Halloween as a kid

[J.R.]

I remember Halloween as being the funnest time of the year at school, with the decorations and fun art projects. And the best part: gym class. I usually loathed gym, but our teacher would set up a huge obstacle course where you swing from the ropes and jump pommelhorses and stuff, running from a ghost or a wild animal in the jungle. Until that one year when he made a kid run out in Freddy Krueger mask and scare  the second graders and parents got upset. I don't blame them, but it ruined my fun. This obstacle course thing was present at every elementary school I went to all over the country.

I couldn't trick-or-treat for a few years because my mom thought it was a satanic ritual (which it kinda is, but I don't care), but then she realized I just wanted candy, so I continued.

Let me see if I can remember every costume I wore-
A monkey (with one of those sweet-smelling masks that slip over your nose and mouth, remember those? And one of my mom's pantyhose stuffed with socks as a tail), Batman, a gray alien, a soldier, a cowboy, Zorro, and that's all I remember.

Halloween rules.

[Drezzy]

I can name all of my costumes EVER:
Ghostbuster (3 years in a row), Ninja Turtle, Batman, Soldier (for about 4 years in a row), Slasher-Film Killer.

Considering I started consciously dressing-up when I was 3 (Ghostbuster, as the cartoon was red-hot and the second movie was still ultra-popular), and stopped when I was about 9, nice record...

JR, I'm jealous. We didn't get s**t on Halloween in Franklin. It must definitely be because of us being in the Northeast, which is spooky enough at night (go into Boston and walk around the old parts of town at midnight; trust me).

[Vermin Boy]

I live in a REALLY backwoods Massachusetts town called Templeton; when I was a kid, we had to ride around in my neighbor's mini-van just to get from house to house. My favorite trick-or-treating costume was probably the one I wore when I was seven; I was the Grim Reaper, complete with a rusty sickle I found in my barn.

These days, I usually get together with my band on Halloween; we'll always watch a horror movie, then go out and jam in the garage for the benefit of whoever's around (which usually isn't many people).

[Dano]

Bruce Black wrote:  Here in the Northeast U.S., "Trick or Treating" has pretty much disappeared, another lost piece of Americana.
*****  Where do you live, Bruce??  My folks live in the northeast, and I'm in the Mid-Atlantic, and I haven't seen any drop-off in trick or treating...  Thank goodness.

[Drezzy]

Author: Bruce Black (---.214.82.31.Dial1.Boston1.Level3.net)
Date:   10-04-02 16:29

That answer your question, Dano?

[Drezzy]

I think my "band" (and I use the term loosely, as it's just me, my friend Wes, and his brother Colin, and we've only jammed twice) should go out as The Misfits on Halloween, complete with singing Misfits tunes.

Now THAT would be a killer show...

[John]

When I was little, I used to wear those cheesy store-bought costumes with the plastic mask and the name of the character printed on the chest. When I got a little older, I started making bizarre costumes. I used foil and other assorted things to make an alien mask, one year I got a cheap makeup package with skin-safe glue and I had cotton balls and stuff stuck to my face. My least well thought out costume was a large box with holes for my arms and legs which was supposed to be a robot. I had trouble fitting on some steps and leaving enough room for the porch door to open! The last costume, I used a coat with a hood and painted my entire face with water paints to resemble a skull. I went out with a friend and one house we went to, the guy asked how old we were (I think 14 at the time) he said we were too old and closed the door in our faces.

[Susan]

When I was little we never had storebought! I think mainly because in my parents day halloween wasn't a big holiday and nobody dressed up. The town might have a party with mischevious kids but nobody really went trick or treating. So i have my stuff homemade.

And nothing is more traumatic to a 6 year old than a homemade wonder woman outfit.