Blog: Halloween Hoopla -- Back in the Day

While at the checkout counter during a visit to Restoration Hardware, at the Galleria Mall, a display caught my eye that brought back sweet memories. Nostalgia got the best of me, and I took home a favorite Halloween treat from my youth.

The neighborhoods of my hometown in the 1960's were bursting with children. Halloween night meant hundreds of Trick-or-Treaters swarming from house to house, on the hunt for Tootsie Rolls, suckers, popcorn balls and candy cigarettes. Our costumes were bought at the local five and dime, and our loot bags were brown paper grocery sacks.

One year my four brothers all wore matching Li'l Abner costumes, while I was a kitten. I loved my costume, but was embarrassed because I had to wear a bulky coat underneath so I wouldn't "catch my death," as my Grandma used to say.

At dusk we ran out the door with our grocery sacks in hand.  As our bags filled with candy, cookies, and the occasional apple or orange, our last stop was usually to our neighbor, Mr. Toricelli. Tired and out of breath, we recited the mandatory "trick or treat," and stood in awe as he dropped real pennies into our bags!

After terrorizing the neighborhood we would return home and dump our stash onto the living room rug. Sorting through the piles of goodies was as much fun as the collecting had been. We swapped a Bazooka bubble gum for an Abba Zabba, or a Sugar Daddy for NeccoWafers – but my red wax lips were not up for trade.

Until that day at Restoration Hardware, I had all but forgotten about red wax lips!   After tiring of wearing the waxy pucker, we chewed it like gum, ending up with a big wad of tasteless hard wax in our mouths.

Candy made of wax and cigarettes you could eat – that was Halloween back in the day!