I love Halloween. I love the idea of it being the one night of the year when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest. Do I actually believe it? No, not really. Do I like watching scary or horror movies? Nope. Do I like the idea of evil and the undead and garlands of bloody knives hanging over people’s doors? Absolutely not. But I’ve always loved Halloween, for some reason. So anything Halloween-related goes for this week’s Saturday Six post!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I’m typically not a big fan of American literature, but this story captivates me. I just love the mild creep factor of a haunted town, haunted woods, haunted people, and I’ve always suspected that the romance between Katrina Van Tassel and Ichabod Crane was pretty genuine and serious. I recently read this retelling of the story that I absolutely adored. Check out my review on Goodreads!

Inclement Weather. Growing up, trick-or-treat was always on October 31, and it was always rain or shine. Or sleet. Or snow. The date or time was never moved or postponed, and no weather ever stopped us. I specifically remember one sleety Halloween, when I was around the sixth grade, when I had to wear my winter coat stuffed underneath my Native American costume. And last year, it was a cold, windy, rainy evening after tornado warnings earlier in the day. It never mattered. The candy and the fun were always worth it.

Sugar Cookies. My mom seriously makes the best sugar cookies in the world, an old recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. They’re light and crispy with almond extract, and it’s the only item I will still eat with canned frosting. Ah, nostalgia. At Halloween, we get bats and ghosts and owls and stars, and now my kids love to help bake them.

My Greatest Costume. I have to give it to myself. My 2007 costume of a 1996 U.S. Olympic gymnast was spot-on, complete with big bangs, lots of hairspray, a bouquet of roses, and a velvet scrunchy around my hair bun. I should revive it someday, although I didn’t keep that fantastic thrifted windsuit…

Halloween Dinner. My mom started our traditional Halloween dinner in the early 90s, when my cousin, who lived on a busy street, would come to trick-or-treat with my brother and me. Over the years, as my older cousins got married and had kids, the dinner evolved into crock pots of chili, vegetable beef soup, and macaroni and cheese, which we’d all eat together before the kids took to the streets. And as much as I loved trick-or-treating, I also loved graduating to a spot on the porch next to my uncle, passing out candy.

Grand Finale. Halloween is the culmination of my favorite month of the year, and even though the last day of October is always a little sad, it’s also the cherry (or should I say pumpkin) on top of the sundae.

Happy Haunting!