Image of two ghosts. 

I am not a fan of horror movies, haunted houses, or gruesome creatures that lurk 
in my closet and under the bed. 

Give me " scary safe."

A caldron of apple cider suits me. Put out purple mums and orange pumpkins to decorate the porch. Let me dress up and become someone else for a night. 

What was your Best Ever Halloween costume?

A prize-winning outfit you envisioned and created? An unexpected find in the thrift store? The celebrity costume that turned you into a glamour star. Or the perfect disguise, the one that fooled even your best friend’s mother?

At first, Halloween centered on collecting treats until I found fun in the tricks. No, not stringing toilet paper in the trees, or smashing poor pumpkins. The delightful trick of impersonating characters—the heroes, Hollywood actors, and everyday heroes (firefighter, nurse, teacher). Of course, there are ghoulish creatures like witches, devils, and vampires. I’ll throw in politicians here too and you put them in the category.  As a teenager, I plastered my face with a dark green eye shadow like the Wicked Witch of the East. A small sacrifice intended to scare up attention. 

I’ve wondered how costumes have changed through the decades or not. Do we dress up like our idols? Astronauts. Do we turn ourselves into what we fear? Aliens. Ax-welding madmen wearing hockey masks? Will cartoon characters always be in vogue? What costume garners more candy, huh? Cute or scary?

My favorite costumes throughout the years:

A spunky monkey child’s costume my mother made for me. My mask and the long tail earned me third place prize.

The court jester outfit I made with bells on the collar that jingled and jangled.

Finally, the circus performer attire that caught my eye in the thrift store. This cherry red leotard with silver sequins transformed me into a trapeze artist. The magical experience continued when my future husband also got into the act donning teal tank top and black bicycle tights. What dazzling trapeze partners we made, if only for one night.

But Halloween has gone beyond one night because starting in September, we are haunted with Halloween décor. We can’t escape the spooky soundtracks and purple lights casting surreal shadows about.

Strolling through the neighborhoods, I have seen skeletons dancing, stuffed scarecrows lounging about, tombstone populating lawns, and wisps of ghosts dangling from every tree limb. A few pumpkins and purple, orange, and maroon mums added festive touches. (A few mums brighten up every place.)

Recently, I read about homeowners, who spent thousands of dollars on outdoor decorations for an elaborate spectacular Halloween scene. What an economically chilling amount of money! Yet, it’s hard not to admire the innovation and investment to delight our spirits.