Trick or Treat Made Better

This Halloween, the kids in my St. Louis neighborhood lost out. In the God-Belt of eastern Tennessee, a lot of communities were stirred up over the issue of which night was correct for trick-or-treating... Saturday, the 30th, or Sunday, the 31st. Those pushing for Saturday trick-or-treating reasoned it would be irresponsible to trick-or-treat on Sunday and send grumpy, sugar-stuffed children to school on Monday--and, they noted, Sunday is for Church. Those favoring Sunday trick-or-treating, including me, simply pointed to the calendar--Sunday is the 31st and that is Halloween. So while this turmoil fueled the local Tennesee t.v. newscasts, on Saturday, I returned to St. Louis, where it seems everyone trick-or-treats on the 31st. Sanity restored, I thought, until I realized how much sharper the Tennessee children, and their parents, are. Kids who trick-or-treat on the 30th can scout out which houses hand out Reeses Cups, Snickers and other good stuff. Then on the 31st, it's possible to make a return trip. After all, no one is going to refuse candy to a bejewelled princess or wobegone ghost whose parents didn't know Halloween was moved up one day. Next year, Halloween--or at least the 31st--falls on a Monday. I predict those crafty Tennessee trick-or-treaters will figure out how to doorbell ring for candy at least three nights in advance. In my neighborhood, the children probably won't be any wiser. Unless, of course, they remember to skip my house completely. This year, I handed out the weird mixed bag candy. And when that ran out, I gave peppermints that never made it onto last Christmas's gingerbread house. Next Halloween, I plan to  hand out the candy canes.