Halloween is one of the most exciting nights of the year, for children and adults alike. Derived from Pagan rituals, Halloween has evolved into something commercialized, sanitized, and secularized. That doesn't bother me, though, nor should it bother you. We can all use it as an excuse to have a good time.
I'll always remember my childhood memories of Halloween. At three years old, before I was old enough to understand what was going on, my parents dressed me up as a panda. For a few years, I was dressed up as a prototypical Halloween witch. When I was six, I actually went as King Tutankhamun! My older half-brother had gotten me a book of intricate paper masks to make the Christmas before, and my dad endured the painstaking work of gluing all the tabs together just like so. My mother went to Fabricland, a Canadian textile retailer, and made me a simple smock out of a fabric with a gold, Egyptian-style print.
My cousins from my mother's side of the family have almost all immigrated back to Canada from Malta, now married with kids. Despite Malta not having a Halloween tradition, my cousins are making sure my little second cousins are all ready for a typical North American kid's Halloween. My parents were immigrants, too. My mother is from Malta and my father was born and raised in London, England. It amazes me how quickly immigrant parents pick this stuff up.
For at least a few decades now, many adults have made it known that they don't want to be mere candy door greeters. So there's a possibly over one billion dollar industry for adult Halloween costumes. Many workplaces have Halloween parties, and there are many adult Halloween parties at bars, clubs, and friends' houses, too.
I've seen a lot in the 25 Halloweens I've seen so far, so I have some 'dos & don'ts' for readers. I'm trying to cover all the bases here. Enjoy!
Make sure your kids are wearing safe costumes.
As much fun as masks are, I've been taught time and time again that most masks don't offer kids enough vision for them to behave safely. Either have your kids wear masks with large eye holes, or paint their faces instead.
Have your kids wear costumes that aren't too long to trip over. Young children can get really excited on Halloween night, and that makes tripping over their costumes more probable.
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