Midday Matinee – The Halloween Donkey

This is a short primer on how to canvass on Halloween. Costume instructions are included as are suggestions for going door knocking as a donkey. I think Democrats have missed an opportunity and this is a way to have some fun.

Midday Matinee is our people watching, people doing and people being feature. Join the Woodland Creatures for an afternoon break.

The Halloween Donkey idea began life as a last minute costume for a neighborhood Fourth of July Parade. My niece and her friend were young teenagers and came to the party thinking they were “too old, too cute and too smart” to be in the parade. Watching everyone else don costumes made them want to participate. My very clever and creative friend Audrey came up with the idea of using brown paper grocery bags, tape and a couple of old wooden dowels to turn them into a horse. (For our purposes the horse has become a donkey.) The ‘costume’ had the added advantage of making them unrecognizable to any of their friends who were too cool to participate. A group of adults wrapped the girls legs, arms and torsos in brown grocery bags. Audrey turned a bag into the donkey’s head with ears and eyes (magic markers, eye holes and great eyelashes). The girl in the back leaned over and the dowels connected the back of the donkey to the front. Grocery bags were taped over the dowels to make the body. Here I offer a most important hint. Make sure both parts of the donkey have gone to the bathroom before the bagging process gets too far. You may also be able to snag some Obama and other candidate stickers or bumper stickers from your local OFA office and/or Democratic party office. Think a decorated donkey. Oooh!

Now, you will need a partner for the donkey canvas and a way to carry your literature. When you ring the doorbell, instead of saying “trick or treat” try saying, “We are the Democratic donkey and we have a treat for you,” at which point you hand over your literature. I love canvassing and maybe I’m am just looking for ways to keep my energy up through November 6th. I have a fellow volunteer who has agreed to give this a try tonight.

On the other hand, if you’re not into canvassing but are a parent who is short of a costume idea, here you go. You can turn your kids into a donkey (or a horse) and teach them teamwork at the same time for very little expense. I do think there are way too many princesses and athletes on Halloween and not enough donkeys.