Dear Crabby, Have you Ever Been BOOed?

 

Dear Crabby,

Halloween is almost upon us and I’m hearing a lot of talk about BOOing people in your neighborhood. I’m told this is a good thing. Have you heard about it and if so, what do you think?

Thanks,
Frank N. Stein

Dear Mr. Stein,

I’ll admit, I wasn’t aware of this BOOing business. At first, I thought maybe people were supposed to stand on their neighbor’s lawn and boo their lack of (or just plain awful) Halloween decorations. Or maybe you were supposed to boo children when they came to your door for candy if you didn’t like their costume. I was quickly assured by Mrs. Crabby that neither theory was correct. Turns out, it’s all a play on words. I’m told it started out as a thing people would randomly do here and there and it largely flew under the radar. Now, of course, it’s hit the big time. Just go on that Pinterest thingy and search all the different ways you can BOO someone. If you’re too lazy to do that, they’ve started selling BOO kits in the stores. Just look in the Halloween aisle – but be quick before it’s taken over by Christmas items. BOOing works on the same principle as Secret Santa: you’re doing something nice for someone without being recognized for it. The hope is that the person you BOOed will do the same to someone else and so on and so forth. This is all much nicer than what my buddies and I used to do during Halloween. Ever heard of ding-dong, ditch? You run up to a house, ring a stranger’s doorbell and then run away like the dickens before the person answers the door; usually hiding in a ditch, hence the name. We thought it was hysterical. One year I was even bold enough to ring our principal’s doorbell. Except it was his wife who answered the door in her dressing gown and with her head full of curlers. We were laughing so hard we almost got caught. Anyway, back to being BOOed.

You can leave whatever you want: candy, pop, small gifts like glow bracelets, silly string, etc. Basically, whatever you think the family might like. And I’m told putting it all into some sort of cutesy packaging (again, Pinterest) is a must as is including a poem telling the person to enjoy their treats. And then whomever you BOOed will proudly display their “We’ve been BOOed” sign like a badge of honor. Or maybe it’s to show how special and well liked you are compared to your neighbors. And then you’re supposed to do all this for someone else to keep the BOOing going. Listen. I get what people are trying to do and at the heart of it, there are good intentions. But I’m guessing it won’t be long before this tradition is just as over-the-top as being ELFed and EGGed have become and getting BOOed will no longer be special. I should warn you, there’s another version called being BOOZEd. As to what you’re supposed to leave on doorsteps, I’ll give you three guesses… and the first two don’t count!” I just didn’t want you to get the two confused. As for me, I’m more of a traditionalist, so I’ll stick to saying, “Trick-or-Treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat.”

Happy Halloween!
Dear Crabby