More Halloween Fun

Made with Craft Artist

I've been thinking recently about how much Halloween has changed since I was a young girl. I tried to remember my first experience going out Trick or Treating, and I think I was about 8 or 9. That's right, because that would make my brother about 10 to 11 and I could go with him. In "the old days" parents didn't go door to door with little ones dressed up as pumpkins or Disney characters; we simply didn't go trick-or-treating until we were old enough to go with an older sibling.

I don't remember Halloween parties at school either. I do remember watching my dad and brother try to carve a pumpkin, and being allowed to light the candle, with supervision. When I was under the
age of trick-or-treating it was my responsibility to hand out candy when the door bell rang.

Everyone wore home made costumes too. Once in a while there would be a store bought mask or other piece of equipment, but the bulk of it was home made. Most kids used their pillow cases to collect candy, or sometimes a paper grocery bag. Trick-or-treating only happened after dark, and only on Oct. 31st.

Now most costumes are store bought and kids carry plastic pumpkins to put the goodies in. The age of trick-or-treating is getting lower and lower, I've even seen a newborn in costume. In the city where I live now it's strictly allowed from 4 to 6 pm on the Sunday before the holiday, even if the holiday is not until the following Saturday. Kid's can only go to houses with the porch light on, and sometimes the participating houses are so far apart the parents will drive the kids from house to house. Funny how traditions persist through changing times.

How was Halloween different when you were a kid?

Share your stories with your kids because it's good for them to know that there will always be change and there will always be traditions that people want to preserve. Halloween is just fun, and that's why people keep celebrating it. We make fun of scary things like ghosts, goblins, monsters and anything that goes Boo in the night. We dress up like fairy tale people and beg for candy (and get sick on it) because we can. For better or worse, it's just a way to have fun!