Being home in October always sparks a sense of nostalgia in me. During the last few days of this year’s reading week, I got the chance to spend some time with family and my boyfriend on days that felt like the ultimate fall weather. This ignited excitement in me for Halloween and overall threw me back to my younger fall days.
I believe this season is nostalgic for me due to the weather changes and the many memories I have associated with Halloween. I went on a walk with my boyfriend that was intended to be quite short, however, we continued walking up and down streets looking at Halloween and fall décor on different houses. Although I didn’t do this too often as a kid, it made me think of the times that my parents and I would decorate our house for Halloween – which typically consisted of a pumpkin and a light-up ghost, which seems super simple but something about it just feels like home. I don’t live in my childhood home anymore but walking down that street in the fall throws me right back to dressing up with my brothers and strategic trick or treating at the “best candy houses”.
Halloween is one of those holidays where a parent’s dedication has a huge impact. Minus my mom’s sewing abilities allowing me to be a zebra or a sheep as a kid, my dad always hand-made my costumes. October always makes me think of his creativity on this holiday and how my mom would go out and buy the candy and prep the house for trick-or-treaters while he was thinking of ways to make our costumes one of a kind. On my very first Halloween, all I wore was a tiara because my parents were so excited to have a baby girl that they just had to make me a princess. Apparently, I sat perfectly pretty in my dad’s arms while he handed out candy. I’ll never forget the year my brother wore a large piece of foam in the shape of toast with a painted “fleur-de-lis” on the front, claiming he was “French toast” or the year my other brother was a pirate, but because he was still a baby, his stroller was the ship. My dad cut out enough cardboard to wrap around the stroller and decorated it, so he was sitting in his own ship.
Another aspect of Halloween that gives me nostalgia is the candy. I don’t eat nearly as much candy in my adult years as I did on Halloween as a kid. However, there are specific candies that I like to think people my age remember. One of my favourites; the gummy burgers. They had the most artificial colouring and flavours but were one of my top candies and I only ever got them on Halloween. I also loved sweet tarts, but I vividly remember only the fancier families who gave those out. Trick-or-treating is a big part of anyone’s childhood. My family typically went out all together, where my mom would stay out of the haunted house and hold my hand while my dad went in with my brothers. I distinctly remember my mom running with me because there was a man with a fake chainsaw trying to scare kids into entering the haunted house – kind of traumatizing.
Overall, this season is easily one of my favourites as it’s not too cold yet, but just enough to crisp up the leaves and wear a hoodie without sweating like crazy. I think nostalgia in terms of holidays is such a heart-warming experience and Halloween definitely makes me feel that. Going to go buy some gummy burgers now!
XO