I’m used to getting booed by “fans” of Side Streets. Some say I’m biased. Or I sensationalize things. Or my subjects aren’t worthy of a story.
On Sunday, my family and I were BOOed. This was different. It was fun.
In fact, the next night, my 10-year-old son, Ben, went out and BOOed a few neighbors. He rang doorbells, dropped a bag on each porch and ran before they answered the door.
But he wasn’t pulling a prank.
Ben was delivering BOO Bags and taking part in the new Halloween tradition called: BOO your Neighbor.
It’s a new way to celebrate Halloween. The contents of most BOO Bags include toys, candy and a brief description that looks something like this:
The basic idea is simple: perform a random act of kindness for a couple your neighbors and watch it spread.
You can tell when it’s spreading because each time a house is BOOed, the “victim” is instructed ot put a BOO slip in the window. The idea is to keep people from being BOOed over and over so more people get involved.
On the Internet, various sites offer BOO Your Neighbor guides. Most include this list of Things You’ll Need:
–A plastic Halloween treat holder, such as a pumpkin or a paper lunch bag to be decorated
–Halloween candy
–Halloween crafts or toys
–Small decorations or candles
–A sheet of paper printed with the word, “BOO! You have just been boo’ed!” and a Halloween poem.
There are several variations of the poem. Here is the one that came to our house:
The air is cool, the season fall
Soon Halloween will come to all.
Ghosts and goblins, spooks galore
Tricky witches at your door.
The spooks are after things to do,
In fact, a spook brought this BOO to you!
The excitement comes when friends like you,
Copy this note and make it two.
We’ll all have smiles upon our faces,
No One will know who BOOed who’s places!
Just two short days to work your spell.
Keep it secret, hide it well.
Please join the fun, the season’s here
So spread the Boo’s and Halloween cheer.
Here’s another common poem . . .
To our good friends on our street.
Our homes’ locations made us meet,
You now have been boo’d, but who could we be?
We’ll never tell, it’s a secret you see!
We placed these goodies for you and yours,
Then we ran fast after ringing the door!
Happy Halloween!
Place this boo! on your front door
And be sure you boo! 2 neighbors of yours!
=======================================
Reader Comments
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement.