Halloween in the 1980s - Life in America 

Halloween was awesome in the 80's. It seemed like you would see thousands of people in costumes. It was just something that isn't there anymore.

God Blessed The 80’s. It was So Magical. .That’s Why Everyone Watches the 80’s

Nothing better than Halloween and Christmas in the 80’s, by far the best decade. Thanks for the walk down memory lane! 👍

It really was a fun time growing up back then, I remember really enjoying the holidays so much. Looking back there was almost a different feel to society unlike today, it's hard to describe unless you experienced those days. I'm so glad I was able to live in that time I miss them more than ever before 🤔

I remember I went out as an army soldier in 1984 in dad's hunting camo, boots and a real (unloaded) 22 long rifle. Man oh man that shit would never fly today. I really miss the 80's

Any body remember the McDonald's Ice Cream coupon books? My mom use to get a whole bunch of those and give out. I think the proceeds went to Ronald Mc Donald House.

Finally, a road I actually recollect.

The mask that cut your lips, had a ring of sweat around the inside mouth, and the rubber band that broke halfway through the night!

If porch lights were on, you kept going for more candy. There were no trick or treat hours prescribed by officialdom. It could be raining or snowing, but no serious kid went home when the weather got bad.

My brothers & I, we were a bit greedy in the 80s. We'd change costumes, grab different pillow cases & walk the circuit again!

A great collection ❗👻🎃I most definitely would love more. The 80s was my favorite. The best...Movies,Cartoons, Music,TV Shows, Toys, Breakfast Cereals, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Commercials, Clothes, Music Videos, Hairstyles, Advertising Jingles , and made for TV Holiday specials ❗😭

Halloween in the 80s was just a crazy time, kids everywhere, running around the neighborhood like banshees. No parents trailing behind... It was nuts and we all had a great time!

Even though I was born in the early 70s most of my memories of Halloween growing up were in the 80s. We had everything from plastic store bought costumes with a plastic mask to making or assembling our own costumes and using makeup to do our faces. We were driven most places as we lived in a rural area and with the exception of a couple of streets and a handful of spots where there were houses that were next door to each other it was sometimes a mile or more between houses. In an area with no sidewalks. There were even houses that would serve treats like peanuts in the shells or cups of soda to the adults during which time all the kids would trade candy with friends and see who had gone to which houses already so we could find out who on our route still had the good things. If you heard that someone was giving out homemade popcorn balls or caremel apples that was the place to beg to be taken too next as you did not want them to run out or to decide it was time fo call it a night.

I would say trick or treating in the mall became a thing too with the explosive growth of larger shopping malls in the suburbs during the 80's.

I miss the 80s, although my trick-or-treating era was in the 70s. I miss being young.

I was a teenager in the 1980s…we had a lot of fun.

As a young boy we remember one house that gave out dollar bills . That was always the first one to go to. Thanks for sharing this with us that watch your channel. Outstanding job sir.

Oh yeah, my halloween days came to an end in the 80's. 😢 By 1980, i no longer wore a costume. My last trick or treat was 1981. Halloween was one of my favorite "holidays" at the time...i would've trick or treated until 18 but at 13 i had early puberty and my voice changed. People stopped giving me candy because they said i was too old. I did get a lot of candy that night(10/31/81)but me and my friends(who were teens too)had to go farther out and knock on more doors to get candy. That was it, after that, it was halloween parties for me.✌🏾

My dad ate more candy than he gave away. Happy Halloween 🎃.

We never had parents tag along. This was before trunk or treat and mall trick or treating was popular, the last good decade where kids could roam free without helicopter moms.

The 80s really was the best decade for being a kid during the holidays! We were probably the last generation to get to freely run around in the streets on Halloween night with our friends without adult supervision. We got to freely celebrate Halloween and Christmas at school. Always looked forward to those class parties 🎉. Now-a-days, kids don't have that kind of freedom.

In the early 80’s when I was in middle school 7th and 8th grade, you would end up creating something homemade with make up. It wasn’t cool to be caught in a full store bought plastic costume or with having your parents trick or treat with you. My favorite was the homes that put effort into the decorations. I go all out on Halloween decorations today, our local kids love it and we get to know our neighbors! 👻💀

I was born 1972, and I remember trick or treating from around 1977 to 1988 or so. The best years of my life!

This opened up so many childhood memories. Shame schools don’t celebrate Halloween like they did when I was a kid

So grateful I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. Such a wonderful time to be a kid!! 🙏👍

These last 2 Halloween episodes were awesome!! Based on my age my prime time trick or treating timeline was like 75-85. We could trick or treat all night. No timelines. It started when it got dark enough to see who had their lights on and ended when all lights were off. What memories!

It was a great time. I remember dressing up as an undead coal miner, complete with hat with a working lamp on it (Dad was a real miner) and hiding around the side of the house. After the kids would get their candy I walk around to the front moaning and the kids would scream and run. After a couple dropped their bags an kept running, I decided to quit doing it. Also, my girlfriend didn't think it was funny at all.

I never understood why the Ben Cooper plastic costumes had a picture of the person you were on the shirt part. I remember we would stay out till 10pm trick or treating, pillow case full of candy and no parents. Just the neighborhood kids all together. What an amazing time.

The lengths people would go to decorating some houses was dope! There was always the one house on the block, that killed it.

I loved that so many people decorated there home up , you don’t see it very often anymore

Greatest decade ever! Would love to go back and stay there.

In the 50s or 60s adults never even gave a second thought to think of inspecting kids candy. People just were not that vile back then.

I handmade my son an elaborate “hook” costume! I wish I could be added to this video! He won three prizes with it and was put in the newspaper in 1989.

80’s Halloween brought me so much happiness. My school had a little carnival every year. I’ll never forget it.

That's the era I went trick or treating in. It was always myself and two friends, and we had a lot of fun. And sure, I remember the Happy Meal baskets---I think they called them McBoo?

Your video hit it right on.I was working already but still managed to carve pumpkins and watch Disney's Ichabod Crane to keep the spirit alive.

The 80s and 90s was the golden age for Halloween

I remember going outside as a kid and seeing dozens of people with their kids just all over the streets. You dont see that anymore

I was 16 in the late early eighties and it was a blast when we would dress up and go to a party! I made all my own costumes and one was a refrigerator and I won 1st prize at a bar! Lol! Love Halloween and it so happens that my 1st son was born on Halloween in 1990! Oh how I loved making costumes for him! Then he wanted to pick his own by the age of 8.

Thanks for sharing my childhood era I do miss the 1980s we’re some good times I remember going with friends or vice versa on bikes

Happy to have been a kid in the 80s, I remember our parents dropping us off at one block and picking us up on the other end of of it, and then taking us to the next block over. I also remember there being a lot more Halloween props outside peoples homes. Was a great time for spooky season!

Glad you mentioned the Halloween pranks. Indeed it sucked for those who got their homes egged. I know some homes that didn't provide treats ended up getting egged.

I was raised JW in the 80s and got sent to the library to play computer games whenever there was a Halloween (or birthday/ Christmas) party at school.

Ahh.. the memories ☺️😊!! Thanks man 👍🏼 This was great 🎉

Oh I miss the 80's. Never got to go as what I really wanted because we couldn't afford some of the costumes but I always had fun. We always resorted to making our own costumes. Once my sister dressed all us girls as punk rockers but I was really young and had no idea what that was lol. Also I remember my dad always dragging out the food coloring to paint our faces with. One year when I was 10 I remember my dad actually allowing us the buy store bought masks. They were cheaper masks but still it was the best Halloween cause I loved the little devil mask I picked out and he even let me buy a plastic pitch fork to go with it. Wasn't used to store bought costumes of any sort so it really meant a lot to me. That was the same night I went to my cousin's house and watched Pumpkinhead. Scared me to death. Seriously was the best Halloween ever. 🎃 Oh and I for sure had that Trick or Treat bag with the witch on the broomstick at the 0:58 mark. I think some sort of restaurant gave them out but I'm not sure.

This is SOOO awesome!!!! TY!!!

My mother bought several Halloween records during late 70's - early 80's with spooky stories and sound effects. I've listened to them every year since (40+ years) and now with my wife and kids. However, I think I enjoy listening more than my kids do. One of my favorite is an old Winchell's Donut paper/plastic record which was given for free and finishes with a Winchell's commercial.

That brought back a lot of memories for me. I was born in November of 1972, but remember the 80s a lot better. I'm 50, and I still celebrate Halloween.

I worked for a large company. At Halloween our department wore costumes. After work we went to a club that had Halloween costume contests. It was amazing to see the incredible costumes some people wore!

We lived in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other and our kids had to stay on those streets. They also went in groups. It was fun being a parent then.

I've recently picked up a 90's McDonald's pumpkin candy pail from a thrift store, got it on display in my room with a little pumpkin guy "plush" sitting on top of it!

By the 1990s when I finally lived in a place that was open to the street and trick or treaters, I tended to be a bit predictable on the candy I gave out, usually restricting it to factory wrapped fun sized kind just so it wouldn't end up being thrown away later!

Not in the 1980's, but, in the 1970's here in San Diego there was kind of an urban legend that in the upperclass neighborhood of La Jolla they were giving out five and ten dollar bills to kids.

Forgot all about this until I watched this video, but the first time I did mescaline was Halloween 1981, I was 15. double barrel purple. Iron Maiden Killers, of course some Purple Haze, Van Halen 1. As I think back, it was an amazing day and night. We were all like 'I don't feel anything'... 'nothings happening', 'this was fake shit' for about 45 minutes, then bam, we were all tripping balls for the next 6 hours.

Anyone remember getting packs of trading cards in the 70s/80s? I remember the Fun Packs of 79 and 1980 getting those 3 strip basketball card packs.

My TIME! I sure do miss the 80s!! THE BEST MOVIES MUSIC the ERA of overindulgence But SO GOOD!! ..🥰🥰😍

I was a kid in the 80's, I used to sit in school and draw a map of the neighborhood and plan out our trick or treating route.

I remember those elementary school Halloween parades. And Halloween parties at my grandpa's place.

I was a pillowcase ToTer. I was 8 in 1980 so I trick or treated until about 1986. I was C3po, Dracula, The Grim reaper and a slew of various chars. GREAT time to be a kid. Well EXCEPT 1982, when that damn Tylenol incident CANCELLED Halloween for us :(

I remember going trick-or-treating, and then taking the candy to the hospital to the X-ray room to inspect the candy.

It was the best! Our parents wouldn't go out with us, but give us to our older siblings to mind and our older siblings knew all the best neighborhoods for candy. I came back with 3 full paper bags of candy one year, and felt cool for spending Halloween with the high schoolers. Came home, spent the rest of the night watching the Halloween fare on the Disney Channel (back when it was awesome) and ate candy in my crusty face paint. Good times!

1983 was the last year I trick or treated. But during my teen years I was the designated candy distributor. I always gave extra candy for the best costumes.

I was living in San Diego in the 80s... Except for my high school years, I just cant recall much of Halloween for some reason😟 I do recall the appearance of awesome latex/rubber masks, and the coolest horror movies -especially "Lost Boys".

Yessss! Halloween in the 1980s was the absolute BEST!!!!!

Definitely my era .starting in the 80 s.thank you so much for sharing this .80s was a fun time for Halloween 🎃🎃

The last couple years of elementary school and the first year of junior high (after that, we thought it was "uncool"), a bunch of us neighborhood kids tick or treated together in a large group all night (with one of the kids' older brother as "chaperone"). Some kids knew where the best houses were (ones that gave out full size candy bars or snack size bags of chips). We'd all have pillow cases and they'd get filled up. I remember dressing up as a punk rocker once or twice, but the last year out, I borrowed my cousin's Little League uniform and went as a baseball player. I remember in 6th grade, a couple boys in my class dressed as girls for class Halloween party and they were a smash hit. Didn't think they could top it, but the next year they dressed up as nuns. LOL!!

I still remember the smell of the vinyl jumpsuit and mask from those Ben Cooper cake box costumes. Oh, and the Halloween commercials on TV. Such a fantastic time to be a kid.

I remember my mom burning a cork one year and rubbing the ash all over my face and she made me a nap sack and I went as a hobo Totally unacceptable now days 🙄 Thank you for the great memories

I have no idea how I discovered RR but I’m addicted. Halloween in the 80’s as a kid was me. I was a storm trooper, darth vader and Mu'ammar Al-Qadhdhāfī. I didn’t know he was a world leader’s face I just thought it was ugly and creepy looking.

Oh wow 🎃 The 1980s was such a good time. Things felt good, different exciting. I always looked forward to Autumn and all of the holidays coming up. My mom would decorate the house and have a Fall candle burning. When we all got off the bus and saw our house. Well we felt like we had the best house ever. We did all kinds of fall activities and festivals. Not only was it going to be Halloween but my Birthday is the day before Halloween. So it was twice the excitement and the fun. Thank you for this. I lost my younger sister and she was a big part of my life. We love Halloween. Don't know about my older brothers anymore. LoL. Thank you 🎃💀🦇👻

We made our own popcorn balls to pass out. Always enjoyed parading around to each school room in costume.

As a late 80s kid, it brings back memories!

I loved Halloween in the 80's it was a great time to go trick or treating I remember living in ky for a period and they would block the roads and when people would get out of their cars to move the said blockage we would pelt them with water ballons or rotten eggs lol but living in the city in Knoxville was even better we had parties and we always would gather large amounts of candy and the drive in was awesome with lots of Halloween movies and then there was the festivals.........

Damn..... just take me back please. I was born in 87, but I can remember this magic still lasting into the early 90s. Those years of trick or treating were the most memorable Ive ever had... Im not sure what has changed..or why...but there use to be so many kids pouring all over the area

The 80s were the greatest. Period. I remember my teachers dressing up for Halloween - and having the costume parade you mentioned. I specifically remember my 2nd grade teacher Mrs Faley dressing up as Charlie Chaplin. I was GI JOE that year (1986). I literally remember those McDonald’s happy meal Halloween buckets like it was yesterday - I got the pumpkin one multiple times and wanted the ghost one so bad!

The best times was Halloween in the 80’s. Going to toys r us for the plastic costume. Barbie or strawberry shortcake. I miss my childhood at the holidays.

I once went as Oliver Twist. "Please, Sir..I want a some more!" I did well that night! 🎃😜👻

I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s …those were fun times

I was a kid in the early-mid 80s. It was a MAGICAL time! And Halloween was no exception!! I lived for it. We had epic Halloween parties, went trick or treating in the most beautiful and wholesome neighborhood in Pittsburgh. We used pillow cases to collect candy! And my brother and I would go back to our best friends house for candy trading and a smorgasbord of food and homemade pies and desserts!! We were up all night. There was no time like it. Best era of my life 🎃👻🪄🦄🧛‍♂️🥰

Oh, the memories of me as a clown. And also as the Zorro. Won 1st place at school. Greetings/Saludos desde Panamá!

Absolutely love these videos. Keep them coming!

I had an interesting Halloween 1983!

I remember trick or treating all over the place with my friends when we were maybe 11-12 years old. No adults with us, out until around 9pm with our parents having no idea where we were precisely. There were no cell phones. It was pandemonium out there! Roving bands of teenagers were always laying in wait, ready to attack with raw eggs and water balloons filled with food coloring. Houses were TP'd and shaving cream epitaphs were written on car windshields. Good times.

Love my plastic pumpkin! We have a few blow molds and paper decorations still.

Mischief Night as a teen. The Delaney's. Egged every year! Mr. Delaney was a duck with an "i" and so was his oldest son Brian. But it wasn't me, lol.

aww, those little kids were so--- holy kraut! they're in their 40s!

Thank you for putting together this video! I was born in 1979, so the 80s was my whole childhood. I totally had one of those McDonald's plastic pumpkins! I also had a bunch of those infamous Ben Cooper and other packaged plastic costumes; I can feel myself breathing under that stupid mask to this day! But man, Halloween in the 80s was fabulous!

I remember some kids without any costumes, wearing just roller skates and having a big pillowcase for their candy. They really made tracks! I also remember kids switching costumes after the "first round" then going out for a second! In my neighborhood people even gave away quarters and popcorn balls!

I was a Pound Puppy in 1987. I had the McBoo bucket from McDonald's. ..but I wanted the witch one because it was green lol

I’m so glad I got to go trick or treating in the 80’s. It was Game on til the porch lights are out. So much fun

Another great video Recollection Road and it gets my 👍👍

Good thing you didn’t make it to the 90s to make me feel REALLY old.

Very cool!. My father-in-law used to sit in the front yard with the water hose. If a teen attempted to toilet paper his tree, they would need to change their clothing from being soaked.

"If a porch light was on, trick or treating wasn't over" so very true. Worst thing you had to worry about were the local teenagers who would jump you for your candy. And getting coupons for McDonalds instead of candy was worse than raisins.

Too old to trick or treat but fun parties and scary because Halloween the movie was still on the minds of everyone.

I absolutely love the 70's and 80's and I am a history geek. All these facts that the guy mentioned are absolutely correct. Stranger Danger was at an all time peak at this time, as multiple horror series released too.

I remember that my mom made all our costumes, except that time she tailored my dads’ old army uniforms to fit me and my brother. I suppose I remember plenty more, but bottom line those were happy times.

Today I saw a mother with her kids dressed up as Ghostbusters; the tradition lives on!

Went to Knott's Scary Farm in the 80s and it was a blast.

Rain or shine, we all made the feat to go out trick or treating ONLY once the sun went down, most kids without any parental supervision. Living in an apartment complex neighborhood, we came home with a TON of candy, and a gross and sweaty plastic mask. It was truly EPIC. SO glad I grew up when I did. Kids today will never know.