How To Halloween, Brooklyn Edition



Halloween has been an evolving holiday for us since we left Utah, where our sleepy Mapleton trick-or-treating was very predictable, easy, and safe, albeit a bit cold.

Last year, in Miami, our Halloween was unexpectedly fun. I made a great dinner (yay me!), we carved pumpkins, we trick-or-treated and partied and it was hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Sigh. What bliss.

We all approached this Halloween with a bit of trepidation and not a lot of zest. Keep in mind that we live in a very foreign neighborhood that clearly does NOT celebrate Halloween. This is really hard to describe unless you've been here, and I think my parents now understand what I mean when I say we are TRULY minorities, swallowed up in a sea of Bengali Muslims and Orthodox Jews. So to do anything Halloween-y, we would have to leave our neighborhood and drive somewhere else. 

So we went to Ditmas Park, a neighborhood known for its posh Victorian mansions. We had to park in meter parking (nothing's free). There were masses of people walking through the streets and EVERYONE dressed up--kids, parents, dogs. If a house has candy, the owners sit on the steps to let you know you can stop there. Otherwise, don't ring the doorbell or knock. Those that give out candy spend about $100 to be able to have enough for everyone. One person gave out stretchy gloves. We even got some candy from different countries and heard many languages on the streets. I got to stare at some seriously beautiful homes and dream for a minute. The girls asked to stop about 90 minutes into our excursion and left with big smiles.

On the flip side, I spent most of the day with morning sickness. In bed. There was no fun dinner with creepy food. I willed myself out of bed to get the girls ready. Both wanted hair and makeup. Leah's witch costume was very cute but she had a perpetual sneer on her face the whole time. Hannah's cheerleader suit shrunk all of a sudden (stop growing, child) so we threw together an angel costume. She broke the headband on the way out the door. I was worried that it would end up being a ho-hum holiday and disappointing results. I had to tell myself that I can't make every holiday the best one ever! and that learning to deal with blah stuff is part of life. 

I didn't need to worry. They went to bed satisfied and happy. Leah talked about how it was fun to trick-or-trick in New York and what a different experience we got. They're learning to accept new experiences and appreciate them for what they are. NYC has a lot of energy and it truly came out in the streets tonight. 







I know this is a terrible pic, but it's supped to show how people sit on their steps to hand out candy. Most houses get really festive with decorations. It stopped being about getting hordes of candy and about enjoying community.




Comments

Beth said…
The girls are darling and even though there is just a snippet or two of the Victorian houses...I know I would be daydreaming with you. Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2015 at 8:38 PM
Larri-Lea said…
I can't wait to talk to the girls about Halloween in NY. You always make sure they have good experiences - and they will remember them! I am praying everyday that you will feel better SOON!!
November 3, 2015 at 9:26 PM
Larri-Lea said…
I can't wait to talk to the girls about Halloween in NY. You always make sure they have good experiences - and they will remember them! I am praying everyday that you will feel better SOON!!
November 3, 2015 at 9:26 PM
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