I hate Halloween

Ok, maybe hate is a strong word but I definitely don't like Halloween and it's not something I look forward to. My mom also admits she does not like Halloween. When we were wee children she of course dressed us up in cute costumes, and she always decorated the house and dutifully handed out Halloween to the 100+ kids that showed up at our door. (That is not an exaggeration, I grew up in cookie cutter suburbia with hundreds of houses on 1/4 acre lots and an apartment complex at the end of the street...there were over 100 kids that came most years.) My sister and I matched for at least our first 5 Halloweens. Usually my mom made our costumes out of sweatsuits with some felt sewed to them (one year we were skunks...SKUNKS...black sweatsuits with a white felt strips sewed down the back and little tails). My first Halloween my parents were not planning to dress me up and take me out but then at the 11th hour they realized I WOULD NEVER BE CUTER so they dressed me up as Goldilocks by gluing 3 little Teddy bears to my onesie and making me a wand and crown...I don't think Goldilocks had a wand or crown so that part made me look more like Glinda the good witch but either way I was adorable. Arguably my best year was when I was this clown:

I was so adorable that my Aunt Vanessa hung a 3x5 ft. poster version of this exact picture in her apartment for years. But somewhere along the way I lost my enthusiasm for Halloween. By the time I was in high school my mom no longer allowed me to trick-or-treat. She thought Halloween was a kids holiday and high school kids only got into trouble when they went out on Halloween...she was half right. So I only needed a costume for school events and/or parties. 

I called my mom before writing this (mostly to get a copy of the above picture) and I asked her why she hates Halloween.  She responded that she doesn't hate Halloween but she doesn't really like it and she decided it's mostly due to a lack of creativity/art talent.  She was never particularly good or creative with costumes, and when she said that I instantly related. 

I cannot design or come up with a clever costume to save my life, which means my only option is to buy a costume.  But, I think it's ridiculous to spend over $100 on an outfit that I am going to wear for one night and most likely ruin in the process. In high school and college I remember feeling enormously pressured to dress slutty on Halloween (we've all seen Mean Girls) so that boys would pay attention to me...thank God I am at least past that point! So this year the whole family, dogs and all, are doing a Star Wars theme...we're all wearing pajamas and I spent less than $100 on all four costumes.  That is a Halloween I can get behind! 

I also decided I really hate pumpkin carving. We had friends over recently for pumpkin carving and a fire (so fall, so New England) and I carved a pumpkin for the first time in probably 10 years. I don't remember ever liking it but it seemed like a cool festive thing to do so I gave it another chance.  I hated it, the pumpkin goop was gross and out of 5 pumpkins carved, mine looked the absolute worst.  (It was supposed to be Casper...apparently it just looks like a cross.) The only thing I actually like about Halloween is eating candy...and I don't need a holiday for that!  I like dressing up the dogs now that we have them, but I hate dressing up myself.  I'd rather just hang out with my friends in my normal clothes than have to go through the effort and expense of coming up with a costume. 

Sorry Halloween lovers...I just don't get it...Halloween is the worst of all holidays, especially since we don't even get a day off of work!