As I sit here thinking about my favorite season and holiday, I can't help but remember the Halloweens of my past. Obviously I remember the most recent, especially last year when my husband and I dressed up as Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein at a party a few weeks before we were married. The Halloweens that I remember and cherish the most are those of my childhood. I like to refer to these memories as my "Halloweens of Yesteryear". I still have every costume I've ever worn since I was a baby!
Me as a doggie: Halloween 1987 (I apologize for the weird sized picture!)
My fondest Halloween memories were those from when I was in grade school. I loved Halloween-time at school because we always made the coolest projects! I still have my pumpkin mobile and black hat witch that we made from construction paper, newspaper, and streamers. They are still in good enough shape to hang them up each year (and I do)!
Me in my Little Red Riding Hood costume: Halloween 1992
Another Halloween that I remember was when I was in 3rd grade. After school let out that day, those who had gotten permission from their parents were allowed to stay at the school and play games until dinner was served. We had dinner and snacks in the cafeteria and afterwards, the "older" kids read spooky stories to the rest of us. We also played the "guess which body part game", where you put certain foods that represent body parts in a box and you reach in and feel and guess which body part is represented. That was the first time I'd ever heard of the game and totally loved it! When it finally got dark enough to go trick-or-treating, we all got on a hayrack ride and rode throughout our little town stopping at each house to trick-or-treat! Before the night was over, a couple of the dads decided to try and scare us by jumping out of some trees and turning on their chainsaws. We all laughed at them instead!
A favorite Halloween of mine actually took some creativity to bring the holiday to life. We had a very cold Halloween, too cold to trick-or-treat. I was so bummed out! How can you NOT celebrate Halloween?! So, since I knew that my mom had candy she had already purchased a few days before, I asked if my brother and I could still dress up in our costumes and go from room to room in the house and "trick-or-treat"! She humored me and proceeded to run from room to room while my brother and I had our own little trick-or-treat! Crazy? Maybe so, but I was not going to miss out on Halloween!
Then it happened. The worst thing that could happen to a kid who loves Halloween...I grew up. No more grade school parties. No more trick-or-treating. What could I do? Forget the holiday that I loved and move on? NO! I decided to live Halloween all year round! I still dress up, buy candy (though we don't get trick-or-treaters), watch scary movies...and go on hayrack rides! I visit the local pumpkin patch (where I was married) and venture through their flashlight corn maze and go through their haunted house! I keep the Halloween spirit alive all year long on my blog and try to share the Halloween spirit with others!
I loved the Halloweens of my childhood, but when I think about it, I love the Halloweens of my adulthood as well. I look forward to the day when my husband and I have children and can make Halloween memories with them. I think I'll file those under Halloweens of the Future. ;)
Happy Hauntings!
