HALLOWEEN: THEN AND NOW

When did Halloween become so expensive? Don’t you remember when we were kids (yes, in the “olden” days – is that even a word? Olden?) and we just found stuff around the house to use as a costume? Or at the most, Mom would sew us something. (I still remember my Greek Goddess costume that my mom made. It was a long white dress with gold ribbons sewed on to it. Sigh!) But to buy a costume? NO WAY!

But now, nobody makes costumes anymore. In fact, if a kid were to make one up, they would probably be a big ol’ nerd! The prices on these things are outrageous, especially considering they are worn only once or twice (if you’re lucky), never to be seen again. And it’s not just the costume, it’s all the accessories that go with it. You can easily spend $50 or more PER KID on Halloween. Not to mention the candy. If you live in a neighborhood with TONS of kids, like I do, the bags of candy really start adding up.

So look at this picture:

This is me with my two sisters in the 70’s (no, I don’t know what year… well maybe I do, but it’s not important). Yes, yes, I’m the cute cat in the middle! Margee is the Indian and Mindy is the Hobo. Look at these costumes. Do any of these look store-bought to you? Of course not, and half the fun was in making the costumes.

Now, take a look at my boys with a friend:

There is not even the slightest chance that I made these! And notice how they all have the mask and the gun that goes with their costume? Very coordinated!

So what will we do for Halloween this year? Perhaps make a costume to teach my boys a lesson in creativity and frugality? No, I don’t want them to be dorks so we’ll be buying something I’m sure!

Karen