As a child I remember Halloween being my favorite holiday, because kids are pretty much known for loving sweets. As a kid I was excited that for almost the whole month of October I would get a bag filled with reeses & jolly ranchers.
No matter where I went there were bowls of candy. Whether I went to my doctors office, even my house had those pumpkin shaped jars filled with candy. And maybe even school, where our teachers would have us play educational games and reward us with a bite sized piece of Halloween candy.
Nothing was better than Halloween night, when we didn’t have phones and had to find your friends by running around the neighborhood with your mom running behind you.
You would get ready 3 hours earlier than you needed too since you were so excited to leave and see what your friends’ costumes looked like. When you got to the neighborhood where your town decided to trick or treat, your first focus was to go to the place you and your best friend told each other you would meet. Once you find each other you’ll run around the neighborhood trying to get to every house before their porch lights turn off.
Finally you’ll go back to our parents, and then go home. When you get home we count all of our candy as we dump it out on our floor, sorting it into sections. Your parents will sneak a few pieces of candy but you will only find out that when your older.
As a teenager though, Halloween has changed drastically. Though there is still Halloween candy in all places that I go, I am no longer excited to see or have it. I am not really excited for Halloween anymore it’s just like any normal month.
We no longer go to school and get to play educational Halloween games or do Halloween worksheets. Instead of being excited to wear and show your costume off, you’re scared and nervous of what other people will think of it and if they will think it’s “cringey”.
Rarely do your friends even want to go trick or treating anymore. Everyone is either at a party, a small sleepover, or sometimes not even doing anything on Halloween night. For a couple days before Halloween you’re stressed on what you’ll wear or if you’re not going trick or treating. You’re stressed out on where you will go, and what all your friends are doing.
Instead of being excited to find people from your school, you’re afraid to run into them and you’re trying to avoid them. I am no longer excited for Halloween anymore but maybe that is apart of growing up.
