Halloween merchandisers had parents in their sights the second Labor Day was crossed off the calendar. Even the big box hardware stores, ordinarily pushing screwdrivers and generators, now had huge sales floor footprints dedicated to scarecrows, mock gravestones and black cats. It wasn’t always that way, but sales times have changed with holiday ads usually starting the previous month.
Years from now, an order of magnitude greater, wedding dresses and tuxes, will be sought after with the same energy. But for now, the preparation centers around Halloween Eve when moms and dads will be watching their kids as they utter, possibly for the first time, “Trick or Treat.”
Fractured skeleton bones, contorted screaming faces, shimmering ghosts in flowing sheets with blackened, sightless eyes. Could it be an intro to a horror movie? Of course not. It’s just a bunch of little kids hoping to score the better candy and treats when Halloween night rolls (or drags) around with clanking chains. Little ones will be dressed in puppy outfits from hours watching “Paw Patrol, “while little girls will don the glittering dresses in “Sofia The First.” Mass marketing has forced frantic parents into party stores while others tap away on Amazon looking for the most original costumes.
By contrast, big kids still have fun with this. Janet Twomey, Senior Class Advisor at Ashland High School reported “the senior class dresses up in costumes and parades through the halls of AHS for about ½ hour. This year we’re planning for Friday, 10/27 around 8:50 am. Other students line the halls and give candy to their favorites, and after the parade, teachers formally vote for the most creative and favorite individual and group costumes.”
Twomey went on regarding Halloween, 2016. “The winning group dressed in Mario attire.” For historical reference, Mario, who never seems to age, has been in the public gaming eye since “Donkey Kong” in 1981.
Over at the Warren School, principal Peter Regan said that weather permitting, the Halloween parade for his students would be outside. Asked if he was dressing up, Regan was non-committal, “I haven’t decided yet,” but his office staff had other ideas. Erin, his secretary echoed her boss but desk mate, Sandy Vienneau, said she was going to get a second year out of the bumblebee costume she had from 2016.
The personification of these costumes is the Ashland Halloween parade, organized by the Ashland Day Committee, chaired by Bill Gath and held the Friday night before Halloween. Selectman Joseph Magnani provided some deep background. “I inherited this in 1994 when Ashland police officer Harry Marchetti retired. He had started the parade to instill pride in Ashland and so the kids wouldn’t vandalize. The state was providing money under their Community Policing Program.” Magnani sadly reported the state discontinued this funding and it has fallen on the Ashland Day Committee to raise the money to continue all their programs.
“We’re always looking for volunteers,” Magnani said. Those volunteers help when the parade reaches the Mindess school. “They let us use the gym and cafeteria. We have six age categories and give out Toys ‘R Us $50.00 gift cards to the top three costumes in each category.”
“I think we had over 300 kids last year,” firefighter Mike Duca told me when we spoke at his Cedar Street location. “We start at Montenegro Square and walk to the Mindess School. It used to start at the Pittaway but getting everybody across the tracks was a problem.”
Duca is one of many who make the parade a success. “We start about six o’clock. I bring over the ladder truck. We have favors for the kids and give out juice boxes.” I asked what the favors contained. “More candy,” Duca said with a laugh.
Halloween is also a time for charitable giving. In 2016 the Ashland Senior Center put together hundreds of envelopes for school children to distribute at any home willing to support the Ashland Emergency Fund which can be found at www.ashlandemergencyfund.com.
Long time Ashland resident and historian, Cliff Wilson, provided some personal reflections. “They started the parade to curtail pranks, but I always felt safe in my neighborhood.” Wilson didn’t define the pranks although parents should always be mindful of what their children bring home.
“Whatever costumes I had, my mother made. One year I went as a cowboy. Another year I found an Army helmet and went as a soldier. We used to go from the old school to town hall” I asked Wilson if he ever had any problems going out trick or treating.
“Yes,” and almost like he was revealing a secret long kept, “it was not showing my sister the candy I got.”
Some advice from this writer who has lived through many a Halloween in urban and rural settings.
Stay with your kids, but stay off your phone.
Take lots of pictures, but be careful where you post them.
Inspect the candy, and perhaps compost open fruit. Maybe feed the critters.
Donate the pennies and nickels to charity.
Your children don’t need to eat the candy all in one night. They need sleep. You do, too.
Les Clark can be reached at lclark9247@aol.com. He will
relieve you of the Cadbury eggs.