Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. I have always enjoyed watching Halloween themed movies and TV shows and getting to dress up; it truly felt like a season where you could express who you are through your costume. My mother’s birthday is also on Halloween, and for the longest time, she would take my siblings and I trick or treating or she would hand out candy. Now being older, we have taken over that responsibility (most of the time).
Whether it be dressing up at school, hanging out with friends, or handing out candy, I have always had the time of my life on Halloween. So let’s take a trip down memory lane as I remember my favourite Halloween adventures.
Halloween Birthday Celebration
As previously mentioned, my mothers birthday is October 31, which means that my family and I celebrate two holidays in one day! As a family, we decorate the house every year. We decorate their door and the kitchen area, so my mother wakes up to a birthday surprise.
One birthday I remember is when my family made a giant purple letter cut out (the first letter of my mom’s name) with balloons inside. We went all out this year, thanks to my sister’s idea. Another one of my traditions every year is creating a special birthday card, filled with my favourite memories with my mom.
In addition, my favourite part of the day is seeing her reaction to the balloons and streamers around her door. I would stay up really late the night prior to decorate in silence, but I am certain my mom heard me. Overall, I try to make the day as perfect as possible for my mom by handing out candy, cleaning up the house, and spending time with her. This year, I will be at school, but I have some surprises to come.
Happy birthday mom, I love you!
Winter Jackets On Halloween Night
It gets cold very quickly in Canada in the fall, and growing up, I did not have the best luck with the weather on Halloween night. I always had to wear a jacket over our Halloween costumes because it was too cold, raining, or even snowing. I also remember not wanting to wear it because I wanted everyone to see my costume, but it turned out to be the best thing because I never got sick. However, now being in university and living away from home, I don’t have anyone to tell me to wear one. In my third year of university, I went out on Halloween night and I decided to not wear a jacket. That was not a smart idea as it was cold, and I did get sick afterwards.
My parents always know what is best for me on these Halloween nights, so I will remember to wear a jacket this time around.
The BEST Candy On The Street
There was one house a street over from me that was giving away these jumbo versions of candy and I couldn’t wait to go there every year. When I would go, they had jumbo pixie sticks and chocolate bars, and as a kid, that was the most amazing thing that could ever happen. I would think about changing into another costume and going there again just to get the jumbo version of the different candies I love. But thinking about it now, that was a lot of sugar and so much to eat. It was amazing for a kid, but not very nice for my parents.
My Comfiest Costume
One of the comfiest costumes I ever wore was in elementary school. My friends and I decided to dress up in fluffy onesies. But not just any onesies – animal onesies. I wore this purple bunny onesie and it was the comfiest costume ever, I wish I still had it! This was one of my favourites because I didn’t have to wear a jacket. After all, it was the warmest outfit on the planet and I could wear as many layers to stay warm. My friends and I had so much fun this year. We met at my friend’s house, and chatted amongst ourselves as excitement was bursting through our voices. This is a memory I will remember for a long time.
The Scary House
So I have to tell you the tale of the house that scared me. Every year, there was a house that always had the garage open. One person in the garage would be wearing a dark costume while the other one was wearing a werewolf mask. They had a fog machine set up, and a speaker blasting sounds of a spooky forest and werewolf sounds. I never wanted to approach this house, but at the same time, I was determined.
I do remember my sister Alexis telling me that when she went one Halloween, and the person wearing the werewolf mask chased her and her friends down the street. After that story, I would barely go by that house. I’m not sure if they do it to this day but that experience felt like it was straight out of a horror movie.
Allergies During Halloween
My sister and I both have a peanut and nut allergy, so going trick or treating can be tricky. Every year, when my siblings and I would come back from trick or treating, we would dump the whole bag on the floor and we sorted the candy into two piles:
1) Candy that had peanuts or that may contain nuts in one pile, and
2) the candy that we could both eat.
From these different piles that we created, I found that the pile of candy that we could not eat was so much bigger than the one we could eat. As a kid, that made me quite sad.
Having an allergy growing up and going to parties, I never really had the cake. I always felt shy to say that I had an allergy, so I would try not to say it unless I was asked and I would awkwardly decline the dessert. But as I continued to come back with candy I could not have, I was grateful to give the candy to my parents and my brother because they could have it. I was lucky either way because I love Smarties and KitKats, so I can’t complain.
Outdoor Halloween Party
In high school, I would have my friends over on Halloween night and we would hand out candy together. We would dress up and play music all night long. I remember dressing up as a bunny a couple of times handing out candy, and my bestfriend and I would put on these hats that were from the movie, Alice in Wonderland, so we have the Mad Hatter and the bunny hat. This is one of my favourite traditions on Halloween night that we do till this day.
Music is another addition to the night, as we would take out a speaker and stand outside due to the warm weather that we’ve had the past couple of years. We would play Halloween music for the neighbourhood to hear. The songs that would play on repeat were ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson or we would put on some Disney Channel Halloween songs. We would dance and sing out very loudly and when the kids would come by, they would be smiling at us. Even the parents!
What Does Halloween Mean To You?
Halloween can be the most thrilling and wonderful times of the year. It has not always been so fun, from dealing with the cold weather and candy sorting. I loved dressing up, but that does not mean I didn’t have some struggles with picking an outfit. I found that picking a Halloween costume was hard because I wanted something unique and fun, but comfy and warm. I also thought about what other people would be wearing and pick my outfit based off of that.
This year, I still don’t have a costume picked out. As I gathered some ideas, I realized I was only trying to find outfits that would “fit in” with the crowd, but that is not what Halloween is about. I remember the Halloween adventures I had in the past, and it was never about the costume. It was always about the friends and family that I was surrounded by.
So what are you going to be this Halloween?