5 Stages of Halloween in Your Life

Age: 5

Free candy? This is the best day of your life as a five-year-old (minus Christmas)! Your parents put you in this weird costume, you walk around the neighborhood, and strangers give you treats. Works for you! When you finally get home, you clear a space in the middle of your living room floor, dump out all the candy from your plastic pumpkin bucket and sort them into piles: the ones you’ll eat and the ones dad will eat. Mom says you’re allowed to eat two pieces before you go to bed, and it’s the hardest decision of your five-year-old life. For some reason, Mom has to cut them open and inspect the inside. Weird. When you’ve finished your Reese’s and Laffy Taffy, Mom takes off your pumpkin costume for the last time. We promise.

Age: 10

This is the time for more advanced costumes and trick-or-treating strategies. You and your friends plan elaborate costumes and immediately head for the house with the king-sized candy bars. Gone are the days when you follow your parents around. You no longer need to constantly say “thank you” anymore. Instead, you and your friends pull out the ol’ “Trick or treat, smell my feet…” song. You can act like this childish holiday is below you, but we know you’re lying. You love dressing up and going door to door to collect candy. It actually makes you really sad that your days of trick-or-treating are numbered.  

Age: 15

Mom finally started using your plastic pumpkin bucket as a decoration. You got the hint. No more trick-or-treating for you. Instead, you’ll be putting on a cheap set of fairy wings and passing out candy to the kids you wish you and your friends could still be. Although being older has this downside, your older friend just got her license, and you have major plans to TP the cute quarterback’s front yard. You’ll laugh all the way home, talk yourselves into a scary movie marathon, and eat the leftover candy your parents didn’t pass out. How you’re going to fall asleep tonight is still a mystery. As you’re falling asleep, you can feel the five-year-old nostalgia start to kick in. Suddenly you’re longing to wear that pumpkin costume just once more.

Age: 20-25

Ah, the early 20s. Halloween has significantly changed. The time of partying is upon us. You and your girls already know where you’re going to be that night, you just need a killer costume. Remember that pumpkin costume from when you were five? How I Met Your Mother showed us how to bring it back, Slutty Pumpkin-style. If that scene’s not for you, you’ll probably stay in with a bunch of your closest friends. How does dressing up and playing Cards Against Humanity sound? Actually, it sounds fabulous, especially when you add in the themed desserts that you and your best friend concocted. Check out Pinterest for some awesome Witch’s Brew recipes, alcoholic or otherwise! Don’t forget to raid Target on November 1st. Discount candy is where it’s at.

Age: 25-30

And we’ve come to a full circle. Now you’re the mom picking out your first kid’s pumpkin costume. You make sure it’s a really cute one so they will get extra candy that you can also enjoy. You get to go door to door once again, and it’s just as great as you remember. Or, if you haven’t started a family of your own yet, you can always pick up some of your childhood favorite candy to pass out to the little ones in your neighborhood. Get the good stuff because you’ll for sure be eating the leftovers. Passing out candy is also a great date idea for you and your significant other. Make sure you pick out a couples’ costume that you both like. Here’s our take on deciding the perfect costume for the both of you:

http://www.hercampus.com/school/jcu/he-said-she-said-halloween-friend-zone-and-what-it-means-be-basic

Halloween isn’t just for kids. You can rock this holiday at any stage of your life. Be smart, be safe, and enjoy yourselves! Have fun no matter what age you are, inside or out.

• candy
• costumes
• halloween
• life
• movies
• parties