A Kid’s Halloween

I wanted to find out some things about Halloween from the people who enjoy it most – kids! Why is Halloween so great for them – besides the candy, of course? Since I don’t have any spare children running around in my dorm, I drove home to talk to my little brother, Lane. He’s four years old and a genuine expert on Halloween. He’s had four of them now, so he must be knowledgeable, right?

When I got home, Lane wasn’t available for an interview – he was taking a nap. So I had to wait a little while.

When he woke up, we got down to business:

Me: “What’s your favorite part about Halloween? The thing you like the best?”

Lane: “Uh…trick-or-treatin’.”

M: “What your favorite kind of candy?”

L: “I really don’t like chocolate! But I like those gummy Krabby Patties. Yeah, those are my favorite candy.”         

At this point, Lane got distracted by the news anchor on TV and exclaimed, “Wow! That’s a big number!” I’m still not sure what he was talking about. Finally, we continued.

M: “What’s your least favorite part of Halloween? Something you don’t like at all?”

L: “I DO NOT LIKE that puppy dog costume (said with disgust). I like dressing up as a clown. I really don’t like the puppy dog costume.”

M: “Why not?”

L: “UGH, I HATE THAT COSTUME! Everybody laughs at me when I put on that thing. So I got rid of it. That’s what I really hate.”

Let me take a moment to clear that up. Last year, Lane was a puppy dog for Halloween and he was so freakin’ adorable that yes, people laughed at him. But in a good way! He was just too cute for words. His face was painted with spots and it was just too cute.

I asked Lane to tell me a story about Halloween, whereupon he got a little confused and said, “A real story?” I did manage to get a joke out of him, though:

What do ghosts add to their cereal? “Boo” berries! I thought it was a pretty good joke coming from a four-year-old.

Lane went on to tell me that he’s dressing up as a clown this Halloween, and that his favorite part of the costume is the wig. When he said “wig,” he burst into really loud laughter. I’m not sure if it was some type of clown training or what, but it lasted a good while.

He decided that you’re never too old to dress up but, apparently, had another appointment to keep, because he yelled, “Let me write down summin’!” (he has a Southern accent) and the interview was over. I have a sneaking suspicion that Spongebob was coming on, but being a polite journalist, I left the boss to his business.

I hope you enjoyed a kid’s look at the creepiest of holidays, and Happy Halloween!