I miss Halloweens when I was a kid. We would go trick or treating starting at 6 pm until 8 pm, and if we were lucky it would already be getting dark at 6 pm so it was "cooler." In my family we were allowed to go trick or treating by ourselves when starting when we were 8 (my older sibling was 9), because it was right in the subdivision-style neighborhood and we went in a group. So for most of the years, we were out by ourselves on Halloween night, dressed up in costumes, colorful leaves crackling under our feet, the air cool and crisp, it honestly felt magical. Then when it was time to come home, we would come inside and proudly show off all the candy we got... then dump it on the floor so our parents could go through it. We'd watch an episode of Goosebumps or something else scary on VHS (or on TV, with The Haunted Mask premiere) while we waited and then while we wait our bounty.

I remember when I turned 11, my dad stopped checking the candy--I felt offended in a way, like SO YOU WANT ME TO EAT RAZOR BLADES, DAD? but then I realized it meant I got to eat it without waiting for 10 minutes, so it was fine.

I feel bad because kids aren't here don't get the same experience at all--there's no more trick or treating in the neighborhood or any near me, only special 'events' like business trick or treating in the downtown district or trunk or treating, all during the daytime and with parents for every age group. There was something just really fucking magical about getting to go off by ourselves in the evening/night. Ah well, times a change.