I *heart* Halloween.

I love Halloween.  I always have, even as a child.  Of course it helps that my birthday is October 30.  As as child I had wonderful Halloween-themed birthday parties with costumes, pumpkins, candy, hot chocolate, running around in the dark, and presents.  Back in the relatively innocent 1970's, we would roam the neighborhoods by ourselves on Halloween night, scouting out the houses giving out the prime chocolate candy.  On the very best Halloween nights, the wind blew swirling leaves down the street, no one knew who you were in your costume, and your pillowcase was so full of candy it threatened to split from the weight and spill out on the sidewalk.  On the worst Halloween nights, it was cold enough that your parents made you wear a jacket over your costume and the adults gave out more candy corn than chocolate bars.  Still, the black night seemed exhilarating and spooky, but maybe that was a result from eating too much candy.  Now I can buy all the candy I could ever want whenever I want it, but sometimes I still wish I could experience once again that sense of freedom and anticipation I always felt on Halloween.