What is to come for Halloween future?

Halloween, the one time of year our little ones are allowed to knock on a strangers door, smile & say Trick or Treat before receiving a sugar filled treat. They head home to devour too many sweets & stay up too late watching monsters, vampires, ghosts & many other traditional goulish movies. Some of us go to Halloween partys dressed as tv or movie characters, superheros, traditional fright characters, too short dresses or oversized costumes trying to win prizes or just to have a good time & have a few drinks with friends. Our children go to carnivals & parades, bob for apples & pose for pictures. These are memories we cherish, look back upon & smile.

However, very soon those traditions may end as year after year the rules get stricter. The traditions questioned & changed, eliminating the things thought to be wrong. For instance, when I was a child, we went to school the last Friday before Halloween anticipating the afternoon when we had our class partys. We spent the morning distracted, waiting for the time to come for our teacher to say: Alright now class, let's go get our costumes out of the cubby. We would then pull our costumes over our clothes & march down to the playground or gym depending on the weather & parade around in front of the parents & teachers & other children in the school. Then we'd march back up to our classrooms to pumpkin & skeleton covered plates overflowing with chocolates & sweets, cupcakes & treats. A matching cup filled with juice & a matching napkin. We would then sit around chattering & filling up on sweets before dismissal. Then we'd pack our extra snacks up in a bag & head to the bus to go home. We'd come home with a ton of energy & anticipating trick or treat.

Tomorrow is my 9 1/2 year old son's Halloween party. He'll wait all day in anticipation, go out to his locker & grab his costume. Then, he'll head back to his class, put his costume on over his clothes. When the principal calls out thier grade, they'll march down to the playground, parade around in front of parents, teachers & other children in the school. Then they'll march back up to thier classrooms for a pumpkin or skeleton decorated plate which they'll put fruit & veggies on. Then go back to thier seats & play with the little trinkets the parents have sent in. Then at 3 pm, they will go home, minus any leftover sugary treats but a backpack full of trinkets.

I understand the nation is overweight, I also understand wanting kids to each healthy. My problem is, there are 4 times a year when there are parties. Only a few times a year do we get a free pass to let our kids fill up on junk food without feeling guilty. Isn't a child's Halloween party a great time for it? I just can't understand how you can ban Reese cups & cupcakes when you're celebrating Halloween!! How many fake vampire teeth & plastic spider rings does one child really need?

And don't even get me started on the schools where the children can't even wear the $40 costume you've purchased!!!