Halloween is a special time of year which brings scores of people together over the cooling weather, sweetened candy, and all things that can strike fear into our collective hearts. Moe Skeeter growing up in Selma, Alabama had a slightly different experience than most when it came to celebrating the holiday festivities. The area that Moe came from looked down on Halloween as a holiday to celebrate the Devil and all his dastardly works on humanity. With this type of perspective informing his experience, Moe has consistently denied that he celebrates Halloween, but he in fact does. While not in a traditional manner, Moe and the entire Skeeter family would celebrate by throwing an Autumn Festival which would take place on Halloween afternoon and into the evening. The days would begin with local farmers and artisans setting up booths in the Skeeter’s fields along with decent sized carnival rides. The Skeeter patriarch, Pa Skeeter, would give hayrides to any who wanted and the residents of Selma, Alabama were treated to a wholesome day in the eyes of the Skeeter family. Moe’s Halloween day was mainly spent as the dummy in the dunk tank, as the evening rolled in, Moe would switch from a dunk tank dummy to being the main event. After candy had been exchanged and the crowd grew more sedated after the huge dinner, Moe would entertain the whole lot by bullfighting the Skeeter’s large bull Ferdinand. With Moe having the strength to easily tackle the bull to the ground, he was never in any danger, but unbeknownst to the crowd, who still got a kick out of the spectacle. Overall, Moe celebrates his Halloween with good family and friends who focused on pure reasons for the fall in exchange for what they deemed as glorifying wickedness.
|