Sunday, October 18, 2009

Have you been "BOOed"?

My kids' favorite pre-Halloween activity has got to be the neighborhood "ghosting" or "booing" that happens about this time in October. If you're not familiar, every year some on-the-ball neighbor starts the fun by filling two or three bags with candy along with other little surprises. Also enclosed in the prepared treat bags is the poem above and a paper ghost. Houses are then selected to "BOO." Booing (the verb) is defined as placing a treat bag on a front doorstep, ringing the doorbell and running like CrAZy to avoid being seen. The lucky recipients of the goodies, then place the paper ghost in their window and prepare treat bags for a couple more houses. Thus the Ghost/Boo is spread throughout the neighborhood. It's great fun both to be Booed and to Boo. And not just for families with kids. We Boo childless homes and often include spirits of the liquid kind.

Our family was booed several nights ago. This year we don't have a clue as to who it could have been other than a very generous ghost. Our ghost delighted my kids with a candy called "bat droppings" (wow did they think that was funny...a little too funny) and a variety of other much appreciated goodies.


Now that we've been marked, we're preparing our bags and scoping the neighborhood for unghosted houses. Tonight we'll be out after dark. In running shoes.

2 comments:

Susan Hines-Brigger said...

Thanks for the reminder that me and the kiddies need to get going on "booing" our friends and neighbors. We do this every year and always have such a good time.

Robin Norgren, M.A, R-YT, Spiritual Director said...

I had never heard of this! what a cute idea and a great way to promote community