Halloween origins date back thousands of years to the Celts. Holiday traditions such as trick-or-treating and costume parties were non-existent. However, the Celts eventually were overtaken by the Romans, the Romans could not prevent the spread of Christianity, and thus, the Halloween with creepy costumes, haunted houses and horrific “old-people candy” was created.

As a kid, getting to dress up as Stone Cold Steve Austin or the Grim Reaper, devouring a plethora of candy and watching “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” gave me something more to look forward to than cooler weather. However, just as Summer turns to Fall, time changes all and Halloween would begin to change forever.

Going into my teenage years, I would still trick-or-treat, but Halloween was evolving. One of the downsides of being the eldest sibling was that I was often responsible for accompanying my younger siblings. Aside from the fact that I didn’t want to bear the weight of this responsibility, I made sure to take advantage and fill up on the goodies. Even though my bag of candy would often spew over like a witch’s cauldron, I still preferred doing more tricking and less treating. 

Getting into my adulthood, Halloween became focused on being with my friends. I would still take the younger family members out into the Night of the Living Dead, but I began leaving my candy bag at home. Instead, once I had completed my trick-or-treat duties, I’d fill my candy bag full of beer and make my way from one Halloween party to the next.  

Surprisingly, my costumes were much better as an adult. From Joe Cool to Haku, a character in the animated film Spirited Away, my fiancée and I have always had a plan for our costumes and engagements for Halloween.

Unfortunately, in the last couple of years, Halloween has turned into last second costumes and passing out candy. Some of my old Halloween traditions have faded, but I still dress up, I’m just not haunting the streets or attending spooky parties. No longer can I run door-to-door shrieking “trick-or-treat” either. I suppose I could, but I’m not sure how many people would give candy to a fully bearded Batman.

Halloween falls on a Thursday this year, and due to my commitments, the holiday will be celebrated the same as last year. My fiancée and I do not have costumes yet, we’re still thinking of carving out a pumpkin and of course, we can’t forget to grab a bag of candy. Oh, and I still have to see when Snoopy is coming on too. 

Reminiscing about Halloween has helped me realize how valuable our time is. The inevitable changes we experience from childhood to adulthood are highlighted no better than when we reflect on holiday memories. In my reflection, Halloween stands alone as the greatest separation from my childhood to adulthood. Trick-or-Treating became something more terrifying, paying bills and cooking for myself, my mom stopped picking out my candies. Even then, I still love Halloween, and no age restriction can change that.