The leaves on the trees are gone, and the sky is a clear blue. The wind is cool and crisp, and it smells like fresh pumpkins and cookies. It’s Halloween: The best time of the year, in my opinion. I used to love Christmas the most, but after that what’s next? On Halloween, people get to decorate their houses and cook creamy pumpkin pies. And of course, after Halloween I get to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas and spending time with my family. Halloween is like a welcoming door.
I get the excitement for the holidays from my mother. She raised my brother and me to have cheer and enthusiasm during the holidays. Halloween was another day to celebrate and act like a kid for her.
We always began Halloween with going to the pumpkin patch. This was a serious business. We would all go on a Saturday afternoon in my dad’s old Ford Ranger. My dad’s truck had those old school seats that pulled out from the sides.
The ride in itself was an exciting experience for two children. When we pulled up to the graveled driveway of the Houston’s Garden Center, the orange sight of the pumpkins used to explode in my eyes, and my brother and I got antsy as Dad tried to find parking.
Once Mom opened the doors we would run towards the pumpkin patch. I loved the huge pumpkins while Ryan liked to line up the tiny, baby pumpkins. My dad would help me find the perfectly round and unbruised one, and Mom would help Ryan find two baby pumpkins: one for me, and one for him.
I always felt sorry for the other pumpkins that didn’t get to go home with us. But I told myself they would all get homes eventually. When we got in the car to go back home, Ryan and I would discuss what type of face we should carve while patting the giant orange rock on its sides.
That night Mom would set out newspapers on the kitchen table, and Dad would grab his carving knife. By this time, Ryan and I would be jumping in our chairs. Dad would outline the face we drew earlier that afternoon onto the pumpkin. Then, he would use the huge carving knife to cut the tip off. Yes! This was our favorite part.
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