This week’s theme for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with Randy Seaver is, of course, Halloween. The Challenge?
1) What are your Hallowe’en memories from childhood or adulthood. How did you celebrate the day? Do you have any photographs?
2) What about haunted houses? Are there any in your family history? Black cats? Creepy neighbors? Or witches – are there any in your family history?
3) If you were to make a genealogy-themed costume, what would it be?
My memories:
1) By the time we moved to Wayne, I was almost 12 and never went trick or treating there. However, growing up on my street in Passaic was any kid’s idea of Halloween heaven. You see, there was a large, three-story apartment complex directly across the street from my house.
I can’t remember a single Halloween costume I ever wore, although I doubt my mother would have let me not be a princess on one of my younger trick or treat outings. I don’t know how old I was the first time I went candy collecting – maybe 4 or probably 5 – and Mom would have accompanied me with a small army of other kids and mothers from my street.
I don’t ever remember getting to all the houses on both sides of the street. Instead, the yearly plan seemed to be to first go to the houses of friends and then head directly for those apartments. 🙂 An added benefit of the apartment complex was that if it was a very cold night, we got to be indoors walking the hallways.
2. I don’t know of any haunted houses in my family history. No creepy neighbors either that I can remember. We inherited a black cat when we moved to Wayne. The family who had owned the house moved to California and, unbelievably to me, abandoned their two cats and just left them outside. They were a mother and son, which we fed but kept as outdoor pets. Eventually, they both disappeared, but the black cat was named Pepper.
I have one witch in my family history – Elizabeth Knapp – who pre-dates the Salem witch trials. I blogged about her in 2015 and her story was written up by Rev. Cotton Mather. She was thought to be possessed by the devil, but Rev. Mather rightfully came to the conclusion that she suffered a bout of hysteria.
3. A genea-themed costume? I’m not very creative, so I’d probably just be a genealogist’s best friend – a librarian. 🙂
You remember a lot more than I do! Kudos to you.
I love the idea of a librarian for a genealogy-themed costume. Hmm, I wonder how to dress to look like an archivist?
Great memories of trick or treating at apartment buildings where I’m sure you got a haul to last until Christmas. As I remember, our Halloween bags kept us from starving between meals.