As a child, Halloween was filled with dressing up and eating so much candy that you would get sick. As a teenager or young adult, Halloween is pretty different and only really includes the dressing up aspect.

Halloween was the greatest time of the year when I was little. Being able to be whatever you wanted was a thrill, and obviously the unlimited amount of candy right at your fingertips was glorious. But, I personally think now there is a huge difference in the holiday.

Abby McBain, a freshman at Robert Morris, believes that her favorite parts of Halloween have changed from her childhood to now. When she was younger, there were clearly moments that stood out about the holiday.

“My birthday [was a big part] because it’s so close to Halloween and also getting to trick-or-treat with my cousins and family,” McBain said.

As we have grown up, this festivity has seemed to evolve into something it never was about for a child. For children, it is a night to run around from house to house to fill pillowcases full of candy, but as years go by, it turns into an excuse to throw a party. Halloween now may include more grown up parties for students like McBain.

“[The best part now is] hanging out with my friends, getting dressed up and having fun,” McBain said.

Some may use the holiday as a day to dress sexy and wear as little clothing as possible, but as a kid, it was about looking cute in a non-sexual way. Others may use it as a way to paint their faces and look scary, which has always been an aspect of the holiday. It is a day to be whatever you want, which will never change. It is also a great way to break out of your shell and be something completely different for a day or night.

McBain says a major difference in the holiday for her is no trick-or-treating, but seems to think hanging out with her friends is more fun. Either way, Halloween is a fun way to break out of the everyday mold. The holiday may not be the way it was as a child, but it still has the same basic idea. The worst part about growing up and the holidays changing has to be the fact that you receive less and less candy.