It’s October, which means, well I guess it means a lot of things, but one of those things is Halloween!
Here’s one from back in the day, with little sister and baby brother. If you look closely you can see sponge rollers in my hair, which means Halloween fell on a Saturday that year. Mama always rolled our hair into sausage curls for church.
When I was a kid, Halloween meant roaming the neighborhood collecting candy in a sack. And by roaming the neighborhood I mean going only to those houses where my mother actually knew the people (Mama’s rules, of which there were plenty.) It also meant donning a costume, of course. For my brother, sister, and me those costumes were always store-bought. The kind with a printed, satiny hospital-gown over the body, and a thick plastic mask we could barely breathe through with eye holes we could barely see out of. Safety first. I might add those were exactly the kind of costumes we wanted—nothing homemade for us.
By the time I was a teenager, store-bought costumes and masks were passé. I would only wear ensembles I put together myself, like a clown or gypsy. And the real thrill of Halloween became haunted houses and scary movies. Going through the local Jaycees haunted house was fun. But actually working in a haunted house as other people ran through screaming was waaay better. The teens and young adults at our church put on a haunted house as a fundraiser for our annual youth trip. We depended mostly on make-up, a fog machine, strobe lights and jumping out at people for the fright factor. But we did have an ace up our sleeves. One of the guys at our church worked at a funeral home. Scoring a real casket and an old hearse made him incredibly popular.
As an adult, I’ve only worn a costume for Halloween when we conspired to wear them to the office, and to the occasional costume party. One year my sister hosted a Rocky Horror Picture Show costume party. We had a couple of Dr. Frank-N-Furters, a Magenta, a random assortment of Transylvanians, and one woman who showed up as Peter Pan. (There’s always someone who didn’t get the memo.) I went as Columbia and hubs was dressed as the minister from the opening scene outside the church. No, I can’t tap dance, but I did stomp about and wave my glitter hat during Columbia’s dance scene. I know you’re sorry you missed that.
No costume parties this year that I know of. If I had to dress up, I might go as Nancy Drew. I have a magnifying glass and a flashlight so I should be good, right? Then again, I don’t think I could pull off the teen sleuth look. I could always go as a mystery author on deadline. I definitely have some pajamas and a large coffee mug!
Halloween night, we’ll likely be watching House on Haunted Hill or The Corpse Vanishes — or maybe Rocky Horror Picture Show. Do you have a favorite Halloween movie? How about a favorite costume or real life ghost story? Share in comments.
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Chicks on the Case 
I always watch Halloween with a young Jaime Lee Curtis. This is a yearly thing for me since it first came out.
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Oh, Queen, that one’s a little too scary for me — you are braver than I! Do you plan to watch Halloween Kills? I think it’s in theaters and streaming online.
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Halloween ain’t what it used to be. No kids come around anymore, and my sixteen yr old could care less. My wife won’t watch horror movies, so I guess it’s just another day around here.
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Tom, would your wife perhaps enjoy a campy Halloween/horror film, like Young Frankenstein or Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy?
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But there’s candy, right?
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True story. My mom passed away in Jan of 95. About a month later, hubby and I had gone to church, my daughter stayed home. She was 17. She was about to get in the shower and she heard what sounded like an old person with a walker going down the hall. Then she heard the floppy handles on my dresser. She knew she was alone, so she freaked, pushed the screen out of the window and jumped out into the snow (wearing her sweats and bare feet). She ran to the neighbors and called the police. They found no one. That night hubby and I were asleep. I woke up feeling a hand on my ankle. I looked around and nothing was there but I still felt the hand. Hubby was snoring. I knew it was my mom. That is how she used to wake me for school when I was young. I wasn’t afraid, it was her way of saying goodbye.
Carol
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Oh, that gives me chills! But, it’s lovely that your mom made contact! I briefly saw an image of my dad a couple of months after he passed away. I found it very comforting and reassuring!
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When my kids were in high school, they’d go to the local amusement park’s Fright Night. They have very high scare factors, but it was fun. I think my daughter still does Halloween costume parties with her friends at college.
My childhood memories of Halloween mostly involve me as a teenager having to escort my younger siblings.
I’m not much into costumes these days, although I do Exhausted Mother, Frustrated Technical Writer, and Author on Deadline very well. LOL
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Ha! Excellent costumes, Liz!
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Liz, I still love haunted houses! Being the oldest, I also escorted my younger brother and sister. But I’d always put on some clown make-up or such and carry a bag — I didn’t want to miss out on the candy, lol!
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Young Frankenstein is the must see in my household. Rocky Horror serves as the matinee. We like spooky but not too scary. 🎃
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I’m with you, JC! Those two are high on my list too.
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Jim, I could hang out with you guys! I like campy more than really scary. The Ring just about gave me a heart attack! But I’m into anything with Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff!
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Young Frankenstein is one of my all-time faves, J.C.!
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I don’t do much for Halloween here, and I haven’t seen a Halloween movie in ages. But it is fun to watch the neighborhood kids in their costumes. They don’t trick-or-treat here, but I often see them on their way to the mall or another organized event.
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Marla, I also love seeing kids of all ages in their costumes! One year we had the tiniest little werewolf I’ve ever seen — he was adorable! If anyone spots a child in a baby chick costume, please take a pic and send it to us Chicks — we’d love it!
Marla, if you’re not going to be interrupted by trick-or-treaters, you might want to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a Halloween-themed cozy!
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I’m not a fan of Halloween. I liked scoring all that candy as a kid, and braiding my long hair when it was wet to complete my witch look, but otherwise, yawn. Hubs and I do go to every Halloween party we’re invited to, though. One year we went as a s’more. Scans of graham crackers enlarged to fit on cardboard we wore like sandwich boards. Then one of us also wore a Hershey bar, the other fluffy cotton for marshmallows. It looked most excellent when we danced, but just walking around we had to ‘splain it.
I think I would have enjoyed working at a haunted house with you, Vickie!
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Need pics of this s’more costume, Becky!
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If I stumble on one, I’ll send it along. But his was long before facebook, where I store all my memories.
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Becky, your costume sounds fab — now I’m hungry for s’mores!
Get your witch hair on. I’m totally in for a haunted house gig with you! Should we go cozy or creepy?!
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I think we should scare the bejeebers out of someone … as long as it’s not me!
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I can’t do scary, Vickie. I’d rather have friendly pumpkins and decorations around our home.
We get a number of trick-or-treaters on Halloween, so I enjoy seeing all the costumes. It’s also nice to chat with the neighbors if I’m on chaperone duty with the kids.
Growing up, though, we did have family movie nights with super scary movies (rented or in the theater)–I blame my brother. But now that I don’t need to watch those horror films, I’m much happier.
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Aw, having young kids makes Halloween even more fun, Jen! Have your girls picked out costumes?
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Right now, it looks like we’ll have a baker and Luna Lovegood trick or treating!
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I’m with Jen. My favorite Halloween movie is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I have never been to one of those haunted house attractions. Except once, at Disney (the Haunted Mansion). I had no idea it was supposed to be humorous. I almost had a heart attack. My go-to costume is Alice in Wonderland. I carry a pink plastic flamingo and croquet mallet and wear black leather gloves. I have been Nancy Drew many times as well. I have the trench coat and carry an antique clock. Also…a red (titian?) bob wig. That’s fun.
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Lisa, haunted houses are fun to me, but scary and/or slasher films make me cover my eyes and scream! I love watching Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin! And I love pretty much anything pumpkin spice!
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Once I was really lazy and just wrote “Asher Lev” under a “Hello, my name is…” nametag. Totally worth it though, because I made Jeffrey Deaver laugh and then we had a nice long book conversation.
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You hang out with a literate crowd, Becky!
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LOL!
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I remember going to neighborhood and school haunted houses…and hating it!
Alice in Wonderland sounds fun, Lisa. I’ve been Nancy Drew with a magnifying glass, but I feel like it’s hard to really tell who I am.
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Aw, Jen, that’s cute! I wish your Luna a bit of Harry Potter magic, and your baker all the sweets she can carry!
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My go to costume these days is Mr. Incredible because it means I get to wear sweats. What’s not to love? (Yes, I wear red sweat pants instead of tights.)
I saw my favorite scary movie is Scream, but it seems I watch Halloween every year these years. Just break out Scream soon.
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I think Mr. Incredible suits you, Mark!
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Agreed. Red sweats are perfect and comfy. So smart!
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Vickie, I love this post! And the pix! Believe it or not, I was never a big Halloween person, even as a kid. Wandering around in the cold dark scared me. But I LOVED it when Eliza was little. We created some great costumes for her. My favorites was probably the Spider Queen one we made by adapting a costume she’d worn once before.
My favorite scary moving is THE HAUNTING. It’s the best gothic suspense ever made, I think. I went to a 50th anni of its filming and Russ Tamblyn was there, talking about the filming! I wish I’d recorded it.
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Ellen, it’s been ages since I saw The Haunting! We’ll have to watch it again soon!
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Love the pics, Vickie! Ah how well I remember those plastic masks and shiny costumes. The most frustrating thing about Halloween was that my mother would make me wear a coat. How could people see my gorgeous, satiny hospital gown under that bulky outerwear?
These days, I channel Wednesday Addams for my costumes and claim that I’m a psychopath because we look like everybody else.
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Aw, Kathy! Living in the South, coats weren’t part of my Halloween experience. I was often sweating behind that plastic mask!
But, where we live now, little trick-or-treaters often have to trudge through the snow.
You’d be an adorable psychopath, lol!
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Hardy, dedicated trick-or-treaters! Love it.
And those masks were suffocating!
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I had to wear a coat, too, Kathy. Sometimes I tried to put the satin over it. Not a good look.
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I’m not a fan of scary movies. (Seeing Wait Until Dark as a teenager, I had nightmares for weeks afterwards). I did, however, think Scream was quite clever and funny (and scary!). But I tend to go for the less scary, scary movies–things like Lost Boys and American Werewolf in London.
And speaking of being scared, Halloween scares the bejoogers out of my poor pup (all those strange people coming to the door in weird clothes), so it’s not my favorite holiday. Except for the Twix and Snickers!!
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Ohmygosh, Leslie! Lost Boys is one of my favorite movies! Time to watch it again!
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You know it was filmed in Santa Cruz, right? So it’s a big favorite in our town.
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I knew that, Leslie, but it didn’t mean much to me because I didn’t know you yet! I’ll watch closer next time!
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Leslie, werewolves and vampires are excellent movie choices!
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One Halloween I saw The Exorcist. Not a Halloween movie, exactly, but that’s what was on at the party. Never really recovered from that one…My head was spinning faster than Linda Blair’s.
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Cannot even tell you how much I LOVE the Rocky Horror costumes, Vickie!!
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Aw, thanks, Cynthia! John and I went to see it at the theater a bunch of times when we were dating!
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