Halloween was one of my dad’s favorite holidays. Only my dad was allowed to answer the door when the kiddies arrived on Halloween.
Dad waited expectantly by the door for the first trick or treater to arrive. If the little goblin didn’t say, “Trick or Treat!” my dad would not give away our treasured candy. So even teenagers who dared come to our door would NOT be given any candy until they said, sometimes with eyes rolling, “Trick or Treat.”
My dad reached into our bowl of goodies after the child spoke the Halloween phrase and placed the candy into the bag.
Then, quick as you can say, “Trick,” he grabbed the bag, yelled, “Trick!” and slammed the door.
The funniest part about the whole Halloween Trick or Treat scenario was that when he opened the door, the child (and his parents who were usually standing at the end of the sidewalk) stood frozen in time, still holding out his or her little hand where the bag had been, horrified!
Of course, Dad always handed back the bag, but the image of those parents and their child standing in exactly the same spot in exactly the same position still brings back fond memories of a Happy Halloween.