The excitement of the Halloween season has dwindled and all but disappeared into darkness. For some of us, post halloween (or haunt) depression has set in leaving us twiddling our thumbs with thoughts of how to do it bigger and better next year. Home haunts are striking their sets, the big show theme parks are making the switch to the winter holiday seasons and stores already have aisles dedicated to that jolly fat guy who is set to make his appearance in about 6 weeks. Here in Southern California we aren’t experiencing fall weather so we live vicariously through our friends in other parts of the country who get to enjoy crisp evenings and beautiful changing leaves. I have to assume that elsewhere the weather is getting colder; signaling people to take down their skeletons and hang up their lights.
The build up to the big night is a flurry of activity and before you know it, you’re turning the porch light off and raiding your kid’s loot bags after they have passed out in their beds from exhaustion. In the following days you will, hopefully, find the energy to take down your decorations. Removing those fake spider webs are the worst. It’s a battle between you and those obnoxious fibers that drift into the air, landing wherever they want…usually in places that you don’t notice until neighbors come over and comment on your left over “halloween spirit.” The house seems so plain and empty without the Halloween Village display and giant purple spider web in the window. At least pumpkins are still “acceptable” decorations until Thanksgiving!
Some candy may still be in the bowl but the spent wrappers outnumber the little pieces of edible happiness. I’m sure that school teachers are breathing a sigh of relief due to the remnants of the sugar highs leaving their student’s bodies. On the down side, you notice your pants aren’t fitting as well as they did a couple weeks ago so as soon as you eat all the Butterfingers, you promise to get back into the gym. At some point the candy gets thrown away, more than likely it’s because a child does something naughty to warrant such punishment. (I know we aren’t the only ones)
Stores may have Halloween themed items marked down to ridiculously low prices; likely tossed on some last chance shelf or a table in the far corner of the store. These last bastions of everything orange and black have anything from party supplies (plates, napkins, tablecloths), fun costume accessories , and fancy decorations for your home just waiting for you to put them in your shopping cart. Its time to plan ahead for next year so stock up while you can. Don’t forget to put these items in a safe place where you won’t forget them! Then, next September spend at least a week tearing your house apart trying to find that “safe place” before breaking down and paying full price for the same stuff you bought last year because that bag of stuff is now lost to some sort of black hole.
If you were lucky, you were able to grab some sweet deals on costumes in the days following October 31st. A lot of kids love to play dress up and being able to get that princess dress or super hero costume for 75% off makes it affordable to foster that creative play! Why buy just Ironman when you can get the whole Avenger Team? Kill two birds with one stone, buy the costumes and wrap them up for holiday presents! I’m pretty sure that Disney has enough princesses for each night of Hanukkah. The festival of lights just got a lot cuter with little Cinderella skipping around.
While the cackles of witches and groans of goblins may be fading ever so softly with each passing night, the excitement for the upcoming holiday season is growing. Be thankful for Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas and the chance to mix a little bit of the macabre into the merriment.
I hope you can catch some sweet post-Halloween deals to help combat your post-Halloween depression. And while you’re at it, go ahead- grab that ridiculous shark costume for yourself. You know you want it.
