I don't come from an affluent family, but definitely from a resourceful & creative one, and that made all difference in my childhood. I can't remember a single year when I didn't dress up for Halloween. Sure a lot of times we made our own costumes (rockstar girl, hippie, tacky tourist, etc.) but they were creative & fun and got us plenty of candy trick or treating.
Ah, yes, the candy, sweet, sweet candy :) it's definitely part of the appeal. Free candy, a lot of it too if you started early and were willing to walk a lot, so much candy sometimes it lasted months. During my elementary-middle school days, the candy was my favorite thing about Halloween, especially candy corn!!
Then in high school, it was definitely about dressing up and acting in character. My fave costume was a hippie, it just suited my bohemian attitude and I loved the clothes. I wish I could normally wear bell-bottoms and a tie-dye peace shirt with my hair done 2 braids with daisies in them...wait I did use to do that from time to time!!! Still Halloween presented an opportunity to be/act a certain way that was out of the norm without raising a brow. Celebrated usually with friends watching a scary movie and then trick or treating for the goods.
College, that's when Halloween was all about the parties and drinking and just being crazy and having too much fun. Anything went. One of my last college years I went trick or treating and it was the best ever...if you haven't gone trick or treating as an adult, you must try it it; it's quite the experience...the reactions you get... ;) good times My first year we threw an awesome party, great music, food, everyone was dancing, and it was packed, total success.
Post college, aka, adult years: awkward Halloweens start to happen. You feel too old to go to crazy parties or clubs, sometimes even too old to dress up. Start renting scary movies and just tending to the trick or treaters. But after a couple of boring years, you try doing something fun. One year I threw a party, good music, food, and decorations, not that many people were there but it was still fun. Tried to do a repeat and it was a failure, made me want to never throw a party again.
Now? I'm in the people watching phase. Last year I did a drive by thru the Grove and this year miracle mile. Both pretty uneventful, but I was in good company so that made it fun. Last year it was conversation, this year it was Rockband. I also took my dog to the pumpkin patch to take pics...definitely things are slowing down.
Eventually it'll come full circle and I'll be taking either my own kids or my sister's trick or treating, but I think the general good feeling of Halloween will never go away.
Halloween, you rock!
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Well said!
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