VICTORIA, B.C. — Although his last name is not O’Lantern, Jack says Halloween is his happy place. “Halloween!” the smiling four-year-old replies when asked his favourite holiday. Before Jack reveals why the spooky season tops the festive one, his mom Ali says her son has always loved dressing up. “All year round, Halloween costumes,” Ali says. Jack needs no reason to look like a wrestler, on any given Wednesday he could become a web-slinger, and despite his birthday being Aug. 5, he and his friends looked like it was Oct. 31 during his party. “He sleeps in the costumes,” Ali says with a laugh. Before he counts down the sleeps until the big night, Jack looks forward to the big day that big-box stores begin displaying Halloween decoration. “So many decorations!” Jack says. “We call ahead,” Ali says, adding the stores start stocking spooky stuff at the end of summer. “He’d run through every aisle until we found ‘The Aisle!’” This year, they bought a gang of Gremlins that had been displayed inside their home since Jack helped build them back in August. “Building stuff, that’s so fun,” Jack says. “We didn’t put it outside,” Ali adds. “Because it was a little early.” But now that Halloween is around the corner, the Gremlins have taken up residence on their front porch, the front yard has been transformed into a graveyard, and a cavalcade of giant hand-made candy corn with creepy faces (that Jack also helped make) frames their front steps. Although he was dressed in a full Spider-Man costume when we first met, this year’s Halloween costume is inspired by a nearby neighbour from last year. “The Wethaface house,” Jack says before confirming he means Leatherface House. You see, his neighbour was wearing a mask and wielding a chainsaw like the character from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. “And I said, ‘I wanna dwessup whike Wethaface!” says Jack, barely containing his excitement. So, this year the four-year-old is dressing up like Leatherface, with a toy chainsaw and an apron that features the words “bloods and guts” written in red. “It’s to scare people!” Jack says before yelling “Boo!” and bursting into a big smile. But it’s not the tricks that make Halloween Jack’s favourite holiday, it’s the treats. “Oh yeah! Treats!” Jack says before miming that he’s munching handfuls of sweets. Although he likes all the candy he gets, what Jack really loves — what he looks forward to all year — is all the candy he gives. “Hands down. He actually really enjoys giving kids candy,” Ali says. “That’s his favourite part of Halloween.” More than screaming, Jack hopes to inspire smiling. And more than scaring — Jack says his favourite holiday of the year is all about sharing.
