Halloween or “Whore”-loween?

Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays. Besides not growing up going out trick-or-treating, I don’t understand the appeal of dressing up and going door to door begging for candy. The first time I went out trick-or-treating, I was was 16 and went as a cheerleader or something with an easy-to-cobble-together “costume”.

In general it wasn’t a very positive experience because (1) it was cold and I was wearing a short skirt and sleeveless top and (2) I wouldn’t be eating any of the candy because girls with body image issues and bags full of chocolate tend not to go well together. I didn’t mind passing out the candy and seeing all the costumes, but dressing up just was never high on my priority list.

As an adult, I’ve always bought the obligatory “fun size” candies and doled them out to the plethora of children who showed up at my door. The boys always tend toward similar costumes – cartoon characters, vampires, ghosts, and other haunty-types. With girls, there’s the consistency that comes with costumes such as ballerinas or princesses or fairies. The only variation comes with the age range for which the costume is intended.  Tween to teen girls to the “sexy” nurse, zombie, witch, teacher for adult women? Oh boy… 

Even though Halloween is not my thing, my daughter likes the dressing up and passing out candy part. This will be her 3rd Halloween dressing up and going to a few houses (maybe we’ll hit more than the 6 houses we did last year when she decided it was boring). She’s been a “regular” princess and an ice princess. Last year the ice princess costume was hand-made by her aunt and all the makeup was done by her auntie too. I just take the photos.

It’s not that Aunt Zoni is some fabulous seamstress with a penchant for princess dresses. The homemade costumes are a result of trying to buy one that didn’t feature “sexy” plunging necklines, off the shoulder, skimpy skirts. This year, my daughter wants to be cupid. Search online for a cupid costume and it’s page after page of dresses and corsets and skimpy outfits not suitable for anyone under 18. Yet, these are clearly marketed toward young girls. Aunt Zoni is once again coming to the rescue with this year’s costume: the wig, bow and arrow, and wings were all painstakingly researched for maximum cuteness and age-appropriateness. There will even be over the top theatrical makeup for maximum effect. But none of it will give off one vibe of sexy.

My daughter is nine and there is absolutely no need for her to be “sexy” anything.

 

Sara Hawkins is a wife, mom, volunteer, writer, speaker, thinker and doer. Sara blogs at Saving For Someday about life, saving money, and finally doing all those things that get put off until “someday”. She can also be found on  spreading pixie dust. This post was reprinted with permission.