If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me post recently about a song I made up as a child.
Though music has never been my strong suit, or even a major interest of mine, like most kids, I went through an “imagining myself as a pop star” phase, and would often make up little songs that would, maybe, one day, end up on my chart-topping debut album.
One such song was something called “The Halloween Flame Is Still Burning”. I have been racking my brain trying to remember all the lyrics since November 1st hit, but alas, I can only remember small bits.
The opening line was a solemn declaration:
November first, and the day’s gone by…
The chorus culminated with:
From inside the window of the car I am yearning, ‘cause the Halloween flame on the candle’s still burning!
And, of course, the big finale, because what song could ever be complete without it?:
…And it burns BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!
(Actual Halloween candle from ObscuraHortus on Etsy/Instagram)
There’s a part of me that’s actually relatively glad I can’t recall the rest of the song, because it was probably terribly cringeworthy, but the meaning behind the song is something that still remains close to my heart to this day.
Though I believe it was actually springtime when I made the song up, singing to the neighbors’ cat, who had wandered into the yard, it was a song about both sadness and hope once Halloween has come to an end. I thought of all the times I had gone for car rides soon after Halloween’s end, and there were still houses who had their decorations up. Those houses and those decorations were beacons of hope during a desolate time when all the color and magic seemed to leave the world, and I could never help but wonder about them. In a world where Halloween seems to be put away and forgotten so quickly, were these people simply too lazy to follow suit, or was it something more? Were they like me, desperate to hold onto Halloween until the absolutely couldn’t anymore? And did they know the joy they were bringing, by leaving their decorations up just a little bit longer than most? Was that, perhaps, the point?
I know, ultimately, I was probably just overanalyzing the fact that some people just hadn’t gotten around to taking down their Halloween decorations yet, but regardless of intent, it was those houses that kept “the Halloween flame on the candle still burning”. I never forgot them, and would often keep track through the years, looking forward to passing the house that might still have some Halloween magic on November 1st and beyond.
These days, as time has gone on, it seems like more and more people are snuffing out their Halloween candles, earlier and earlier. On the way home from spending Halloween weekend in Sleepy Hollow this year, on the afternoon of November 1st, I noticed that a neighbor down the street was already fully decorated for Christmas. I understand loving both holidays, though I personally do not, but every year it feels more and more like the Christmas decorations are stalking the Halloween decorations with weapons in hand, just waiting to kill them and take their place. Even if I did still love Christmas the way I did when I was much younger, I can’t see wanting to transition between holidays that quickly, but it seems I’m in the minority on that issue. And while everyone has the right to decorate, or un-decorate, as they see fit, it is painful to see that the Halloween flame doesn’t seem to shine quite as brightly anymore, once “the day’s gone by”.
Yesterday, though, I got the most pleasant surprise. I took a little trip to Sleepy Hollow, as I try to do often even when it’s not officially Halloween time, because just being there makes me the happiest I think I’m capable of being, and as we approached the iconic “Welcome To Historic Sleepy Hollow” sign, I noticed two pumpkins sitting beneath it.
Those pumpkins had appeared on the night before Halloween, as if to say, “Halloween is here!”, but I, sadly, never had a chance to photograph them before we left, despite how magical I found the scene to be. I thought of them often, though.
To see them again yesterday, still looking almost miraculously healthy, almost as if they were waiting for me to return, instantly brought the memories of my childhood song, and my lifelong search for the Halloween flame in the supposed off-season, rushing back to me.
Sleepy Hollow is my comfort. A place I know I can always go, to feel something, to know that the magic is never truly dead. And to see those pumpkins there yesterday, was the truest definition of “the Halloween flame on the candle still burning”.
And it truly does burn bright.
Stay spooky, my friends. The pumpkins are always watching over us.
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