Halloween in the 1970s and 1980s: We Couldn’t See, Couldn’t Breathe, and Nobody Was Watching Us
Baby boomers and Gen X have reached the ages where we view our childhoods with nostalgia. But, thinking back to Halloween, we’d be downright terrified if our children or grandchildren had some of the same experiences we did. Here are just a few aspects of Halloween in the ‘70s and ‘80s that, fortunately, began fizzling out in the ‘90s and many vanished entirely post-Y2K.
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The Masks
When we think about Gen X Halloween horrors the most popular costumes of that time land at the top of the list. Who doesn’t remember the scent of plastic and the feel of that elastic band rubbing just above your ears? We were lucky if we made it through the evening without the rubber band breaking when we pulled the mask on, snapping painfully on our fingers.
And we did have to remove the masks frequently, because the tiny eye holes didn’t offer much visibility. In fact, they completely cut off any peripheral vision to see cars coming when we crossed the street, as countless school safety films and commercials reminded us every year. “The More You Know…”
The tiny holes near our nose and mouth never lined up correctly, either, making it hard to breathe. And don’t forget the creative papier mache masks that were often hard to breathe in. At least one headless horseman with a paper mache pumpkin head from the 1970s remembers the difficulty.
Plastic Costumes
Those masks were accompanied by smocks, dresses or jumpsuits, also made of plastic, to complete the costume. Styles from manufacturers like Ben Cooper and Collegeville depicted our favorite cartoon characters or superheroes, from Strawberry Shortcake to Hulk.
The problem? Although some costumes advertised “flame-retardant” material on the packaging, they were made of plastic. The chemicals (which may or may not have been carcinogenic) helped slow the burning or stop it once the flame was removed. They didn’t make the costumes fireproof.
If your parents washed the costume — perhaps after you smeared homemade cupcakes all over it at the class Halloween party — they may also have washed away its flame-retardant protection, according to a 1980s article in the UPI archives.
Real Candles Inside Jack O’ Lanterns
Kids weren’t spontaneously combusting in the streets on All Hallow’s Eve in the 1980s. But catching fire was a real risk, since parents often put tealight or votive candles in jack-o-lanterns displayed on the front steps.
We couldn’t see or breathe through our masks. The stiff costumes made it difficult to walk. And many front stoops didn’t even have railings. Plus, there were fire obstacles in the way of anyone who wandered off course.
Now it makes sense why so many safety films from the ‘80s instructed us to “Stop, Drop, and Roll” if we caught fire. They were training us for Halloween.
Roaming the Streets with No Adult Supervision
Worst of all, many of us were roaming around, unable to breathe, half-blind fire hazards without parental supervision. It wasn’t unusual to have a few teenagers keeping an eye on younger siblings.
I can’t speak for all parents, but when my kids were in elementary school in the 2010s, we went trick-or-treating in a giant group, parents and children. We hauled bottled water (and wine for the grown-ups), flashlights and glowsticks, wagons for the littles who got tired, and “spare candy” sacks. When their trick-or-treat buckets got too heavy, we’d transfer it to a second bag (which the parents carried, of course).
Younger kids are accompanied by parents today. Teenagers today may still go out trick-or-treating alone after dark, but they’re armed with smartphones, Life360, and giant pillowcases to hold their treats. That last part hasn’t changed over the decades.
Razor Blades In Candy?
As much freedom as kids had back then, parents in the ‘80s did have one Halloween concern: Razor blades or poison in our candy. That means many of us didn’t get a chance to eat our chocolate until every piece had been carefully inspected by our parents.
If we survived the perils of those costumes, our parents weren’t going to let the treats take us out.
Fortunately, “most of the time it was rumors, misunderstandings, or straight-up hoaxes,” according to a video by the History of Food.
Today, the rumors have evolved into fears of people handing out drugs, which is even less likely given the high costs of illicit or legal mind-altering substances compared to full-size chocolate bars.
Yet, in 2022, a 5-year-old Long Island boy ate a cannabis-infused gummy and was sent to the hospital, NBC News reported. Given that weed is legal in many states, it’s a good idea to read candy packages carefully before your kids consume it in case of a mix-up. It’s like our worst ‘80s fears coming to life. And, although these cases are rare, it’s even more important to check your children’s candy today.
Also it’s perfectly acceptable to check your kids’ candy as an excuse to swipe a Snickers, which is basically what our own parents were doing. Or you can be overt about it and call it the “parent tax.” No judgement from this Gen X mom who previously went trick-or-treating carrying wine in a Hydro Flask.
