The Difference Between Halloween in the ’80s and Halloween Today

I'm pretty sure we would have gone trick-or-treating in an absolute blizzard without blinking an eye.

Back in the '80s when my brothers and I were kids, trick-or-treating was a main event in our neighborhood. My girlfriends and I would be thinking about Halloween costumes as summers were winding down. Of course, we'd change our minds about what we were going to dress as a dozen times, but it was the planning and anticipation that was the fun part.

And my brothers and their friends did the same. Ultimately though, they didn't care as much about what they were going to be for Halloween as they did mapping out their several trick-or-treating neighborhood routes. There were several of them. They would start with one pillowcase and ultimately, the friend who came home with less than two full pillowcases was a dweeb.

Not for one second did we care what the weather was going to be; it was never a question whether we would go out or not. If it was going to be rainy or cold, it just meant mom was going to make us wear layers of shirts and sweatshirts (raincoats even) under our costumes. We didn't love it when that happened because it would ruin the look of the costume, but we dealt with it.

This morning on the show we talked about the several towns here in Massachusetts that have postponed Halloween until this weekend because of the rainy and windy weather we are expecting for Halloween tonight. Yep, I'm over here shaking my head thinking back to the good old days when Halloween was Halloween, period.

As a mom, I sympathize with the parents who have to trek out in the wind and rain but honestly, the kids do not care. Really, they don't. I say let tonight, October 31st, be Halloween. And just plan for everyone to maybe get a little wet. They won't melt.