At 9:07 p.m. on Cedar Avenue, the first trick-or-treaters arrive in coats too thin for the cold. Every porch is dark except one: a paper lantern, cut by hand, making a small promise before anyone knocks.
A welcome can be handmade
Last October, I moved our brightest lantern from the window to the step. It changed the whole room: neighbors slowed down, children named the crooked grin, and the doorway became a place to pause. Ritual works because it gives the night a warm edge.