# Halloween! Not one mention on the holiday thread. What was your favorite costume and why?



## Sandie (Oct 24, 2015)

Hi! I can't believe this isn't a thread. What was your favorite costume and why? I was between 4 and 6 years old in the early fifties. I remember walking (unaccompanied by an adult-but maybe by an older sibling) through wind tossed, dark lit neighborhoods in homemade princess and goblin paraphernalia. Although I do not remember what I wore at 4 years old, I do remember some of the costumes I loved best. I belonged to a literary club when I was in high school, and I went from class to class, dressed as Mary Poppins, handing out office memos. My favorite costume, many years later, was as "Bill" (the lizard chimney sweep in 'Alice in Wonderland'). No one had a clue. Maybe this just goes to show what a nerd I am but I always gave hints and clues to those trying to determine who I was. Just goes to show that sometimes you need to pay attention to the minor characters. Hope your costume this year is a showstopper!


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## fureverywhere (Oct 24, 2015)

If you've ever read the Jerry Seinfeld Halloween book. Superman was the ultimate costume. Maybe I was a bit butch but I wanted to be Superman for years. Those masks with the elastic bands were pitiful, but the costume was great. Halloween was and still is possibly my favorite holiday.


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## Sandie (Oct 24, 2015)

I agree, Halloween is and has been my favorite Holiday forever! I happen to own that Seinfield book. Bought it for the grandchildren, but decided to keep it with all of my other kid/adult story books. I know my 'Bill" costume was a little cerebral, but that's the way I roll. I want to challenge my fellow celebrants. Not just going for the cheap thrill!


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## AprilT (Oct 24, 2015)

Hi Sandie, Halloween has been a favorite holiday of mine for years, though this hear I feeling all that hyped about it.  Its only been in the past week that I even decided to go with my usual group to huge Halloween party held out this way each year.  I'm finally getting in the spirit.  Its a good thing I have several old costume pieces tucked away so I was able to make a decision a week before the deadline.


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## Warrigal (Oct 24, 2015)

When you say 'holiday' does it mean a day off work?


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## Sandie (Oct 24, 2015)

But whooo are you?


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## Sandie (Oct 24, 2015)

No holiday as in holey day for many different religions. I doubt that most countries consider All Hallow's Eve or All Saints'/Souls' Day  to be a government holiday. Probably looked upon as a secular/folkloric celebration,


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## Warrigal (Oct 25, 2015)

Over here a holiday doesn't have to be a holy day. Victoria has a public holiday for  horse race - the Melbourne Cup.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 25, 2015)

Warrigal said:


> When you say 'holiday' does it mean a day off work?



Holiday is confusing for some here since we are multicultural. Outside of the US holiday means 'vacation' or time off like school holidays or bank holiday Monday etc.  Holiday in the US means Xmas, etc.

I only say vacation when visiting the US as I get confused looks when I say holiday.


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## Vivjen (Oct 25, 2015)

Halloween was not even thought about in UK when I was young...it has grown in popularity more recently; personally I dislike it.!


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## Ameriscot (Oct 25, 2015)

Having a sweet tooth I loved it as a kid!  I'd go door to door and score a massive amount of candy.


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## Pam (Oct 25, 2015)

Maybe it's more of a northern England thing as in this neck of the woods we always celebrated Halloween.. We did things like ducking for apples or snap apple and sometimes had parties where we played 'spooky' games etc. and always my mam made toffee apples and slabs of treacle toffee. 

When I was a little bit older and we moved to the Middle East, I then got into the trick or treating. I remember a group of us girls dressing up as beatniks one year.

There's also Mischief Night in parts of northern England and this can be anytime between Halloween and Bonfire Night. '_Treacle-smearing, egg-throwing, gate-stealing, it can only mean one  thing - Mischief Night. It is a centuries-old tradition in northern  England, but barely known elsewhere in the UK. So, what is it?'_

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8339617.stm


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## Ameriscot (Oct 25, 2015)

Pam, in certain areas of the Midwest - Michigan - the day before(?) Halloween is Devil's night. Teens would put toilet paper on neighbours trees, soap cars windows, and sometimes worse like eggs or rotten tomatoes. 

In Detroit people would set fire to abandoned buildings. 

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1933241_1975500,00.html


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## Ken N Tx (Oct 25, 2015)

From FaceBook


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## Bee (Oct 25, 2015)

Vivjen said:


> Halloween was not even thought about in UK when I was young...it has grown in popularity more recently; personally I dislike it.!




I'm with you Viv, I dislike it as well and never open my door when they come knocking...................fortunately for my town this year our Guy Carnival Procession falls on the same night so with a bit of luck there will be no door knockers about.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 25, 2015)

We don't get kids at our door because on our stretch of the road we all voted not to have streetlights installed, so it's pitch dark without a torch or headlights.


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## Ken N Tx (Oct 25, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> We don't get kids at our door because on our stretch of the road we all voted not to have streetlights installed, so it's pitch dark without a torch or headlights.



We are out in the country and only about 10 homes on our road..No knockers..


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## Pam (Oct 25, 2015)

We get mainly toddlers with their parents and they come round early evening. Rarely do we get any older kids. I usually put stickers in the window so they know they can knock on my door and of course I dress up  in my witch outfit.


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## Pam (Oct 25, 2015)

Bee said:


> I'm with you Viv, I dislike it as well and never open my door when they come knocking...................fortunately for my town this year our Guy Carnival Procession falls on the same night so with a bit of luck there will be no door knockers about.



Guy Carnival procession sounds good, Bee!


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## RadishRose (Oct 25, 2015)

Night before Halloween in CT is also a night for pranks, usually ringing doorbells and running away, toilet papering trees and soaping windows.

I am having my family over for early Halloween supper this year. I bought some nice decorations...a beautiful witch about 2 feet tall wearing a lovely black gown and poufy netting on her hat: a pumpkin centerpiece made of bent branches, painted orange and dusted with gold glitter, strings of orange mini lights, orange place mats and black dishes, candles etc.

Food will not be fancy but hopefully good. Planning on shepherds pie, salad, spinach and artichoke cheese spread with crouton, cake.


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## JustBonee (Oct 25, 2015)

I'm not a fan of Halloween  ... never really liked it, even as a kid.  
I'll buy a bag of candy bars when the grandkids come calling, but other than that, I look past the occasion. 

Don't have many kids where I live anyway, so it's not a big night of activity.


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## Jackie22 (Oct 25, 2015)

Like you, Bonnie, I buy candy and treats for the grandkids and that is about it for me.


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## Butterfly (Oct 25, 2015)

There are not many children in my neighborhood and I haven't had trick-or-treaters for years.  I'm not a big fan of halloween, anyway.

QUESTION FOR UK MEMBERS:  I was watching a British mystery, Midsomer Murders, I think, or maybe Poirot, and the children were playing a game called "Snapdragon" at a halloween party.  I never heard of it.  What's "Snapdragon?"


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## RadishRose (Oct 25, 2015)

When I was a kid there was an older couple up the road who gave us an old fashioned Halloween experience.

Each group were taken inside and anyone else waited on the lighted porch for their turn.

For our candy we each had to do something, either sing a song, do a dance, recite a poem or at least recite the Pledge of Allegiance (to our flag). After that we were invited to remove masks and bob for apples! I never saw that before or since, although I'd heard of it.
Finally, we were herded back to the kitchen, sat in the nook and were each served a paper cup of cider and a doughnut. Then we left and the
 next group came in.

That old couple gave us the best Halloweens ever!


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## NancyNGA (Oct 25, 2015)

Where I grew up (Ohio), we had Beggars Night (Oct 30th) and Hallowe'en (Oct 31st).  I thought it was the same all over the country until I moved south.

_Beggars Night was the "treat" portion of Trick or Treat, where children in costume make evening rounds of homes ... and are given candy. This event being closely tied to, but distinct from, Halloween itself, when various forms of mischief or "tricks" may occur. 
 
_The tricks were applied to houses that did not give treats the night before.  Usually soap or parafin on windows, eggs thrown against the side of houses, and my father told tales of overturned outhouses when he was a kid.  I think the trickery part died out by the time my generation came along.

My favorite holiday for the few years we were old enough to go without parents.


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## RadishRose (Oct 26, 2015)

Nancy, that makes more sense than playing a trick first, and then expect to be treated the next night!


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## Ameriscot (Oct 26, 2015)

Butterfly said:


> There are not many children in my neighborhood and I haven't had trick-or-treaters for years.  I'm not a big fan of halloween, anyway.
> 
> QUESTION FOR UK MEMBERS:  I was watching a British mystery, Midsomer Murders, I think, or maybe Poirot, and the children were playing a game called "Snapdragon" at a halloween party.  I never heard of it.  What's "Snapdragon?"



I asked hubby if he'd heard of Snapdragon and he hadn't.  I googled it and it looks like some kind of card game?


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## Cookie (Oct 26, 2015)

Our building supers give out candy for trick&treaters in our lobby.  There is always lots left over and anyone can go down and grab a handful or two.  I don't usually eat candy, but I do grab some and for some reason it is exceptionally tasty -- I love those little smarties boxes and tiny candy bars.


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## Sandie (Oct 28, 2015)

I have to say I am sorry for those of you who dislike Halloween. But of course that is your right. I grew up in post World War II America. At that time the holiday was all about giving a lot of less than privileged children a chance to participate in something fun. Usually the Legion Hall or some other fraternal or church group would hold a costume party, games were held, costumes were judged and sometimes the older kids danced. When these organizations quit funding these projects then the kids took to the streets. Back then, that meant you covered about a 5 block radius from home. No one in my age group ever egged or tp'd anything. We respected people's property. Iv'e never "tricked" anyone in 63 years. Maybe it's all a matter of trust. Maybe you are all afraid to open your doors. I'm sorry. You could be right. But I prefer to believe in people, even if they are dressed like Darth Vader!


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## AprilT (Oct 28, 2015)

Sandie said:


> I have to say I am sorry for those of you who dislike Halloween. But of course that is your right. I grew up in post World War II America. At that time the holiday was all about giving a lot of less than privileged children a chance to participate in something fun. Usually the Legion Hall or some other fraternal or church group would hold a costume party, games were held, costumes were judged and sometimes the older kids danced. When these organizations quit funding these projects then the kids took to the streets. Back then, that meant you covered about a 5 block radius from home. No one in my age group ever egged or tp'd anything. We respected people's property. Iv'e never "tricked" anyone in 63 years. Maybe it's all a matter of trust. Maybe you are all afraid to open your doors. I'm sorry. You could be right. But I prefer to believe in people, even if they are dressed like Darth Vader!




I have to admit, I never heard of people egging and toilet papering houses till much later in life and viewing it on tv, not something the people I was associated with did in any of the neighborhoods I lived in over the years, at least not that I'm aware of.  To me that's not the fun of the holiday, that's just mean spirited.  

I really wasn't allowed to go out house to house till I was just about too old, actually, I was too old by then. it's probably why I got a late start with the dress up and have such fun as an adult now.   As a kid I was allowed wear a costume but only to school and back home.  So now I enjoy getting my freak on, I mean scary or other funny face or other type looks on when Halloween blows through each year  So, whether at a private party or a combination of the town's events and private parties I and many, normally, very responsible adults and children teens and pets get out there and just have a fun safe good time once a year for no real reasons other than to have a dress up parties and get to shed out big boy and girl cloths and make each other giggle really a lot as we often find ourselves doing at these events.


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## fureverywhere (Oct 28, 2015)

That old couple gave us the best Halloweens ever! 

Rose you reminded me of the neighbors when I was a kid. It was a few years just before the Tylenol scare would end those days of innocent fun. We had an elderly couple up on the hill. The same thing you describe. They would let all the children and parents that ventured to their front door inside for cider and doughnuts. On the way out the wife put a huge homemade popcorn ball in your bag. I hope that couple has sainthood now for all the wonderful memories they created.

There was another house memorable for a spookier reason. There were two grown sons and their parents. The one son in particular had a reputation for mischief. Nothing unlawful or terrible, setting off fireworks and silly pranks. But of course we were forbidden to trick or treat at that house. And you know that was always one of the first houses we went to. The younger boy would answer the door. They had a black light on the front porch and he had his pet boa constrictor on his shoulders. After everybody squealed he threw candy in our bags.

Thank you for this thread, all these memories are making me feel all warm and fuzzy. I even added another decoration last night. A glow eyed waving pumpkin head. I don't like scary but silly is fun.


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## RadishRose (Oct 29, 2015)

Fur, I can picture the guy at the door draped with the boa constrictor in the glow of the black light!  LOL~


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## Karen99 (Oct 29, 2015)

I love Halloween too.  We had class parties at school and all the kids were quite safe going door-to-door in the 50's.  Those were innocent times.  I remember being a cowgirl, a ballerina, a majorette (loved twirling that baton!)  I love giving out candy. I remember how my brother and I would dump out our paper bag full of candy on the bed and make trades for our faves..oh and also carving a pumpkin and putting a candle inside.


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