Ghost World

It's the heart of the holiday lineup, with three biggies in three months. You don't get much to celebrate early in the year (President's Day--give me a break) and except for July The Fourth, the rest seem more like excuses to close banks than anything else.

But Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas (Chanukah/Kwanzaa etc.)--that's Murderers' Row. Each one is a different type of celebration, not just in content, but in feeling. Christmas, even with its rampant consumerism, is a religious holiday. Thanksgiving is about our nation's history. Halloween's atmosphere is, well, pagan.

For years Halloween seemed like the odd man out, even slightly disreputable. But the spirit seems to be growing and people are really going for it these days. Some of the decoration I've seen surpass Christmas.

Beyond the candy, I like the idea of taking the scariest things and laughing at them. Also, there are the colors--I wouldn't want to see orange and black all year round, but, for one week anyway, it's a nice change of pace.

To get you in the mood, here's a list of some great Halloween song. You've probably heard "Monster Mash" and "I Put A Spell On You," but let me put in a plug for the vocalese of Lambert, Henricks and Ross. "Halloween Spooks" is an odd number, even for them, but it swings.