Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, even when I was very small. I can remember every Halloween I've ever celebrated, as far back as the age of three. So I am going to bore you with my recollections of Halloweens past. If you are tired of my self-indulgent writing and wish to read no further, I do not blame you.
Halloween 1992, Age Three: This is the earliest Halloween I can recall. We were living in Starksboro, VT at the time. Starksboro is a very small, very rural town. In order to trick or treat, we had to drive to nearby Bristol. I was going as a Medieval princess that year, my Mother was in the SCA at the time, so we had plenty of historically accurate garb on hand. My costume consisted of a green gown trimmed in fake pearls, and a surcoat with a tapestry pattern. I recall that my sister Katie went as an Elfquest Elf, my sister Laura, a clown and my sister Cele was some kind of witch or vampire. My Dad took us trick or treating; I used an old easter basket to hold my candy. I was so little that I rode on my Dad's shoulders. I very vaguely recall meeting up with my aunties and cousins, and being traumatized by my Aunt Elizabeth's alien mask. When the night was over, my Dad took us home and we ate some candy while watching Ghostbusters. I remember wishing I'd gotten some Dots and eating some fruit leather the health food store had been handing out.
Halloween 1993, Age 4: The formula of this Halloween is identical to the year previous. We drove to Bristol to trick or treat, we met up with aunties and cousins, I was traumatized by various masks. This year I was going as a witch. My mother made me an adorable little dress out of velvet and cotton patterned with a Halloween theme. She bought me a vinyl witch hat that she decorated with gold and silver stars and moons. It snowed that year so I wore my little snowboots with the fake rhinestones. Cele went as Joan of Arc, Laura as a vampire and Katie as a gypsy. Mom took us trick or treating this year, and I remember Laura getting in trouble for eating her candy before we got home. We were never allowed to touch our candy until we were home, for reasons I did not understand, also we could only have a couple of pieces. No candy binging in our house, at least not until I reached my teens.
Halloween 1994, Age 5: This year, I went as a star. It was the coolest costume ever. My mom made me a huge foam rubber headpiece covered with silver fabric. I stuck my little head in a hole in the center, and the whole thing was secured with an elastic strap. I wore black leggings and a turtleneck and a little silver tutu. Mom painted little gold and silver stars on my face. I used to have a picture of this epic costume. Laura went as Barbie, Katie went as a dancehall girl and Cele went as an Arabic woman. Her costume was all black and we kept losing her in the darkness. I remember an old lady exclaiming over mine and Laura's costumes. The next day in Kindergarten we had to draw pictures of ourselves trick or treating, but I colored in the black night first, then realized that no one would be able to see my self-portrait. As a result I had an anxiety attack and couldn't finish my project. I had to stay in all recess to try in finish it, but I don't think I ever got it done.
Halloween 1995, Age 6: This was our last Halloween in Starksboro/Bristol. That year, I wanted to go as a fairy princess. My mother made me a costume, but it wasn't what I expected. It was a long white gown and a dark plaid cloak. I wore a blond wig, and a wreath of fake leaves. She painted leaves on my face. It was a fairy costume in the more traditional Celtic sense, as opposed to something glittery and pink. It looked really cute. Katie went as a druid, Laura was a dancehall girl (using Katie's costume from last year) and Cele was B'Elanna Torres from Star Trek. We went trick or treating in Bristol as we always did, and as we walked back to our car so we could go home someone drove by us screaming "Nice costume, kid!". I never knew which one of us she was shouting at or if she was being sarcastic or not.
Halloween 1996, Age 7: In December of 1995, we moved to Winooski, VT. This was our first Halloween there. Trick or treating here was easy, all we had to do was step out the door and roam the neighborhoods. No driving required. That year, I went as a witch. My mom made me a dress out of velvet and polyester, trimmed with black lace. Under it was a patchwork patterned petticoat. She bought me a black velvet witch hat, and I wore a curly red wig. Katie and Laura went as zombies, but Cele did not go out that year. Dad took us trick or treating, and it was so windy that year that my hat and wig kept blowing off. At one point my hat blew so far away from me and I started to cry. My Dad retrieved it for me, and a friendly lady giving out candy gave me a barrette to keep my wig and hat on. I don't remember getting too much candy.
Halloween 1997, Age 8: My mother helped me concoct a gypsy costume out of my neon green belly dancing skirt, and a blue satin blouse. We added a coin necklace and some scarves. Laura went as a warrior princess, and went rick or treating with her best friend. Cele stayed home again. Mom took Kate and out, Kate went as some kind of goblin, druid, but the mask was really uncomfortable, so she left it off. Everyone thought she was the Grim Reaper. We got a lot of candy this year, but I could eat a lot of the chewy stuff because of the jaw spreading hardware I had in my mouth. After we got home, Cele decided she wanted to go out, and she and Katie went to a different part of town and came back with even more candy, plus a little statue of Frankenstein.
Halloween 1998, Age 9: This would be our last Halloween in Winooski. I was going to be going trick or treating with my best friend, Faith, who had Down Syndrome. I was going as Bastet, Egyptian goddess of cats. I wore black leggings and a turtle neck, and a red tabard (in lieu of one of those filmy linen dresses). Mom made me a cool collar with gold fabric and fake jewels. We painted my face with intricate cat makeup, and did my hair in the Egyptian style and sprayed it black. Laura went as Tank Girl, Katie was a tree spirit, and Cele was a ghost bride. As Faith's babysitter, Laura had to tag along, so she went with me, Faith, Faith's sister, Rose and Faith's mom. Katie and Cele went trick or treating together. I got an obscene amount of candy that year. Since Faith's mom drove us around town we could visit more neighborhoods. At that point in my life, that was probably the coolest Halloween ever. At least, I consider that costume to be my coolest ever.
Halloween 1999, Age 10: Earlier that month, we moved from Winooski, to Witherbee, NY. I was a very nerdy kid, and decided to go as a Gibson Girl (don't know what that is, look it up) I wore a lacy white dress, and a large hat with flowers. Mom gave me an Edwardian Pompadour. A week before the big day, I went to a Halloween Dance and nobody got what I was supposed to be.
Halloween was on a Saturday that year, and my Dad took my trick or treating. There was a curfew for the town, and we only had from five PM until 7 PM. I found this ridiculous, but I had a good time, anyway, even though that year I was the only kid in the family going out. Kate stayed home. I didn't get a lot of candy, but I really treasure the memory of spending time with my Dad. When I got home, I broke my tooth on an ice cube.
Halloween 2000, Age 11: What a year this had been! My parents had divorced months earlier, we'd moved twice that year and now it was just Mom, Kate and I living in Willsboro, NY. That year, I went as a witch. Mom bought me this gorgeous sheer black witch hat with gold stars, at Spencer's and I wore a black dress, with another dress, made out of a gold-striped sheer fabric right over it. Mom bought me some pretty lavender lipstick and matching eyeshadow. I went to school in costume, and even though I was the class loser, no one made fun of me. I participated in the school's Halloween parade (though I was the only 6th grader to do so). Katie took me trick or treating. We had a good time, even though it was freezing cold. When we got home, we ate candy and watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
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