There was a time when getting ready for Halloween didn’t mean ordering a costume online or heading to the local seasonal Spirit store. It meant looking through closets, drawers, and old boxes to see what could be turned into a costume.
A white sheet became a ghost. An old jacket, hat, and a little makeup could turn someone into a detective, a scarecrow, or just about anything else a child could dream of. Some parents sewed costumes from scratch, while others worked with whatever they could find around the house.
And then there were the store-bought costumes. Anyone who grew up in the 1970s or ’80s probably remembers the ones that came in a box with a plastic mask and a thin vinyl costume. The mask stayed on with a little elastic string and was usually hot, uncomfortable, and nearly impossible to see out of. But kids loved them anyway. Batman, Strawberry Shortcake, Mickey Mouse, or whoever else you wanted to be was right there in the box.
Today, Halloween looks a little different.
Costumes show up at the front door weeks before Oct. 31. Kids can choose from hundreds of superheroes, movie characters, and whatever happens to be popular that year with just a few clicks. The costumes are more detailed, the accessories match, and there is a pretty good chance that someone else at school ordered the same one.
But costumes are not the only thing that has changed.
Halloween night used to mean grabbing a pillowcase, plastic pumpkin, or even a grocery bag and heading down your street. Kids met up with friends and went from door to door until their bags got too heavy to carry. Everyone knew which house gave out the full-size candy bars, which one gave out something nobody wanted, and which house was scary enough to make you hold your friend’s hand tightly while approaching the door.
Kids still go door to door today, but even neighborhood trick-or-treating has changed.
Parents are much more likely to come along now, not only to keep an eye on the kids, but also to catch up with neighbors along the way. And in many South Florida neighborhoods, golf carts have become part of Halloween night. Families decorate them with spiderwebs, skeletons, lights, and anything else that will stay on. Kids hop on and off as they trick-or-treat, while parents avoid walking several miles in the Florida heat. It’s convenient, it’s fun, and it has become part of Halloween here.
Another change is the popularity of “trunk-or-treat” events.
Instead of walking from house to house, families gather in one place, where decorated cars and SUVs become the stops for collecting candy. Open trunks are filled with pumpkins, jack-o’-lanterns, and all kinds of Halloween decorations.
Parkland has embraced the newer Halloween tradition with its annual Halloween Festival. This year’s event will be held on Friday, Oct. 23, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Equestrian Center.
The festival includes a Trunk or Treat Lane, where kids can collect candy from decorated vehicles, along with characters, stilt walkers, and a Halloween performance on the main stage. It gives families another way to celebrate Halloween together without having to go door to door.
Halloween may look a little different today, but the goal is still the same … put on a costume, collect as much candy as possible, and have a lot of fun along the way!