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Then vs Now: Halloween Carries a New Meaning in Your Twenties

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

Gone are the days where it’s socially acceptable for you to walk up to strangers’ houses and shout the words “trick-or-treat” for free candy. Your obnoxiously puffy Cinderella costume and matching tiara now collect dust in some storage bin towards the back of your garage (sad face). With Halloween just around the corner, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce about how much Halloween has changed since you traded in your Disney tiara for a pair of satin bunny ears.

Costume choices: Leotards are no longer a piece of your adorable ballerina ensemble. Instead, they are the main staple of your entire costume accessorized by some form of animal ears and stockings.    

Costume prices: Unlike ten year old you, twenty year old you laughs hysterically at the thought of spending over $60 on a Halloween costume. However, what you lack in cash, you substitute with creativity. That plain, white sheet that seconds as a drape for your apartment window might just leave you looking like a Grecian goddess this Halloween.

Bottoms up: Sure you miss the loads of free candy you used to receive on Halloween night, but nowadays getting your hands on free alcohol at costume parties gives you just as much joy.

Selfies matter: The pumpkin patch is no longer somewhere you go with your parents to find the potential jack-o-lantern of your dreams. Rather, the pumpkin patch holds much more esteem since it offers the perfect backdrop for an Insta-worthy selfie with your friends. 

Movie marathons: Now that you’re older, you hold Halloween movies like Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown near and dear to your heart. These films are classics in your eyes and pleasant reminders of your childhood. So when October rolls around and ABC Family plays these movies on repeat, you gladly plop yourself on your couch and revel in the nostalgia that this spooky holiday brings. 

 

Naomi is a fourth-year, English major and Multimedia Writing minor at UCSB. She is originally from the LA area, but aspires to someday make it in New York as a web content writer. Cats, green tea and British accents are slight obsessions of hers.
Kirby is a recent graduate from UCSB currently living in Los Angeles. As a proud Her Campus UCSB alum, she's happy to be back on the HC team covering one of her fave shows: "The Mindy Project." On any given day you can find her with her nose in a book (let's be real - it's a Kindle). In her free time, she likes petting dogs, binge-watching TV, and eating a lot of food. Find her on Instagram: @kirbynicoleb or @GirlBossEats.