Orange and black are the traditional colors of Halloween, but I’ve added two more in recent years.
Pagan celebrations of autumn and the harvest season are responsible for those traditional colors — orange depicting the changing hue of the leaves and the color of some crops, and black symbolizing the changing season and the “death” of summer.
Tonight, as well all know, the Great Pumpkin rises from the pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys for all the children (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/It’s_the_Great_Pumpkin,_Charlie_Brown). Sadly, many children do not believe in this ritual, and instead go walking around their neighborhood in elaborate costumes, seeking pieces of candy from their neighbors.
That’s where the two other colors of Halloween come in for me. Just before the first costumed children arrive at my house, I plan to pour a glass of either gold-colored Chardonnay or red-colored Cabernet Sauvignon — a little Halloween treat for myself.
The color will depend on the air temperature at dusk. If it’s relatively warm, I’ll probably opt for “gold.” If there’s a bit of a chill in the air, “red” likely will be my choice.
After all, on this most colorful of “holidays,” why should kids have all the fun?
Happy All Hallows’ Eve!
