My best Halloween costume was the one I wore as a Pilgrim, that my mother had sewed. It was big enough for me to wear in the Thanksgiving presentation that my nursery school gave for Thanksgiving and for several years afterword. I loved the candy we got and the occasional homemade cupcakes. There was one family near us that had a slanted wood walk-up into the house so that the owner could used his wheelchair to get in and out. His treats were often the best we got, and we often finished them off before we walked back home.
Sometimes I collected donations for UNICEF, for feeding hungry children in poorer countries. We were supposed to ask for donations instead of candy, but usually people would graciously give us both.
My favorite Halloween Costumes, however were the ones I made with my children. We used to read Bunnicula around the time that Halloween was coming up. ( a vegetable sucking vampire rabbit) That inspired Zac’s costume as a rabbit, which he wore to the parade his kindergarten school. I used a powder puff to make the rabbit’s tail. All seemed well until Zac came home and told me that I had left a pin in it. For several years he was robot which we made with decorated and self designed Grocery Bags, at a time when paper bags were the norm. After that we moved to St. Cloud Minnesota, and Zac dressed as a tax collector in as Suit like clothes as possible and with the use of his dads very capacious briefcase. Unfortunately many Minnesotans did not appreciate his sense of humor and refused to give him anything, even though he wore a tie. The next year one of his Minnesotan friends borrowed his rabbit costume minus the pin problem.
Although I don’t remember exactly what I made with the other two children, I am pretty sure that Jennifer would have been a princess and Dustin, who was fascinated with weapons at a very young age would be something like a warrior with his nerf toys in hand. (Dustin was an ironic child for me and I worried quite a bit that he really would become a warrior, but thankfully he is a wonderful adult using his many skills peacefully.)
We had beautiful youngsters and their parents coming by today, and there are few things I enjoy more than giving out candy to the trick or treaters(and to myself afterwards). Happy Halloween!!!
rosieborn, lived, cried, appreciated, lost, found, lived, laughed, flew in my dreams,
taught others to fly in their dreams, became a telescope reflecting the stars,
dove to the depths of despair ,recovered and walked along the beach as the water escaped from the sea and erased my footprints.
Bunnicula! The Celery Stalks at Midnight!! What a great costume idea. Fun recollections Rosie, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Susan, glad you enjoyed those books as well. The children loved them too.
Your story nicely captures the delight of Halloween from both sides, child and parent. It’s a shame that your Minnesota neighbors, who probably rewarded ghosts and goblins with candy, couldn’t see how creative (and scary!) Zac’s tax collector costume was. Thanks for sharing.
I like the multi-purpose Pilgrim costume and your recollection of many of the costumes for your children. But particularly how you were worried about how Dustin would turn out, given his predilection for weapons during Halloween costume years. Glad it all worked out for him.
Thanks John. Yes, I thought Zachary’s costumes were memorable and creative. He always delighted me as a young child and continues to delight these days.