There’s a Halloween tradition that has become HUGE in my neighborhood – Ghosting. If you haven’t heard of it, sometime after dark your doorbell rings and you think “Who the f*^@ is ringing my doorbell just when I’m putting my kids to bed so I can get a few minutes to myself? Is that too much to ask?” and when you open the door no one is there, just a paper bag with Halloween candy or Halloween-related items and a note telling you that you have been Ghosted that is written in rhyme (so not necessary, btw). Sometimes the note says You’ve been Booed and my husband and I actually got into an argument the other night because he asked who was at the door and I said “We just got Booed” and he said “Hello! It’s called Ghosted.” And I said “Well, the frickin’ NOTE says Booed!”
The rules of being Ghosted are that you are supposed to make three copies of the ghost picture and the poem and within 48 hours “Ghost” three houses yourself or … your house will be haunted!!!!!! You’re also supposed to hang the picture of the ghost on your front door so everyone knows your house has already been hit.
Being a somewhat lazy family, by the time we get around to doing our Ghosting, there isn’t a house in our neighborhood that doesn’t have that ghost pic hanging on the front door, except the one with all the No Trespassing signs in front, and you would think that the one exception to No Trespassing would be someone leaving you a bag of candy but I’m not willing to risk it, having no idea if the homeowner owns a gun. One year we drove around with our three Ghosting bags in the car for about a week until I finally drove to another neighborhood where we didn’t even know anybody and Ghosted complete strangers. I still laugh when I think about my nine-year old running from back a stranger’s front porch with terror written all over her face because I’m screaming “Hurry up! They’re coming!”
They weren’t coming.
Which brings me to this year. We got Booed the night before last and I forgot to hang the ghost pic on the front door so last night we got Ghosted. I feel somewhat guilty about this; we’re not really playing by the rules. On the other hand, if I never hang up the sign, I can almost count on some other family providing us with dessert every night until Halloween. And if I don’t go out and search for the few houses that haven’t been Ghosted, well, is that really so bad? Is it any worse than the high school kids who come around late on Halloween night without any costumes accepting free candy?
OK, OK. I hung the ghost pic on the door.
The rules of being Ghosted are that you are supposed to make three copies of the ghost picture and the poem and within 48 hours “Ghost” three houses yourself or … your house will be haunted!!!!!! You’re also supposed to hang the picture of the ghost on your front door so everyone knows your house has already been hit.
Being a somewhat lazy family, by the time we get around to doing our Ghosting, there isn’t a house in our neighborhood that doesn’t have that ghost pic hanging on the front door, except the one with all the No Trespassing signs in front, and you would think that the one exception to No Trespassing would be someone leaving you a bag of candy but I’m not willing to risk it, having no idea if the homeowner owns a gun. One year we drove around with our three Ghosting bags in the car for about a week until I finally drove to another neighborhood where we didn’t even know anybody and Ghosted complete strangers. I still laugh when I think about my nine-year old running from back a stranger’s front porch with terror written all over her face because I’m screaming “Hurry up! They’re coming!”
They weren’t coming.
Which brings me to this year. We got Booed the night before last and I forgot to hang the ghost pic on the front door so last night we got Ghosted. I feel somewhat guilty about this; we’re not really playing by the rules. On the other hand, if I never hang up the sign, I can almost count on some other family providing us with dessert every night until Halloween. And if I don’t go out and search for the few houses that haven’t been Ghosted, well, is that really so bad? Is it any worse than the high school kids who come around late on Halloween night without any costumes accepting free candy?
OK, OK. I hung the ghost pic on the door.
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2 comments:
Maybe you just like the added insurance of being ghosted (booed) more than once. Who wants a haunted house? This is a much nicer tradition than getting toilet papered, by the way. Does that happen on Devil's Night in your neighborhood?
We've been ghosted three times this year... the second time because we were too lazy to put up the sign!
I have to say, in a year like this, running like a madwoman with my daughter in the dark has been one of the high points...
Great blog, Stacey.
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