Who doesn’t love Halloween? A holiday full of candy and scares, there is nothing like it. I have a few traditions I enjoy every year and wanted to share.
- Watching Halloween movies
The moment October starts, the Halloween movies start coming on the TV. The first is always “Halloweentown”, and it is by far the best movie at this time of year. I love the actors, the premise of a whole new world, and the idea of good conquering evil. Recently, I learned there is a real Halloweentown located in Oregon; visiting the wonderful exhibit is going directly onto my bucket list. Another favorite movie is “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. My family tends to watch this movie right around the 31st, it’s a classic. There is nothing like a movie to get you into the spooky spirit.
- Going to a Pumpkin farm
Every year my family and I go to a pumpkin farm where we pick out pumpkins and enjoy the activities around the farm. There is generally a corn maze where I usually get lost for a while until finally, I can figure out where the exit is, But I find it both never-racking and fun. Sometimes, there is a farm where you get to shoot the pumpkins out of a cannon or go ziplining. Other years, we have visited a farm where you paint slabs of wood with a message to scare away unwanted guests on Halloween night. I highly recommend going to a pumpkin farm for the experience and maybe even a fall photo shoot.
- Carving pumpkins
Carving Pumpkins is a popular tradition during the fall , it’s a blast to get together with friends and prep the pumpkins. First, you gotta take out all the seeds and orange goo before any fun faces can be carved. When my brother and I were kids, we would grab the orange goo and dangle it in front of each other. The pumpkin seeds are also a plus because you can cook them with salt or cinnamon to make a great snack. Lastly, the carving of the pumpkins, you can either use stencils or come up with your own idea. Getting to display our pumpkins at the front of the porch was always great. It made us proud as the whole neighborhood could view our work.
- Decorate the House
Decorating for Halloween is a great time in itself; you can put on a scary movie or some Halloween music to get you in the mood. At my house, we would have these glass figures of pumpkins and ghosts with candles so shadows could cast throughout our TV room. There was also a dancing ghost that would sing “I want candy”, and my whole family was convinced it said my name in the song. The orange hues and cute faces of ghosts makes the house feel special.
- Sorting Candy after Trick or Treating
Trick or Treating is a staple when it comes to Halloween. My brother and I would always dress up and parade around the neighborhood, begging for candy. Over the years, we’ve had many fun and embarrassing costumes, it’s always fun to look back on those pics to remember the good times. Moreover, my best friend growing up lived only two blocks from me, so we would always hang out and hit both of our neighborhoods. There was even a guy who would hand out soda cans, he was known as the “jackpot house.” Once the Trick or Treating had ceased for the night, we would head back to my house and sort our treats. There was a nice moment when we got to look at what we had collected. The number of Reese’s cups to Mounds bars, and my brother and I would trade the candies we didn’t like. There were even times when we would let our parents snag a few treats, and it’s those moments that were quite rare, I’ll admit. It was a competition as well as a great time to eat sugar.
Halloween season is great because it brings on lots of sugar as well as great memories. The ridiculous costumes of teenagers to the babies dressed as ladybugs all come together to make this holiday special. I treasure my memories of sorting candy and corn mazes. I highly recommend going with friends and family to pumpkin farms and carving pumpkins together. Embrace the spookiness and eat lots of treats during this Halloween season.