Halloween wraps fear in innocence, As though it were a slightly sour sweet. Let terror, then, be turned into a treat...

Gordon’s lines describe Halloween as a cultural ritual that domesticates fear. The holiday “wraps” terror in the trappings of childhood—costumes, candy, play-acting—so that what would normally repel us becomes approachable. The simile of a “slightly sour sweet” captures the pleasure of controlled fright: the experience is enjoyable precisely because it retains an edge of discomfort. The closing injunction—“Let terror, then, be turned into a treat”—frames Halloween as a kind of emotional alchemy, converting anxiety into communal entertainment and teaching that fear can be managed, shared, and even savored when placed within safe boundaries.