Small town America in the 1950's was not much different from today where mothers still scramble to get their children costumes for Halloween. Back in my day, costumes were mainly homemade and my mother learned what competition she was up against with other mothers when I was five.
In Shelby, where I grew up, there was an annual Halloween costume contest. I don't know when it started; I just know when my mother started me in the competition. The organizers divided children into age groups. I was in kindergarten when I first walked across the stage in a Dutch girl outfit. My last name was Vaneps, so why not? My mother bought the costume at what we called the Dime Store (Ben Franklin) in downtown Shelby and it was made out of a cheap kind of plastic.
I remember that Halloween night was very cold and the stage was on the football field. Plastic does not keep a child warm. I was a shy shivering little girl and I hated walking up some steps and across the stage. I then stood with those who came before and those who came after to wait the announcement of the winners. I wasn't one of them. My mother never again bought a cheap costume.
Mothers in Shelby knew that if their child was going to win, the costume had to be creative in order to catch the judge's eye. There was a girl in my class whose name was Mary Ann and her mother made her the most spectacular costumes. One year she was The World. Her mother had probably used chicken wire and then covered it with cloth and put the continents where they belonged. She won hands down.
My mother got very clever after the plastic costume year. She found an old robe that looked like a Japanese kimono. She shortened it for me, wrapped a sash tightly around my waist, put cork on my eyes, pulled my hair back and tucked chrysanthemums behind my ear. That year I won one of the prized silver dollars.
My most memorable year was probably when I was in 4th or 5th grade. My best friend Jean had a worm costume, but it took two people to carry it off. We had to stuff ourselves inside this long tube of material and get on the floor and scooch along. Since it was her costume, she got to be in front with her face sticking out. Her mother put a cute sparkly mask on her. I, on the other hand, had to be in the back and all I got was an air hole.
I remember us slinking along the floor and we had to go up some stairs to get to the stage. By this time the adults had gotten smart and had moved the contest inside the high school where they used the stage in the gym. As I was trying to slither along someone kicked me in the side. I had a feeling it was Jean's brother, but I could never prove it. Needless to say, I felt miserable as the back end of that worm. The only consolation was that we won. However I don't remember if we both got a silver dollar or had to split one.
In high school when we were too old to take part in Halloween, a classmate had a Halloween party at her house. I do remember bobbing for apples and that all of us wore costumes, but I have no memory of what I wore.
Another year in high school I ran around town with a group of friends and the only naughty thing we did was soap the car windows of our Latin teacher. We knew since she lived by herself, it wouldn't be nice to use wax. We also didn't want to scare her or get caught so we tried to keep our giggles from getting too loud. We really were good kids.
Now Halloween seems to be mostly about the candy. Candy was not so important when we were growing up. Oh, I don't mean that we didn't love candy. It just wasn't as plentiful. We got homemade treats like popcorn balls, cookies and fudge when we went trick or treating and we were never driven into town, but taken only to the neighbors.
As a working mother getting my own kids ready for Halloween always seemed a chore. We used everyday things from around the house and sometimes they designed part of their costume. But it was always last minute. So it was with wonder that I watched my daughter-in-law make a costume for her youngest this year and I marvel that there are still mothers who take the time to be creative. Halloween memories can last a lifetime and there are still parents who know the fun of that. Trick or Treat!
In Shelby, where I grew up, there was an annual Halloween costume contest. I don't know when it started; I just know when my mother started me in the competition. The organizers divided children into age groups. I was in kindergarten when I first walked across the stage in a Dutch girl outfit. My last name was Vaneps, so why not? My mother bought the costume at what we called the Dime Store (Ben Franklin) in downtown Shelby and it was made out of a cheap kind of plastic.
I remember that Halloween night was very cold and the stage was on the football field. Plastic does not keep a child warm. I was a shy shivering little girl and I hated walking up some steps and across the stage. I then stood with those who came before and those who came after to wait the announcement of the winners. I wasn't one of them. My mother never again bought a cheap costume.
Mothers in Shelby knew that if their child was going to win, the costume had to be creative in order to catch the judge's eye. There was a girl in my class whose name was Mary Ann and her mother made her the most spectacular costumes. One year she was The World. Her mother had probably used chicken wire and then covered it with cloth and put the continents where they belonged. She won hands down.
My mother got very clever after the plastic costume year. She found an old robe that looked like a Japanese kimono. She shortened it for me, wrapped a sash tightly around my waist, put cork on my eyes, pulled my hair back and tucked chrysanthemums behind my ear. That year I won one of the prized silver dollars.
My most memorable year was probably when I was in 4th or 5th grade. My best friend Jean had a worm costume, but it took two people to carry it off. We had to stuff ourselves inside this long tube of material and get on the floor and scooch along. Since it was her costume, she got to be in front with her face sticking out. Her mother put a cute sparkly mask on her. I, on the other hand, had to be in the back and all I got was an air hole.
I remember us slinking along the floor and we had to go up some stairs to get to the stage. By this time the adults had gotten smart and had moved the contest inside the high school where they used the stage in the gym. As I was trying to slither along someone kicked me in the side. I had a feeling it was Jean's brother, but I could never prove it. Needless to say, I felt miserable as the back end of that worm. The only consolation was that we won. However I don't remember if we both got a silver dollar or had to split one.
In high school when we were too old to take part in Halloween, a classmate had a Halloween party at her house. I do remember bobbing for apples and that all of us wore costumes, but I have no memory of what I wore.
Another year in high school I ran around town with a group of friends and the only naughty thing we did was soap the car windows of our Latin teacher. We knew since she lived by herself, it wouldn't be nice to use wax. We also didn't want to scare her or get caught so we tried to keep our giggles from getting too loud. We really were good kids.
Now Halloween seems to be mostly about the candy. Candy was not so important when we were growing up. Oh, I don't mean that we didn't love candy. It just wasn't as plentiful. We got homemade treats like popcorn balls, cookies and fudge when we went trick or treating and we were never driven into town, but taken only to the neighbors.
As a working mother getting my own kids ready for Halloween always seemed a chore. We used everyday things from around the house and sometimes they designed part of their costume. But it was always last minute. So it was with wonder that I watched my daughter-in-law make a costume for her youngest this year and I marvel that there are still mothers who take the time to be creative. Halloween memories can last a lifetime and there are still parents who know the fun of that. Trick or Treat!
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