Friday, October 07, 2005

the custom of "boo"ing

No, we're not talking about what was going on inside Alltel Stadium last Sunday. I don't approve of boo-ing your team no matter how bad they might be playing. I understand the argument that says, "I paid my money and have a right to express my displeasure if my team doesn't play up to my expectations." I also believe that just because you have a right to do something doesn't make it a good idea....but I'm waaayyyy off track.

This is something relatively new to me. Halloween is by no means a new thing, but this supplement to it is. We lived in our old neighborhood for 8 years before moving five years ago, and in other places before that, but I never encountered this before we rented in a neighborhood while our current house was being built. Since then, I've seen it every year in the neighborhood we now inhabit. Perhaps someone started it 5 years ago, and it was coincidence that we were moving at the same time.

We hear the doorbell ring, and go to answer. Nobody's there, but there is some sort of container of candy on the doorstep with two pieces of paper. One is a picture of a ghost. The other explains the process in some cute little rhyme. Usually it's a cute little rhyme. This year ours was more paragraphical, with little pictures thrown in for fun, so there are variations on the theme. The ghost goes in your front window, letting others know you've already been boo'd, so you are to now be left alone. The other instructs you in its rhyme (or whatever) to go and do likewise to three other houses. In about two weeks, the challenge will be to actually find a house that has yet to be boo'd to hit. For now, it's not that difficult. The youngster, of course, wants us to take our sweet time putting the ghost in the window so we might "accidentally" get hit twice, but I stuck it out there last night nonetheless. We, in turn, got some cute little containers and candy and hit 3 more houses...which again, is great fun for him, even in the rain. All in all a great feel-good piece of suburbia.

So my question is...does anyone else do this stuff and if so, did it start about five years ago...or is that just when and where it caught up with us?

3 Comments:

Blogger S.S. said...

Oh no did I miss Halloween?

We don't have such thing as Halloween in Australia, but we have a US airforce base in Alice and heard that the suburbians where all of the American live, still have Trick or Treat on Halloweens. And few weeks ago, this American lady told me to check out her house on Halloween because she has prepared something special this time around - but opppss seems like I missed it.

9:05 PM  
Blogger Jo said...

Halloween is on 31st October....

So you didnt miss it

5:33 PM  
Blogger John said...

No, Halloween is still on its way. This is just a prelude to the big event.

12:15 PM  

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