I love Halloween. Yeah, I know that is not earth shattering. If you have read FH for any length of time you know I go all ADD with the holiday graphics. Halloween is often called the 'great gay holiday' and I am sure many of you love it as well.
My love of the holiday is not just about the day it is more about the season. The time from mid September through mid December. Winter has not hit full force yet, it is cool, crisp, an energy in the air. Pumpkins, straw and apples. (can you tell I don't live in a city...). For many the summer is the time to be outside having fun. I find the muggy summer weather a bit much at times. From about mid September on I have been increasing my nightly runs, walking the dog longer than normal and heading the beach far more than I did in August. (The beach on a cool windy day is absolute Heaven to me).
Above: Photo by lens focus.
I think the reason I love Halloween is simple. It may also be a reason you do and don't even know it (I would be curious to know). When growing up knowing your different, family holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving can be stressful. When in the closet it means questions from dear Aunt Ruth about girlfriends, when Out of the closet it means whispers from cousin Miranda and scowls from Uncle Phil.
Halloween is not a family holiday. When I was a kid, after a certain age it was about leaving mom and dad at home to give out treats and running out of the house to meet your friends. As an adult it is still about gathering with people you want to be with instead of the stress of having to be with family who you may or may not get a long with. Families (and I love mine btw, most of them anyway) come with pressure. Halloween is pressure free, it is simply meant to be fun. At it core it is being exactly who the boy once pretended to be is not. Gay or straight, anyone who stresses over what 'family' holidays bring up can celebrate this day as it is for you, not them. I hope one day to incorporate this same feeling into my Christmas's as well, but until I become totally healthy, trick or treat!
You can check out my previous Halloween themed posts by clicking HERE:
Special Thanks to Melissa for today's banner! In the spirit of the day, check out Melissa's great blog Edge Of Forever which celebrates the theme of the day beautifully!
