Halloween for Big People

Years ago it was strictly for kids, but in recent years Halloween has expanded into adult territory. Although the economy will scare off some people, it is still estimated that 47 million adults plan to dress up this year.

I have never felt comfortable about this grown-up costume thing. And carving pumpkins is such a mess. One year when the kids were little, I was struck by a diabolical alternative to carving a smiling jack-o-lantern. I took the pumpkin and stabbed it with a large carving knife which I left sticking out of the side. Then I added gooey fake blood dripping down. Hah! Take that, you treat-or-treaters! A few hours later an adorable three-year-old  dressed as a glittering Tinker Bell came to the door and stood there, staring at the mortally wounded pumpkin. After a few moments, she clenched her mother's hand, looked up at me with moist wide eyes and said, "You killed it." Ohmygod. I was the Halloween Grinch.

I wish adult Halloween costumes had been more popular when I was younger and thinner. I might have liked the sexy buccaneer thing. But Halloween switches my brain's SUGAR button to high power. It starts with the mini Mr. Goodbars on October 31 and doesn't stop till I polish off an entire egg nog cake on New Year's Eve. Not surprisingly, each year, like many Americans, my weight goes up.

This brings me to a scary thought about this Halloween. I rank it about a 5 on my scary scale. A 10 would be the end of the 1958 movie The Fly--when Vincent Price hears a high-pitched sound and turns to see a fly trapped in a spider's web. The fly has David Hedison's tiny head screaming, "Helllp me!" What could be that trippy? Well, it may not be that scary, but it is strange that Halloween is now a big thing for big people in more ways than one. This year catalogs offer a full range of PLUS SIZE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES. Lions and tigers and bears in plus sizes--oh, my!

I was sorely tempted by the large size poodle skirt outfit for only $19.95 at purecostumes.com. I think my sister still has her original poodle skirt from 1954. The waist would now fit around her wrist. She is saving it for the time she fits into it again. The plus size Elvis makes some sense, since he was a plus size at the end!

I do need something, because we are going to a Halloween party this year. So I went to Big Lots and purchased t-shirts for me and my husband, $5 each. One says, "This is my Halloween costume" and the other: "I'm haunted by the voices in my head." Yep. Both in extra large.

I'm not saying there is anything morally wrong about being  fat, er, chunky. The trend is alarming, though, and I hate to admit that I am part of it. I hope we don't see too many children's plus size costumes, although we probably will. Since I am a "petite" plus, I am thinking next year (if I don't lose that 25 pounds) I could go as a "Jumbo Shrimp." If you are pudgy and still want to be in vogue for Halloween, by all means, don't be afraid. Get a plus size costume, have fun...and maybe I'll see you at Weight Watchers on January 2.