As a kid, Halloween was one of the greatest days of the year. The school day was cut short, you got to show off your costume to all of your friends, and then there was the trick-or-treating. I remember immediately leaving school to go door-to-door with my friends (and our parents) while we gathered as much candy as we could and tried to make the magic of the night last as long as possible, or at least until it was time to go home and get ready for bed. The best times were when Halloween fell on a Friday or Saturday, because that meant we meant to stay out later with no worries of homework or school. Fall time as a child has very cozy, warm memories for me. My house was always decorated for Halloween and smelled of whatever autumn-scented candle my mom was burning. I loved Halloween as a kid, and this time of year brings out seasonal movies, treats, and activities that make me feel instantly like a kid again.
1. Halloweentown movies
These were by far the best Halloween movies that Disney Channel has ever created. I used to love watching Marnie, Dylan, Sophie, and Grandma Aggie transport back and forth from the mortal world to Halloweentown, where there were sure to be some weird, crazy antics happening that required the Cromwell/Piper family to save the day. The four Halloweentown movies are some of my favorite non-creepy Halloween movies to watch still.
2. Halloween-themed treats
Along with the obscene yet totally necessary amount of candy that is sold in stores around Halloween, other foods go through a dramatic change around the 31st of October. Cookies take the shape of bats, pumpkins, candy corns, etc. The really tasty store-bought cupcakes (that I used to love as a kid) had orange icing, and Pillsbury Ghost cookies were the best things ever. And let’s not forget the Halloween-themed Oreos put out by Nabisco every year, which are no different than original Oreos but somehow taste so. much. better.
3. Costume-shopping
When you’re younger, your choice of Halloween costume is all that matters. I remember starting to look through the catalogue of new costumes for the year in the beginning of October, trying to decide what would be the best, coolest, most fun thing to wear. Some memorable ones include Princess Jasmine from Aladdin (weird because my favorite princess has always been Belle), Hermione Granger, and the homemade Candy Buttons costume my best friend and I wore senior year of high school. I still get jealous of all the new costume options kids have every year.
4. Painting/carving pumpkins
I didn’t do this every year as a kid, but when I got the chance I loved it. I almost always opted to paint, and used all the different colors to make the best pumpkin. This went hand-in-hand with being able to help my mom and dad decorate for Halloween/fall, transforming our house from summer to autumn. There was almost always a whole day dedicated to putting all the cute (rarely scary) decorations out and helping (watching) my dad string the orange lights up the railings on our front porch.
5. School themed parties
One of the best parts about Halloween as a kid was that the school day was either a full-day of candy, costumes, and sugar, or it ended that way. For me, we had the first half of the day normal, where we wore our uniforms, did work, and listened to academic lectures. But after lunch, we were able to put our costumes on and kind of just use the rest of the day to chill out and eat as many treats as possible.
Halloween has always been one of the most fun days to celebrate, and it still is. Plus, it truly signifies the start of the holidays, which is by far my favorite time of year.