Favorite Halloween Costumes
I can’t help it - yes I know - I’m well past the trick-or-treating demographic (heck, so are my kids) -- but I LOVE dressing up for Halloween. Always have. Always will. I just can’t help it. Seriously. My favorites from childhood (that I recall): yellow crayon, gypsy, witch (I went as a witch for numerous years), and of course, dead prom chick (that was in college).
So, this year I’m hosting the Library Explorers program at the Hedberg Public Library on Halloween from 3:30-4:30 p.m. so I absolutely NEED a cool costume. While, I’m aware of the fact that witches get a bad rap on Halloween (but why??? It’s HALLOWEEN for pity’s sake!) - I am tempted to wear my most-awesome witch costume. It’s fabulous (it really is!). It’s not the scary-type - it’s just fun. So, at the moment, that’s the front-runner.
I understand that some folks get up-in-arms about Halloween - but for me - the day has always been about celebrating imagination and having a bit of fun pretending to be someone/something that you’re not. (Although, some might argue that the witch costume is not too much of a stretch for me … but I digress…)
The FACTS:
The Explorers program is aimed at school-aged kids (K-5th grade). On the 31st we’ll play some Halloween games such as Snap Apple, Ghostly Hula-hoop, and probably Zombie Dance Freeze, because it’s funny. We’ll make a craft and then I’ll tell some ghost stories (from least to most scary - kids can opt out at any moment if the grisly tales get too gruesome). Kid should DEFINITELY wear their costumes! No registration required. Oct. 31st from 3:30-4:30 p.m. (we’ll get done in plenty of time to get the little goblins out trick-or-treating).
So - any great Halloween costumes you remember from your childhood? How about not so great ones? I seem to remember a really awful Wonder Woman costume with one of those terrible plastic masks with the tiny, rectangular eye and mouth slits. Yuck. Those things were awful.
Happy Haunting (and Reading) Jamie
Jamie Swenson is a children's author and an employee of Hedberg Public Library. She is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. Her opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
Oct 17, 2011 at 11:36 a.m.
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Haha ... man, I love Halloween costumes ... :) Thanks for sharing your favs. with me!
Oct 16, 2011 at 6 p.m.
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My husband likes to tell the story of being on UW campus one Halloween and saw 3 guys under a brown headless horse type cylinder with 2 other guys dressed in black buzzing around them. What were they? Flies on sh$t!
Oct 15, 2011 at 10:49 p.m.
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In college, I saw a guy wearing an end table-it had a hole cut in it for him to fit through and a lamp was attached to the table. His costume: a one night stand.
I also saw someone dressed in army fatigues and had a potato on a string as a belt. He was a dictator.
I know these aren't school aged or appropriate costumes, but pretty darn funny at the time.
Oct 15, 2011 at 11:47 a.m.
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duckcarver- yep the plastic mask with tiny breath hole you could cut your tongue on and get sweaty underneat from condensation from breathing.
I was a scrabble board once- heavy plywood box with glued on felt pieces for the board. NOT fun to work in at all.
Elvira- nobody knew who I was.
Hubby and bro would hide in a pile of leaves by the front step and scare the kids as them came up to the porch. Got them every time.
Oct 14, 2011 at 9:16 p.m.
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Best costume I ever saw, was a pregnant nun (adult at work).
Oct 14, 2011 at 8:25 p.m.
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I am dating my self here, but my mom made me a Joy Buggaloo costume out of pink satin one year. It was the best. More recently, I went as a "Smartie Pants." Easiest costume ever...hot glue, old jeans and a big bag of Smartie candies.
Oct 14, 2011 at 4:06 p.m.
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My favorite were the ones that came in the box for about $1.50 from the Kennedy Rexall Drug Store. Cheap plastic masks, flamable nylon, but they were GREAT! Always looked forward to spending a long time checking every box for the right costume. Great memory. Thanks!
Oct 14, 2011 at 11:41 a.m.
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One year my husband, who is a big guy went as a cheerleader and I went as a football player. It's always funny when a guy dresses up like a female character. One year a friend dressed up like Geraldine from Flip Wilsons old tv show. It was hilarious watching him try to walk in high heels and rearrange sagging bosoms.
Oct 14, 2011 at 10:18 a.m.
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When she was younger, my daughter would ask for some very unusual costumes for Halloween. One of my favorites was the year she went as an apple tree. She wore black pants, a green hooded sweatshirt, and we pinned balloon apples all over the shirt. Very cute.
Oct 14, 2011 at 9 a.m.
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My wife and I were the Blues Brothers a few years back. One of the best I ever saw was a guy dressed up as a boat motor at a bar in Evansville.
Oct 14, 2011 at 8:50 a.m.
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Ha, costumes you say? Our family and neighborhood was so poor that when we knocked on doors for candy, all we got was left over wrappers. We were happy with that!
Oct 14, 2011 at 7:44 a.m.
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One year I dressed as the devil, and my girlfriend was a pregnant angel.
Oct 13, 2011 at 4:39 p.m.
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I dressed up as a beat up Bears fan 2 years ago. It was my best costume ever! The best part was I wore it for a costume party in Illinois :)
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