Michael, Laura, and Andrew). With spooky music playing and candles to light the room, the kids were all blindfolded at the dinner table. We passed around bowls of “icky” food for dinner they had to try. There were brains (spaghetti), eyeballs (peeled grapes), bones (pretzel sticks), and, of course, a witch’s brew (cherry cool-aid). It was a great party with lots of laughter.
As you prepare for your school’s fall festival, check out the Trunk and Treat event at Sib’s on The Mountain and the nighttime walk through the illuminated woods at the Humane Society, I can’t help but marvel at how Halloween has evolved since my childhood. Yet, some things never change…Halloween is Spooktacular no matter what age.
Make Waves,
Grandma JAS