Why does Halloween remain the occasion upon which we Americans actually have most fun as a group?
It’s not like Halloween has inspired great art. Most of your other major holidays, for example, can claim Handel, or Mozart, or Cole Porter as their balladeers. But there’s no magnificent piece of canonical music that can be seen as the theme song for Halloween, not unless you consider “Monster Mash” a magnificent piece of canonical music.
Okay, here’s why Halloween is the best holiday: we don’t worry about it. Nobody frets about being lonely, abandoned, heartbroken, alienated, or bereft on Halloween.
I fear The Hand! I remember one from my childhood. It IS good to have a holiday that’s remained as freewheeling, untamed and open-handed as Halloween. The article makes me want to go trick-or-treating again– and who’s to stop me, after all?