A Halloween Tradition

We may not have had a lot of money growing up but we made up for it in creativity. When all the neighborhood kids were wearing, cheap ( yet for some reason expensive) plastic, store-bought costumes we were decked out in elaborate hand crafted outfits. It was the one day out of the year that I looked better dressed than everyone else and for that reason ( and many others ) I give a huge shout out to my wonderful, amazing mother.

Every Halloween, we ( I have two sisters ) would beg my mother to buy us the latest store bought costumes, thankfully she always refused. I suppose the peer pressure, placed upon us, by the multitude of commercials which bombarded us every holiday had something to do with it. Back when I was a kid the costumes sold in the stores were always the same. A cheap, hard-plastic mask accompanied by a plastic smock depicting the most popular superhero of the time. These mass produced costumes were ill fitting and horribly crafted but still, for some reason, I always wanted one.

Both my mother and grandmother were skilled seamstresses, a talent that did not pass down to me. When one of us girls would beg to be the latest plastic-printed craze, they would pull out the Halloween box and search through the huge collection of strange and interesting garments it held and if none were to be found they would simply sew a costume for us. I remember one year they made the best Pebbles Flintstone outfit. It was comprised of white faux fuzzy shorts and a green velvet top. The costume was accessorized with a huge bone for our hair and a plastic, shark tooth necklace. I say our because these amazing creations were always carefully saved and passed down. As I got older, I knew how special our families costumes were as did the neighbors and it soon became the tradition to rally at our home for pre-Halloween preparations.

Along with saving our tailored costumes we would save anything funky or spooky looking or anything that had the potential of becoming the next great idea in “ the box”. I still hold this tradition and have a difficult time discarding anything that, with a bit of imagination, could become the next greatest craze.

So the next time you or one of your children want a store bought costume, I suggest you check out the local thrift store or even your closet first. You might just find the perfect idea.