What was your first Halloween costume?

[Pumpkin_Head]

A friend of mine had one of those years ago. It was a portrait of a young genelman that as you walked by it, it aged and aged and aged until it was just a skeleton.

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I can't believe I didn't think of Fester when I was thinking of bald characters, it's such a easy and fun costume. My wife and I have already dressed as Gomez and Morticia, as well as Herman and Lily from The Munsters. Let me know if you try it Andy, I'm sure it will be a awesome costume.

[Pumpkin_Head]

If I remember correctly, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was also bald.

Mike

[MacPhantom]

That makes me think of people who buy a Mercedes, then put a thickly chromed license plate frame inscribed with the brand name 'Mercedes' on it, just in case you can't read the name, 'Mercedes', on the rear of the car, so people are aware that you are in fact, driving a Mercedes.

A similar streak of arrogant vanity is the inspiration for my "2003 Honda Accord" bumper sticker.

[MacPhantom]

Of course, when I started my family I carried on the tradition and it's nice to have a wife that dresses up as well

My wife dresses up, and because she is five feet tall, if she wears a mask she can pass as one of my daughters when we go trick or treating, which, of course, means more candy for Daddy!!

[Andybev01]

"He has 'a little woman'." -Winifred Sanderson

[Pumpkin_Head]

That is pretty neat MacPhantom. Of course, I always offer the moms and dads a piece of candy just to be on the polite side. As for the guy with the Mercedes Benz license plate, I am guilty of the same arrogance when it comes to my stereo. I had a ball handing out candy while cranking out the jams. The kids AND parents also like a lot of my music. Of course, some varation of Rock & Roll has been around since 1953, so it's likely that there are great grand parents who like to jam out as much as I do. Come to think of it, I'm well old enough to be a grandpa myself. Rock & Roll and Halloween! Fun for the whole family!!

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

About 10 years ago I knew a Asian woman that worked with us, and she was only 4'6 and that was her full adult height, she wasn't going to grow any taller, she was in her mid 20s at the time and she told us that she still went trick-or-treating. I personally applauded her for it but some of our coworkers thought that she was cheating kids out of candy. The way she explained it to us was that since she always got made fun of for her height, this was the only day of the year that she could get some redemption for it, so she would dress up and get candy and it made her feel better. I absolutely agreed with her and I told her to ignore what other people said and just have fun, she doesn't work with us anymore so I don't know if she still goes trick-or-treating, but I hope that she does.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone that shows up at my house on Halloween will get candy from me regardless of their age. I told the story before about how when I was 12-15 most adults would complain that I was too old for trick-or-treating, but when I was a kid I saw 18yr olds show up at my house and my mother always gave them candy and no one complained about it, but for some reason when I was 15 it was wrong when I did it, so I swore when I grew up that I wouldn't ever treat anyone that way, and that's why I always give candy to the teens and adults that show up and ask for some. The whole point of the holiday is that everyone should have fun no matter what their age is.

Regarding music, it really adds to the experience, we usually play a mix of classic Halloween songs and scary sound effects and the people always love it.

[Pumpkin_Head]

I'm totally with you, Horseman. I stopped ToT ing when I was in 7th grade because I felt self conscience about it being that I was already 13, and a year behind in school. I had as much fun handing out the ToT candy to a lot of my classmates, and a lot of teenagers who were seniors in high school at the time. As for that woman who worked with you, GOOD FOR HER!! At least she didn't let those who gave her a hard time make her feel self conscience about her ToT ing. And like you, I will give out ToT candy to ANYONE, be that person 2 or 102 if they come to my door in a costume on Halloween.

There will always be music playing, too. Halloween songs and good ole ROCK & ROLL!!

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

The first Halloween costume I remember wearing was a witch, and it came from one of those boxes that included the cheap plastic masks. Nowadays I always costume to hand out the candy, but I have a few characters I recycle. I alternate among a witch, a ghostly grey lady, a gypsy, and, sometimes, Day of the Dead. I use make up now, never masks, unless I use a half mask I got during the pandemic that has the Day of the Dead markings on it. And like you all, I give out candy to anyone who asks. Halloween is a block party. No one should feel excluded.

[MauEvig]

My first Halloween costume? Gosh I think I was 5 when mom first started taking me trick or treating. Apparently, it was "too cold" when I was younger than that. Then again the neighborhood we ended up moving to ended up being more "trick or treat" friendly anyway that I can remember. I don't remember much from my VERY early childhood anyway so I maybe I'm not missing much.
I remember when my parents were still married dressing up as catwoman one year and a ninja turtle another year. I can't remember what all I dressed up as during those years, but I do vaguely remember those costumes. I want to say a ninja turtle because I was really REALLY into ninja turtles when I was 5.
I remember it being made of that cheap plastic too. It must have been the thing back then, but I can't remember if the costumes came in boxes by then or not.
Nowadays though, it seems like you can buy a costume and reuse it year to year if you want.

[Murfreesboro]

I've saved several of my kids' costumes from over the years. Some of their favorites just got worn to bits, though. That happened with my middle son's Darth Vader, and my daughter's Belle. They played in them until they fell apart.

[MauEvig]

It's cool if you were able to save them for a while. The nice thing about some costumes is that you can use them for other things besides Halloween like playing dress up or going to a costume party or a convention perhaps?
I still remember after the divorce when dad and his girlfriend at the time took me and her daughter out trick or treating. If I remember right it was a rainy evening. The daughter dressed up like the devil's wife or something. I dressed up as Bug's Bunny. That costume fell apart while trick or treating.
I have to say though that I actually prefer masks over make up. I have very sensitive skin and I hate getting make up in my eyes. I might make exceptions for some costumes though. If I go for a witch I don't really need a mask, just a good outfit and a hat and maybe some jewelry, or a pirate outfit I could wear an eye patch, a bandana, loop earrings and of course the outfit itself.
I do cat costumes a lot, that should come to no surprise to anyone.
I did have a pretty cool werewolf mask once, but I have no idea what happened to it. It was 6th grade, and I think that year mom started taking me to the store to pick out candy instead of trick or treating. But I do remember dressing up as a K.I.S.S. band member one year and wore make up. I think that's the other thing I hate about make up though, having to clean it off...and then I got stung by a wasp that was hiding in the towel. Ouch!

[Murfreesboro]

Omg on the wasp sting!

I prefer make-up, because masks are hot and sometimes difficult to see through. But it is a pain to remove, I'll grant you that.

[MauEvig]

It happened two Halloweens in a row, actually. Then my grandma said "see, that's the devil getting you" If Halloween's so evil, wouldn't the devil WANT me celebrating Halloween?
Oye. I swear sometimes my family members make no sense at all. Ghosts happen to ALSO be associated with Christmas and has some pagan traditions associated with it, but that holiday is fine and Halloween is not. Double standards, pfft. Oh well. What can you do? (They'll completely deny the pagan adopted traditions as well.)
These same Christians will set up "hell houses" to scare people into becoming Christians and perform plays with angels and demons and going to heaven and hell...using the same kind of costumes you use at Halloween. I just...it makes my head hurt.
Anyway...I guess I got off on a rant.
I think masks versus make up or a combination is really all about personal preference. You need to do what works best for you. I also find make up kind of messy too and like you said, hard to clean off.
Although masks might need to be sanitized now and then and can be hard to see out of sometimes. But then again, make up can sting your eyes. So I guess it depends on what you're willing to put up with. The show must go on and the trick or treating must continue!