I tend to fall into deep pits of nostalgia this time of year. I fight with it, since I can become sad with these nostalgic feelings. But this year, I’m falling in love with it day by day.
Halloween and the fall season have always held a special place in my heart.
For as long as I can remember, my dad has made Halloween an event seemingly bigger than the Olympics. He goes crazy. He buys the animatronics from Spirit Halloween, plans a huge party, and spends insane amounts of money on goodies for the trick-or-treaters.
He even blocks out whole weekends for preparation.
My dad doing this made me fall in love with Halloween and the fall season from a very young age. My costumes were always simple but well-thought-out. A notable favorite of mine was during the peak of my middle school Stranger Things phase, being Eleven for Halloween one year.
Decorating the house was always my favorite part. I remember brushing the fair of the severed head decorations with my princess hairbrush when I was little.
We also took trips to the local pumpkin farm. There’s a picture of my dad and me at the farm in an area with all the pumpkins, and he is balancing a big pumpkin on my little head.
Since I have been away for the last few Halloweens, I have missed out on these traditions. Last year, I called my mom on Halloween, and I got instant FOMO (fear of missing out). Instead of wallowing in my nostalgic feelings, I decided to truly embrace them this year.
My roommates and I started by making a treat with brownies, Halloween-themed Oreos, and the Pillsbury Halloween sugar cookies. We also decorated the apartment with Halloween decorations. The best part so far has been going to Spirit Halloween and checking out the animatronics (I think they’re cool, okay?).
We’ve also had a couple Halloween-movie nights. My favorite so far has been Halloweentown II.
Spending this time of pure nostalgia with my friends has made it more fun than the sadder aspects of nostalgia I tend to experience. Sure, I know Halloween as a child isn’t the same as an adult, and I want to grasp onto it. However, it keeps the excitement of the holiday alive for me.
I feel so happy this time of year that it’s sickening. Holding onto memories of how I used to celebrate the holiday makes it more enjoyable since I can still incorporate them — somehow.