Yep, Halloween is coming again. It brings back fond memories from my youth. Living on a remote farm, we never got any trick-or-treaters, so we missed out on handing out the treats. But that didn’t mean we didn’t go into town and participate. Very few kids in those days could afford store-bought costumes, and we always made our own masks. Most were made from brown paper bags. Scary designs were colored on them, and holes were cut for the eyes and the mouth. I giggle when I think of a bunch of us farm kids running around with paper bags over our heads. Pillowcases were used to stash the candy, but another brown paper bag would suffice if none were available.
Our parents took us into town and gave us free rein until we were exhausted. Some treats were better than others. A few homes even gave out popcorn balls and caramel apples. They were the best. Can you imagine giving those out today? The treaters would be arrested for attempting to poison the little monsters with unwrapped, homemade goodies.
The local farm kids who went to country schools really whooped it up for Halloween. I was lucky to get invited to a few of their parties. There was lots to do. We carved pumpkins, bobbed for apples, and made beads and necklaces from colored corn kernels.
As we kids got older, we still went about the neighborhood for Halloween, but not for treats. We collected money for UNICEF. (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) Yes, we were proud to do our righteous duty, but don’t think too highly of us, as we also had a few Halloween tricks up our sleeve that night.
A few of us had formed a conspiracy. Somehow, we managed to get hold of several cherry bombs. A gang of older kids always hung around Main Street, racing up and down, engaging in minor, harmless tricks. Of course, the one police car in town always kept an eye on those older kids. So did we. Just as the police car would drive by one of these gangs, we would throw out a fire bomb, making it look like the gang was the culprit. The gang would run, and the police car would chase them while we stifled our giggles. Yes, that was fun.
Halloween became more of a responsibility as an adult, but it was still fun. I lived in areas with lots of kids during those years. I loved seeing the creativity of the kids’ costumes. By this time, most of them could afford elaborate costumes. Comic book superheroes, Disney characters, or traditional witches or devils were all popular. I never saw any brown paper bag masks again. The newer candy containers included plastic pumpkins, vinyl cauldrons, decorative pails, and, of course, the traditional pillowcase.
I bought a pair of those red wax lips one year just for fun. Well, it was fun until one little boy screamed in sheer terror when I opened my front door. Thinking it would console him, I ripped off the red lips. WRONG! That set him into sheer panic, and he became inconsolable. That ended his night of trick or treating, much to his parent’s dismay!
There was a fantastic pumpkin patch near our home. It was professionally staged and decorated with intricately carved scary pumpkins, scarecrows, bats, spiders, and an occasional screaming witch. Watching the kids take in the frightening Halloween decor was a joy. I recall seeing one young boy – probably about three – walking along, holding his dad’s hand. I noticed his eyes kept getting bigger and bigger, and his tiny lips were starting to quiver. The dad was utterly oblivious. Finally, the boy asked, “Dad, are you getting scared yet?” The father then took note and reassured his son there was no reason to be afraid.
The year I taught school, my windows were all soaped. And here I thought I was well-liked – guess not! It was imperative always to have enough candy. As I mentioned in a prior post, my dachshund Wonder Dog got into the Halloween candy when I wasn’t looking one year. I began doubting myself, wondering if I was giving out too much candy or just hadn’t bought enough in the first place. Then I saw all the empty candy wrappers neatly tucked in his doggie bed.
Years ago, we lived in military base housing in Germany. The four-story buildings each had three stairwells. There were 24 families in each building, and there were lots of kids. Halloween was celebrated in high style every year. Each of the three stairwells was assigned to eight families. Together, those families worked on decorating their assigned stairwell, competing with the other stairwell families. Turns were taken in giving out the candy. Kids and adults were in their glory!
Halloween lost much charm for me when I moved into a gated community, and no tricksters came around. Then I had an epiphany. I could at least wear a Halloween costume. And so it started.
My first notable costume success was as a witch. I saw a perfect witch picture in a magazine and conned Hubby into doing the artwork. He complained a bit because I was so wrinkly, and it was difficult to apply the make-up, but he persevered. I practiced a witch’s cackle. (Hubby said I didn’t need any practice!) I got into our golf cart and went up and down the street, cackling and scaring everyone in sight – even the dogs – and a seasoned policeman friend. My cackle was so good some folks thought I had a recording on me.
I was on a roll, and Hubby was also getting into the mood. The following year, I decided to be a skeleton, and Hubby dressed as my not-very-talented gourmet chef. We went to a party at our clubhouse. Many people peered at me studiously and wondered aloud if they knew me. I responded in a shaky voice, “Years and years and years ago!” Hubby kept going to the buffet table as if he were the official chef and began advising the staff on how to present their dishes. They kept trying to shoo him away without success.
Next year, I decided to be Cartoon Woman. We attended a Halloween Party where we were well-known. Hubby didn’t wear a costume that year. So, for me not to be recognized, we arrived at different times. I was careful not to speak as my voice was easily recognized. Many tried to guess who I was to no avail. But then it happened. Hubby, who had been enjoying a lively time with friends, yelled out and beckoned to me, “ROBERTA COME OVER HERE!” That took care of that! Oh well!
Earlier that day, I had donned my Cartoon Woman costume and went to the shop where my hairdresser worked. I raved and raved about what she did to my blue hair. Waiting customers in the shop jumped up in fear, and tears came to my hairdresser’s eyes. I then took off my costume to a wave of hysterical laughter! What fun! Eventually, I began using my Cartoon Woman persona for Roberta Raves.
After a while, more friends joined us in our annual Halloween frenzy and took part in selecting the costumes and themes. We would get together and discuss who would be best in each role. Scary Clowns was a big hit at one local Halloween party. I don’t think we scared anyone that night, but we were sure UGLY! Very few people recognized us with those big red noses.
Survivors of the Titanic was one year’s theme. One participant made Titanic name tags for us. I bought glass ornaments to put in my hair that looked like ice cycles. Hubby bought a battered old tuxedo at a thrift shop and tore it into shreds. I carried a life ring on which I had written Titanic. The band played popular music from the movie Titanic, and we all danced. Since we were all senior citizens, and it was very dark, it wasn’t hard to dance in a slow, creaky way, impressing observers with what they assumed was our acting ability!
We couldn’t go another year without being the Addam’s Family. The group was growing. We had Morticia, Gomez, Grandmama, Lurch, Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and Cousin Itt. Someone bought Thing, and throughout the evening, Thing would crawl across our table. Hubby and I were Uncle Fester and Grandmama. Uncle Fester occasionally put a light bulb in his mouth, and it would light up. I used hair from my hairbrush for Grandmama’s bushy eyebrows.
Our final costume extravaganza was when seven of us went to our club’s Halloween party dressed as mummies. We bought our basic outfits but adorned them with extra gauze and made the faces from paper mache. One man at the party happened to be the actual producer of the original Halloween genre of horror movies. He started the whole thing. He swore we looked more authentic than the hired actors on his Hollywood sets.
COVID-19 arrived about that time, and my Halloween costume frenzy ended. But don’t let your guard down. Hubby claims I can still be scary!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Do you have any Halloween stories to share? Your comments are always appreciated and won’t be published outside this website.
8 Comments
I loved Halloween as a kid but the most fun I had was flying to Las Vegas with my daughter. My oldest daughter lived there and she had to work Halloween night so I and my daughter Jody took her little daughter around. She wasn’t quite three. Most of the houses were decorated and the streets were full of kids. It was also nice and warm outside because being from Minnesota I am not use to. It is usually cold and either snowing or raining in Minnesota. We had so much fun we didn’t want to quit. Which we finally had to at ten
Roberta, my hubby loves Halloween and loves to dress up. It’s his favorite ‘holiday’. As a kid, we made our own costumes, too and Mom drove us into town for trick or treating. We always had a great time. A couple of offices I worked in as an adult allowed us to dress up on Halloween. One time I dressed up as a vampire and made a long, red-lined cloak. I wore the outfit for the kiddos who came to my door that night and scared a few toddlers. One company I worked for had a Halloween party and I dressed up as a bumble bee. It was fun. Another time, Larry and I dressed up for a downtown party. He dressed as a caveman, complete with a large bone club, and I dressed as a Catwoman. We don’t get any tricksters where we live now and I miss the fun. Thanks for the memories and the fabulous pictures!
Great costume pics. The wax lips reminded me of the wax vampire teeth we used to buy. Always fun and great memories. Thks for bringing them back guys😎
Loved all the great costumes you thought up!
Great costumes Roberta! Growing up in my distant province we didn’t know about “Trick or Treat” and never heard of Halloween. But I was an avid reader & knew all about it, so I enlisted the help of 2 of my girlfriends & we went to a few neighborhood houses. We had to explain to each person who answered the door what it was all about. Everyone knew us of course, growing up in a town where the population still remains at 3,000. We ended up with some funky things, from apples, oranges to maybe the best – homemade cookies.
When we were newly married and had recently moved in a newly purchased house in Michigan we were invited to a Halloween hall party. We didn’t have the money to buy professional costumes even if these stores were available at that time. I won a Best Costume prize dressed as Morticia from the Addams Family. My long black slinky velvet dress was an old cast-off from my MIL’s youth, a little moth eaten also. But the killer was the professional clown make-up. I combined white with a little touch of black for my grey pallid face, & hands. That stuff doesn’t wash off easily! I did buy vampire teeth, cheap long black hair wig, glue-on bright red finger nails & 2″ long eyelashes, well like the ones the young women are wearing today. Some brilliant red lipstick put the finishing touch to the ensemble. The Saturday after that party a couple in the neighborhood had a “house party”. Hubby showed up first & I arrived later. Nobody knew who I way as I didn’t speak. Even danced a few dances with the host & he kept looking into my eyes & saying “I must know you”. That costume morphed into a neighborhood yearly thing which we staged on our neighbor’s big front porch. Someone built a coffin & I lay in it to hand out candy to the kids. We had a great witch presenting the kids, complete with lovely green make-up & a super cackle, Frankenstein who wore big blocks on his feet to give him more height, lurched around the corner and a Dracula cruising the lawn complete with flashing red eyes. The brick house was originally the farmhouse on land which our subdivision was built, so it was scary in itself with a 2-story, very peaked roof. We added spooky music, some dry ice for fog to complete the set-up. Kids were driven into our neighborhood by the vanload because getting around was easier than their own . We had kids jumping off that porch in terror. Some parents would not get out of their cars! I think the parents that did had more fun than the kids. Subsequently, every year thereafter adults came to see how our set-up had improved. And add to it we did as friends volunteered to join in. At one point we thought the local TV station was due to show up. Guess they had more important things to do. We did have a crazy fun neighborhood.
Trick or treat for UNICEF was what we did growing up.
In that town you first mentioned, I remember when my older sister coming home from Trick or Treating earlier than usual. She had worn a mask of a man with dark hair, thick glasses and a fat cigar. She had gone to one of the homes a few blocks away and startled the woman, who kept staring at her in an uncomfortable way. My sister didn’t know at the time, but the mask she was wearing had a strong resemblance to women’s recently deceased husband. That mask was never worn again.
Tomorrow, a gang of family will get together to carve Jack-O-Lanterns at my daughter’s home. It has become a family tradition—my sister and I used to carve them with my dad; then I did it with my daughter; and now it’s my daughter, her hubby, and their three kids, as well as my stepdaughter and her boyfriend. Altogether, we get about 12 pumpkins carved; and it’s quite a sight after it turns dark and we light all of them on the front porch. A great time is always had by all. What a grand tradition!