Candy corn is a contentious subject- you love it or you hate it, and rarely is anyone happy to agree to disagree. I love it, a fondness I owe to my dad – or so the story goes. As I have told you on past Halloweens, after the trick-or-treaters have gone home I make an effort to celebrate the sacred nature of Samhain by setting up a small altar to honour my ancestors. They say the veil is thinnest on this night, and I want them to know they are welcome in my home and my life, to know that I recognize my lineage and the roles they have played in shaping who I have become in this lifetime. Usually, I put out a few kernels of candy corn and some roasted cashews for my father, a glass of red wine for my mother, and a small assortment of little items that connect me to others who have passed on before me.

This year I have no little stash of candy corn to draw from – and it’s one of those things I just can’t buy over here. I do, however, have a new version that is calorie and contention free: candy corn socks!

Stitched by a knitterly BFF who knows my story and traditions, they will accompany me through the rest of my Halloweens, bridging old family with new, weaving them together with love and creativity. Candy corn socks…. who knew?