Emily Waitson – Opinon Editor – 2004
Just so there’s no misconceptions, Halloween has always been one of my favourite times of the year.
When I was nine-years-old, my mom asked me what I wanted to be — this was typically in early September so she could have enough time to make my costume.
I was obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean, so I insisted on being Jack Sparrow.
Always up for a challenge, my mom delivered and worked her magic.
I proudly wore what was probably the most elaborate fourth grade costume that year and nearly every house I went for trick-or-treating gave me a little extra candy when they happily recognized who I was.
I’ve never been one to choose “typical” Halloween costumes and that’s only seemed to work in my favour, since I’ve had some pretty noteworthy memories because of it.
Kurtis Rideout – Editor-in-Chief – 2008
In the year 2008 I was a 13-year-old weirdo who stuck out like a sore thumb.
My costume, for context, was a homemade mishmash of old clothes and a fisherman’s hat, which I dawned to look like Raul Duke, the protagonist in Hunter S. Thompson’s classic Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.
It could have been the costume, or the fact that I was 6’1 and 200 pounds at the age of 13, but whatever it was, certain parents I interacted with expressed disgust at my decision to canvas the streets for goodies with my friends.
“You’re a little too old for this,” one man said under his breath as he brushed past me with his daughter. I looked over to my group of friends — of which I am the youngest— and decided that this would be my last Halloween.
The next year I started a full time job at Zehrs. Then I started buying my own candy.
Shyenne Macdonald – Arts and Life Editor – 2004
It was 2004, my parents divorced in September and a day after they announced it my mom packed us up and we moved to my aunts.
I remember those first two months being something beyond hell.
That Halloween was the absolute best Halloween.
There’s no one signal reason for this night being the absolute best: my aunt made tacos (which is the start to any amazing thing), the night was warm enough I didn’t need a jacket, my fourth year in a row of being a vampire was a smashing success. But, most importantly, it was the first night I got to hang out with my mom without feeling like the the world was caving in.
We walked around for hours, joking and eating the candy straight from the pillow case.
Giving me that perfect night was like the world saying it was all going to be okay.
Kate Weber – Web Assistant – 2006
As a child I was the absolute Grinch of fall.
Every single waking moment the only thought running on a treadmill in my head was how many sleeps until Christmas.
The only possible activity to keep me rational during this time of the year was to replay only the greatest movie to have ever been written, produced, filmed, what have you, Halloweentown!
I was such a die-hard fan of these movies that by the time Halloween rolled around I tried to convince my parents to let me stay home so I could watch Halloweentown one last time before I got all my Christmas VHS’ out.
But my favourite Halloween memory is my dad.
He would always say to do one thing a day that scares you.
The real reason for Halloween as a child, a time that Halloween was and is something truly scary, something spookier than my GPA.
Madeline McInnis – Creative Director – 2004
Now, we know that late October in Canada isn’t the warmest. This year, however, was different. It was warm, my costume was warm and little baby Maddie was sweltering, sweating and nearly boiling.
My mother told me that we’d go home soon, but I was a stubborn child and I had had enough. I stumbled up to the door of the next house, rang the doorbell and waited. As soon as the door opened, I didn’t hesitate.
“Trick or treat, can I have a glass of water?”
The man behind the door was the stereotypical biker, but I was a true Gryffindor and had no need for stereotypes.
My mother was mortified, he was overly accommodating and I got my glass of water, as well as a handful of candy.
I’m sure they probably talk about me on Halloween, too, and that’s a memory that always comes up.