At a local coffee shop two moms were in line laughing it up about all the oxymorons of motherhood beginning with something current: Halloween.
They have a point.
We encourage kids to dress up as scary monsters, blood and bandages not excluded, traipse around the neighborhood knocking on the doors of strangers begging for goodies.  Then we spend the next three weeks or three days depending on how much of a worker bee they have been on Hallows Eve and also on the kindness of strangers –literally- divvying up said candy three pieces at a time but only after getting it x-rayed (at least I have heard that’s what responsible parents do, I have however just opted for crossing my fingers and hoping that strangers actually are kind).
Grandma just bought Donovan’s thirty-eight dollar Dark Vader (that’s right I said Dark Vader) costume.  He’s lucky Grammy’s visit coincided with October because otherwise I might just have colored some black crayon under his eyes, put on a football jersey, handed him a football and called it a day like I did last year.  I will admit I am a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to Halloween.  We weren’t allowed to trick or treat at my house and somehow collecting candy from Macy’s and the Gap just didn’t have the same appeal.  Of course, this proves it’s not just about the candy because if we are talking sheer numbers then the three hundred plus stores at the mall all within two steps of each other is like the granddaddy of neighborhoods.  The Harvest Festivals fell flat too; I mean, valiant effort Mom but just not the same my dear. 

So, I’ll ask again …why?  More like… why not?

Because it’s a tradition and it’s fun and isn’t that enough?  Because kids love it.  Because it’s the one time of the year you can go out greeting your neighbors dressed as a Dairy Maid.
Because sometimes parenting doesn’t make much sense and doesn’t need to be so closely scrutinized.
I mean think of the poor lowly birthday piñata, talk about politically incorrect.  On paper, it’s all about beating the stuffing out of an inanimate animal to the wild cheers of your fellow hunters then scrambling about pushing and shoving while the best man wins.  The best man in this case being either the hardest hitter or the greediest grabber.  In comparison, a few goblins and ghosts while politely asking for a treat seems tame.  Boo.