For some of us, Halloween is more magical than Christmas. And that’s OK | Opinion

Halloween is Christmas for those from broken homes. I was lucky to be raised by both parents in a loving environment, and to us, the notion that any holiday could measure up to Christmas was unfathomable. All I can remember is candy, presents, lights, family, meals, toys and no school. Forget some cheap plastic eggs with their measly candy payload. Fireworks on the Fourth were great, but short-lived. And don’t waste your breath pitching monsters, demons and ghosts to me. No, not a single holiday came close to the sheer magic that Christmas delivered.

To my surprise, I learned as I grew that there are indeed those who prefer Halloween. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around it. And more confusingly, they didn’t even like Christmas. Now, religion aside, from a purely secular point of view this made no sense to me. Did these people not try to spot Santa in the night sky? Or investigate bites taken from cookies? Take a peek under the tree?

Well, it turns out they didn’t. No, they were from broken homes, and Christmas was not magical to them. Christmas was a reminder that something very fundamental in their home was damaged. They had friends (myself included) who absolutely loved the day, but these poor children of heartbreak could not relate. Due to circumstances outside their control, Christmas brought pain.

And where does that leave those children? With the monsters, demons and ghosts. If there’s no joy in Christmas, they’ll find solace in Halloween. It’s not a family holiday. One’s parents don’t have to prepare a meal, decorate a house, buy a present or even be present. A $5 costume and you’re anyone you want to be. Then you’re off trick-or-treating in a group, collecting goodies.

None of the things that will matter in two months matter on Halloween. You are with your friends, people closer to “family” than actual family sometimes. It’s the most wonderful time of year.

It’s still not Christmas, though. Christmas is the greatest holiday in the calendar. Those who prefer Christmas aren’t better than those who don’t. My fiancée is among your lot. Halloween is just a Christmas fill-in and inevitably, when raised in an ideal environment, holiday cheer takes its place at the top of every child’s list.

Recently, I went on a walk with my fiancée’s 7-year-old half brother, Elliot. He and his family were visiting us — a rare occasion, as my fiancée only recently had allowed her biological father to reenter her life after having abandoned her when she was young. Her father has a new family now, and Elliot is the product of that family. Before our walk, my fiancée and her dad had been raving about Halloween. I took for granted that Elliot was also a fan of the holiday.

While walking, I asked him if he prefers Halloween or Christmas. To my surprise he answered, “Christmas.” How did Halloween measure up to the Fourth of July? It didn’t. Halloween or Thanksgiving? “Thanksgiving.” Finally, I asked, “Halloween or Martin Luther King Jr. Day?” And apparently there is a young man walking the streets who has a great appreciation for civil rights and three-day weekends.

I would like to thank all the parents who create a magical day during the dreariest season. And I would also like to thank all the friends who make Halloween so special for those whose Christmas won’t be. Together, you certainly make it the most wonderful time of year, regardless of whether the kids are all right.

Jerome B. Greene is an engineer who works in Riverside and lives in Overland Park.