For me, as a kid, the start of October immediately ushered in Hallowe’en vibes. Autumn meant chilly mornings waiting for the bus, dried cornstalks fluttering in the neighbour’s field, and rusty leaves covered with a silver sheen of frost. At school, construction-paper jack-o-lanterns and crouching black cats began to appear on classroom windows. We learned songs about witches and broomsticks, and pumpkins on a fence. This was long before the days of Pinterest and pumpkin spice lattes.
All at once, the landscape was a riot of harvest gold and red apples, with arrows of geese aiming their way across mellow skies. The scent of burning leaves returned, along with hot chocolate and toast at bedtime. Suddenly, every old or abandoned house had the potential to be haunted.
Trick-or-treating was a challenge in our rural area; houses were too far apart to go door to door. On Hallowe’en night, my dad would tumble a bunch of neighbourhood kids into the back of his Ford Bronco with the tailgate down, and we’d hang on to each other and our candy as the truck lurched slowly up and down driveways and corduroy roads. We could never get away with that in today’s world!
Collecting a wide array of candy was always the best part. “Rockets” were a favourite – the pastel roll of tiny circles with their sweet tang. Lollipops in every colour. Twisty whips of strawberry licorice. Chocolate bars with caramel, chocolate bars with wafers, chocolate bars with nuts and crispies. And those tan-coloured toffees that were so stiff, you could pull out a filling.
October has never stopped feeling like that for me. It’s still delightfully full of spooky promise, changing leaves, and the witchy comfort of black and orange. But as I’ve gotten older, the treats are a little different, and I don’t mind that one bit.
For instance, instead of trick-or-treating on All Hallow’s Eve, you will likely find me at home, curled up with a blanket, in my coziest moccasins. I might be reading a gloriously gothic Brontë novel by the light and scent of an autumn candle.
Laurentian Chief makes sheepskin-lined moccasin slippers in deep chocolate brown, as sweet as any Hallowe’en candy bar. Hand-crafted in Canada from luxury moose hide and genuine shearling, they feel incredible to wear — soft, yet durable. The velvety suede outsole allows me to pad around the house in comfort and peace as I savour the last golden weeks before winter.
Classic mocs are a treat for your feet, and their traditional styling is tailor-made for sweater- weather! I highly recommend getting a pair! Together with jeans, a fall-flavoured skirt, or a glass of wine, this is the Hallowe’en I’ve matured into, and it is good. (If I’m being honest, you’ll probably still find a few candy wrappers scattered at my feet.)
Sheepskin-lined indoor moccasins by Laurentian Chief are available in
Women’s sizes 5-10:
https://www.moccasinscanada.com/products/womens-moccasin-slippers-sheepskin-lined And Men’s sizes 7-13:
https://www.moccasinscanada.com/products/mens-moccasin-slippers-sheepskin-lined
I intend to enjoy the fall colours and Hallowe’en vibes as much as I possibly can this year, so I anticipate my moccasin slippers will be well worn this season. Fortunately, moccasins fit better the longer you wear them! I want mine to be especially cozy by the time November starts, when the parade of saucy orange, fiery red maple, and goldenrod make way for bare branches and tiny, swirling sprinkles of snow.
Soon enough, it will be time to think about Christmas.
