Though Halloween isn't one of the most important holidays out there, I certinaly consider it to be one of the most exciting ones. I've always liked this holiday to just kinda let loose a bit. Let my imagination go and just have fun (and candy, of course!). And if you're not the kind of person to participate, it's still nice to watch what other people have done.

I didn't dress up in all my years in middle school and high school (seven years), but since going to college, I have dressed up every year. For some reason, coming to college appealed to me more than when I was in middle and high schools. Perhaps there was more freedom, and instead of going through 7 hours of classes in a costume, I only had to go through 3. Or perhaps the places where I showed myself in a disguise was with many people that I didn't know. Or that the time was also often nighttime. The biggest reason of all is probably that during middle and high school I had the idea that "I'm too old for halloween," where halloween equaled trick-or-treating. Now, dressing up is just a day of more relaxed freedom, fun, and creativity.

Younger, going trick-or-treating was usually fun. I do remember one year that it rained, and I was miserable, just looking out of the window waiting for it to stop raining (so I can go trick-or-treating). For the most part, it wasn't even neccessarily the candy that I really cared about, but a chance to walk around the neighborhood, seeing inside of other houses, and seeing other neighborhood costumes. When I was younger, my brother and I would go trick-or-treating with a neighbor's two daughters. Perhaps one of my few memories from my younger years. My mom bought some fabric at a local "The Rag Shop" and made us our candy sacks. I remember that it was Orange and had ghosts, witches and moons.

One of the most creative places I saw was a house that would have you spin a wheel numbered 1 to 10, and whatever number you got were the number of pieces of candy that you got. I remember getting spinning an "8." I also remember my brother spinning a "2" or something low. The family was nice, and let him spin again. I thought something that interactive was a fantastic idea. Not just the traditional "trick-or-treat," and hand them candy. Or the worst is leaving a basket of candy in the front door and writing a note for "PLEASE TAKE ONE." Of course there's going to be that bully that takes them all.

I have but two complains of Halloween. One, is the time. It's usually too cold to dress in 1/2 the things that one might want to dress up in. It's not like one can wear a jacket over the costume, that'll the defeat the purpose of wearing a costume in the first place! My second complaint is that somehow, the night before halloween. How did this night ever become the time of criminal activity? In my area, it has been coined "Mischief Night." I know it differs from area to area. In any case, how did this ever happen? If there's some religious thing to it, that nothing "bad" can be done during and after Halloween, why not do it in some other fashion? Something like Mardi Gras, I guess, at least that's lively!

Anyways, here's a more of less list of what I have dressed up before in the past

• Generic Princess
• Lady Lovely Locks
• Ghost (I think, don't quite remember, REALLY SUPER EARLY)
• Jem (maybe... not quite sure)
• She-Devil
• Burger King Kid! :o) (I got REAL lazy one year, and just put on the crown they give out in all the restaurants)

• 1998 : Full Private of the U.S. Army (in BDU's (camouflage)
• 1999 : Uncle Fester of The Addams Family (with working lightbulb!)
• 2000 : ?????? (Surprise until later)

Sorry, no pictures available. But click on the cauldron to get a nice treat!