dual personalities

Halloween has always been big in my household. The candy had appeal, of course, but for my boys the fun was all in the costume. The discussion of what to be for Halloween started so early that I had to institute the “not before October” rule to save my sanity — because everyone knows that Halloween costumes have to be HOME-MADE! I never could have survived had I not had friends who were handy with a needle. I can make capes, but that’s about all.

Sometimes friends who lived out of the village would come in to trick-or-treat and the children agreed on a theme. There was a Star Wars year and a Lord of the Rings year and once everyone went as a Harry Potter character.

Here we have the Weasleys — the twins, Ron (Chris) and Ginny — Dumbledore, Mad-eye-moody, Harry (James), and our very own Dobby the House Elf (Tim) complete with tea cozy hat and pillow case top. Poor Tim was in Kindergarten and when he wore the costume to school everyone thought he was some kind of weird frog because five-year-olds don’t read Harry Potter. Oh, well. He had a better time in other years.

Sometimes we opted for classic movie monsters like the Wolf Man

Lon Chaney eat your heart out

or the Phantom of the Opera. The mask was a real challenge.

Sometimes we went literary. Meet Edgar Allan Poe with his very own raven and black cat. The mustache is a little Charlie Chaplin but the cravat works.

Occasionally things have gotten really elaborate. Can you name the beast?

Hint: red is the bad color

And last but not least (at least for this year), here’s a very simple favorite:

Death (English style) takes a holiday. Note the hat, pipe, and sandals with socks.

What are you going to be this year?