Halloween is a holiday I enjoyed more when I was younger than I do now. Even though I never really did trick-o-treating, I feel like once you passed the age it was not the same. Now, I think so much has changed that many adults enjoy the holiday more than kids. My memories of Halloween consisted mostly of having parties or attending one and choosing my costumes. Today I want to reflect on some of my Halloween’s past that have stayed in my memories.
One of my earliest memories is having a Halloween party at home and my older cousin having a Freddie Kreuger mask, scaring all of us kids. I had to be 3 years old at the time. We were all running around the house away from him until the adults told him to take it off. I didn’t remember my costume, but with pictures I saw I was a birthday girl. This costume was with the old school plastic masks. I don’t know why I picked that to this day, but that’s what I was.
For the next year when I was 4 years old, I can only remember this Halloween. Due to us having a camcorder recording on tape, I rewatched it a lot so it created a greater memory. My mother hosted a party and I was an angel with a light up halo and star wand. Some adults in my family even had on a costume. We played games such as musical chairs, the kids and adult versions. We also had a dance contest. I can remember a moment in which I was crying on the video because I lost one of the games. The true reason for this is because I helped my mother wrap the prizes, so I felt I deserved one.
Another moment I can remember is my costume, Jasmine from Aladdin. I had to be about 7 years old at this time. We went to a family member’s Halloween party that year. There was lots of candy and the night included most of us kids running around. I can also remember using that same costume for another party.
Now, fast forward to the year I was 11 years old. I was out of state visiting family for Halloween. My mother and my uncle took my cousin and I to the mall and we went trick-o-treating. I felt like I was too old. I was a witch that year, but I did not want to wear my hat. This was actually the only time I have ever done this. I was a kid who preferred to help hand out candy when kids rang our bell rather than going around to houses myself.
One of the last real Halloween’s I had was when I was 20 years old. This was the last time I bought an actual full costume. I was a sports referee. This year me and three friends did a haunted house, and we went to the NYC Halloween Parade. The Haunted House was kind of scary. The parade was interesting, and this was the first and only time I ever attended. There was the group Thriller dance, a Pope, nuns, and a whole lot of other creative costumes.
Since this time, I have done a few things to celebrate Halloween such as a haunted hayride and assist with parties for the new generation of kids in my family. But nothing major. Maybe when I have children I will enjoy it again. For now, I will just enjoy looking at all the costumes I see online during this time.
So, how about you, what Halloween memories do you have? Think about it! Happy Halloween to those of you who celebrate.