What to Do with All that Halloween Candy

Halloween has always been a favorite holiday of mine. It is a time we can let down our inhibitions and become that character that dwells deep inside each of us. Before I had children I would go all out on the holiday of spirits and dress to hide or dress to show. It was a time to see all the ghosts and goblins come to the door with their adorable costumes on and hand out piles of candy to the little ones while it was their parents who had to deal with the sugar highs and rotten teeth down the road.

Since my children came along, I would find myself concerned with the after effects of the tooth rotting, belly aching, sugar induced energy of the giant stash of candy they would collect in an hour's time. As most parents d, I would restrict their intake to two or three pieces per day until the stash was dwindled down to a few wrapped hard candies that no one wanted. Sometimes it would take until the chocolate delivery from the Easter Bunny before all the Halloween candy was gone.

Now that I have made the announcement to my two teens that this was the last year I would take them to hit the neighborhoods up for a sweet fix, my dearest friend told me what she does about the over abundance of candy. This information would have been put to use every year on the first of November if I had thought of it or if my "dearest" friend (notice the sarcasm) had mentioned it to me long ago.

Each year, on November first, after her young daughter makes a clean sweep of the candy bowls in their neighborhood the night before, my friend and her daughter would pick out no more than an eighth of the holiday treasure for the child's own consumption. They would then leave the generous remainder of the sweet stash out for the "Great Pumpkin". The following morning the candy would be gone and there would be a gift in place of the sweet treats. One year it was a new pair of shoes, another was a package of new hair ties, and this year she found a new toy where she had left the candy.

So what happens to all the candy? The "Great Pumpkin" (mom) takes it to the nearest shelter either for men or to the shelter for women and children who are in hiding from an abusive home. There are a number of locations that would be very appreciative for the donation. Regardless of who the "Great Pumpkin" gives this sweet gift to, it is a tradition I wish I had followed from the first time I dressed my little ones to this day in 2007 when I have called it quits on the trick-or-treating.

I hope someone out there might take on this wonderful tradition of giving and saving your children's teeth and bellies all in one motion. I also hope my grandchildren will some day have a chance to give to the "Great Pumpkin".