This is a quiz to determine if you walked around the square as I did in my past Halloweens. First of all, do not be afraid to admit, you share the fifties decade with me. Did you go trick or treating? Had you ever heard of trick or treating? Did you have an elaborate costume bought from a costume shop? If your answers were all “NO”, then you definitely joined me on a walk around the square. Trick or treating came into popularity much later. Perhaps this was to eliminate the tricks’ part. Your favorite “dress up” would have been a ghost made from an old bed sheet with eyes cut out or a false face bought from the five and ten. Did we have fun celebrating this annual holiday? The big event was the Halloween Carnival in the SHS gym. This was always sponsored by the senior class as a money-maker for the senior trip to Washington. The gym was filled with fun and scary attractions to bring in money for the seniors. Favorite was the haunted house. The hallway behind the stage was dark, spooky and filled with witches, ghosts, and the bogie-man himself. It was so terrifying that younger children had to walk through holding the hand of a parent, but they were thrilled to make it through. We lined up to bob for apples. The “country store” always sold out of the bargains donated by folks who were glad to be rid of such. A king and queen were crowned late in the evening. After being nominated by their class, contestants collected donations in a jar to become Halloween royalty. Just before the donations were counted, some father or grandfather pushed a five-dollar bill though the slit in the lid of the jar, and that bought the crowns. After the end of the carnival, there was an annual trick always paid to our principal, Mr. Glen. Some group called a taxi to go to his house. Since he lived across the street from SHS, the culprits could watch to see him come to the door and tell the taxi to leave. Now, how do I know that! Did we have Halloween fun in the fifties? Write to Shirley at sptwiss@gmail.com.
