Creative Halloween

What was Halloween like for you back in the 1980s?  Were you a child walking down sidewalks and knocking on the lighted porches and stoops?  Were you the parent attempting to herd the cats of creatures as they excitedly moved from house to house?  How about your costume: store bought or home crafted?

Growing up in Central Pennsylvania, my mother would craft our costumes.  She would typically ask who or what we would like to be and with our answer, she'd produce most any character we'd provide.  Or, she would motivate us to design our own costume for the trek.

I recall walking with a small group of close neighbor children looking for the lighted porches or stoops.  If the lights were off, we dare not disturb those who chose to not participate...or who forgot to stock up on snacks.

The Characters

While I typically remember nearly everything in my past, I struggle to remember all of the characters I've portrayed as I traveled along Dorey Street.  What I do recall is being a clown, K.I.T.T. (which later became Michael Knight), and Optimus Prime.

For a short time, I was part of a clown ministry group located just a few blocks up from my childhood home.  My clown's name was Ice Cream Cone opposite of Snow Cone who was another child clown in the group.  Since we had the costume, why not use it?

Another year I recall being frustrated as I was struggling to come up with a costume idea up until the day of.  After a short back and forth with my mother on the night of Halloween, she grabbed a black trash bag and a length of red yarn, attaching it about chest height to the "front" of the bag with holes cut for my head and arms.  As I wore this plastic drape, she concluded that I was now K.I.T.T.  I still remember replying that I did not look like K.I.T.T.  After a few minutes of brainstorming, she found a slightly oversized, brown leather jacket, a black, curly hair wig, and sunglasses which now made me look closer to Michael Knight.

Finally, again I do not recall which order any of these costumes were worn, I recall that we had obtained a very large box.  For some reason, I remember that it had a large, single opening.  I used this box to create an Optimus Prime costume.  Cutting the box flaps, I used the pieces to fill in the void to create the dual windshield look of the cabover.  Copious amounts of red crayon were used on this box.  Cleverly cutting arm ports, finding a long sleeve red shirt, and blue pants to complete the look to include working the cumbersome but doable transformation.  While bulky, I was able to make the neighborhood journey as I toted the candy bucket around.  For some reason, I remember carrying one of the McBoo buckets.  However, what I recall from that trek is that I was asked if I was a television more often than being recognized as at least a Transformer.

(Photo Courtesy: https://theretronetwork.com/mcdonalds-halloween-magic-buckets-mcnuggets-and-the-golden-age-of-spooky-promotions/)

Halloween Specials

Watching the television movies was a treat for we children.  Charlie Browns' The Great Pumpkin, Fat Albert's Halloween Special, Garfield's Halloween Adventure, and the Disney DTV Monster Hits special was an epic, once in a lifetime appearance.

(Video Courtesy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-XsehbuxUw)

The movies and appointment TV was a grand treat for us as children.  Watching our favorite, comfy characters walk through their comical and adventurous episode filled us with delight in our living room after the night of trick or treating.

Treats

Obviously, the goal of Halloween for many of us was the treats.  Innocently walking around the neighborhood and knocking on the majority of the unknown neighbor's doors in hopes of collecting massive amounts of candy while hoping for the gems within.  What were the favorites for you?  Which candy or snacks did you attempt to push off to your sibling or perhaps parents?

My mother enjoyed making and creating nearly everything.  Crafting and food was her coveted joy.  During my tenure in Dorey Street, Clearfield, PA, she would make sweet, colored popcorn balls.  While I cannot remember the recipe or how they were molded, she made an effort to craft what seemed like hundreds of these delectable treats.  If memory serves, she went the extra step to ensure they were  each wrapped in cellophane as well.  I recall the neighborhood kids and even parents making mention of the surprising gem.

During my escapade, my preferred gems were Smarties, Sweetarts, Sour Patch Kids, and Fireballs.  The various other tastes of Hershey's Chocolate, Reese's Cups, Nerds, Gummy Bears, raisins, gumballs, and any other random candy were good finds, but not the gems for me.

I was not a fan of the Bit O' Honey, the peanut taffy (which I later did acquire a taste for), circus peanuts, and Almond Joy.  All of which I did my absolute best to pawn off onto my sister.

What was Halloween like for you in the 1980s?  Do you recall your costume/s, adventures, and so on?