This one time on Halloween I wrapped my head in a scarf, called myself a gypsy and set off to fill my pillow case with candy.
My Mom made us gypsies every year. All of us.
And we were happy being gypsies because it was the only costume we could pull together that was free and utilized every ounce of make up and jewelry my mother owned.
Unlike other costumes, our giant winter coats didn’t hinder the outfit, but rather added to it.
This year mom was helping my 19 year old niece dress like a gypsy and I was all “I think someone her age is supposed to be a little less…covered up” and my mom was all “Oh nonsense! She looks like a fantastic gypsy!”
And my sister was all “Mom nobody is even going to know what she is! This is a family joke!” and my Mom was all “Oh nonsense! This is exactly what gypsies look like!”
And I was all “She looks like a homeless woman…” and my Mom was all “Well…I suppose that’s kind of what gypsies are!”
And then I flashed back to my childhood…all those Halloweens my mom spent prepping us to go door to door dressed as…homeless women.
A tragic epiphany.
tracy@sellabitmum says
Oh that sounds perfect. I’ve always wanted to be a gypsy..a warm gypsy of course. Maybe next year.
thepsychobabble says
Your mother is brilliant. Next year? Gypsy children!
Cottage By The Sea says
Gypsy women – great idea. I’m surprised I didn’t think of that. Since I sorta dress like a gypsy every day, on Halloween I wear pajamas. Soft, comfy, warm and when else can you get away with wearing your pj’s out? I made my kids wear their pj’s on Halloween until they were bigger than me, and I couldn’t control them anymore. I just pinned a cotton ball on their butts and told them, “you’re a bunny again this year.”
Jen says
Your mom is awesome.
Jennifer says
Yes, but WELL-ACCESSORIZED homeless women! There is a difference!
Jeanne says
LOL.. a homeless woman! Mom use to dress us as hobos because it was also a free costume. Some of dad’s clothes, big clunky shoes, a hat, a pillow for the belly and some ashes to make dirty faces from the wood stove for color. Then we’d have a stick with stuffed fabric to carry along.
Gigi says
Ha! I can remember being dressed as a gypsy too! In today’s world of store bought costumes, no one would recognize us as gypsies.
Kimberly says
I never thought about that before either. My mother dressed us as gypsies a whole lot of Halloweens!
Andrea says
Your mom was onto something. Everybody knows that kids who dress as the homeless get more candy than all the other kids. “Here honey, you look like you could use a couple of extra Snickers bars.”
Pinkim (kim wright) says
OMG! I just love this post…so funny…so true…
KidLit aka Tracey says
My PEOPLE!!! I am not alone. I knew it. I was a gypsy sooooo many years. Even as an adult. It started by my mothers hand and progessively got racier a I took over with the tradition. Of course! I think it was our way of escaping the plastic 2D boxed advertisments they used to consider “costumes” in the 70’s. And those horrible masks that peered out at you from the cellophane peek-a-boo window. Every year, boxes upon boxes… leering faces… Those things creeped me out. Being a gypsy was more… real. And much more comfortable. ;0)
Jennifer says
I was a gypsy one year. But I think it was after I was an adult. Tragically I do not remember any of my Halloweens from when I was a kid.