15 Halloween Relics From the 1990s

As we move from August into September, why not get an early start on what’s commonly referred to as “spooky season?” I am one of the many Halloween fans to the core. I recall the excitement in the air on the Friday night of Trick or Treat for everyone in my class. We all had the best decorations before Halloween was centered around princesses or Pikachu as not to scare anyone.

I definitely favor the idea that Halloween is a time when it’s Ok to be a little weird and creative. Monsters ran wild in our streets in all sorts of plastic Halloween costumes with a mask you couldn’t breathe or see out of. It was all we had, and we loved it. Your costume was guaranteed not to make it through Trick or Treat night without ripping, only meaning you got to get a cooler one next year. Those days are gone, but here are 20 things that will trigger your senses and nostalgic memories.

Haunted House Cassettes:

Every great Halloween party had at least one of these tapes. Even if you were just playing spooky noises for trick-or-treaters, these cassettes would raise the hair on our arms, fearing the devil was going to open the door and drag us inside. Instead, it was someone in a cloak with some vampire fangs.

Disney’s Halloween Treat:

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Disney held the throne of entertaining kids for Halloween. With several Halloween specials being released every year. Eventually, this faded off into a memory. Disney focused on more live-action originals, phasing out the dancing skeletons and Mickey’s adventures through spooky situations that left us all feeling a little uneasy.

Grab Bags:

We all knew how to communicate which houses had the best candy. As soon as we heard that someone was giving away bags full of treats, we ran faster than Forrest Gump to get there. You were guaranteed to get at least one delicious treasure in these bags. However, sometimes you got cheated, and it was only a pencil and a party favor. This was way worse than apples or candy corn.

Fast Food Trick or Treat Bags:

While McDonald’s had more to offer, you could only hold so much in one little bucket. These bags were handy to have around until you got tired of carrying them. Also, let’s just admit that these bags were bound to rip after you had to carry 5 pounds of candy home. Hopefully, you made it home before your bag exploded on the ground.

McDonald’s Halloween Pails:

As I said before, McDonald’s was top tier when it came to Halloween, offering up tiny buckets with colors and faces. It was one of the best marketing ploys the company created. There have been several upgrades, reboots, and more; however, the fact remains that these buckets were brilliant and left a stamp on our young minds so we can remember them forever.

Iconic Paper Plate Designs:

If you were going to have a great party, you would bring out these festive plates to add a bit more fun to life. This is the design I remember the most, from the classroom parties and our own Halloween parties with my parents and friends. It doesn’t sit well that no one takes the time to be a bit more creative in modern times without paying a lot of money for 25-50 paper plates.

Jell-O Jigglers Mold:

Some of the best times of my life were the moments my mom and I would make the coolest little bats and pumpkins. I was never a Jell-O fan, but that didn’t matter; it was the quality time. You could let loose and get silly as a family with these festive must-haves. Even though they were just plastic cookie cutters. It was the memories we would later long for.

Holiday Sweaters:

Everyone has at least one teacher who would sport these the entire month of October. You knew if you started seeing these fashionable clothes, the Holiday countdown had begun. The ultimate fashion statement, however, was wearing this sweater over a white turtle neck. That combo just says, “Don’t mess with me”.

Halloween Household Items:

Your mom was insistent on dish towels and cookware. Everyone has at one time or another had these sitting in their home. Your mom used the potholders once, and then they disappeared, only to arrive next October in double the quantity. Here is to all those moms who made a house a home, especially during holidays.

McDonald’s Coupon Books:

Your parents knew they were going to a good cause, so this was peak royalty. We gathered in droves for our free ice cream cone and soda. To be honest, I haven’t been to a McDonald’s in quite a long time, so I hope these still exist out there in burger heaven. I still resent the place for changing their cookies 30 years ago.

Plastic Decorations:

They littered our yards with plastic ghosts and pumpkins. Some of us even had tombstones and black cats. That little lamp inside said so much without even saying anything at all. Our dads looked at our yards, taking in the scenery of horror as if they had just mowed the lawn and had to have that second to gloat with their eyes.

Indoor Decorations:

 

This was your mom’s time to bond with you over window clings and taping ghouls all over our living room. They weren’t afraid to bust out the big guns with animatronics. Remember the sounds these made? I can still hear it in my head, clear as day, without even having to reflect on it. These are by far the coolest decorations in my opinion. It’s not all blood and guts, it’s a tasteful art, fitting all directions together as if it were a chess board.

Popcorn Balls:

Still to this day, I can’t stand looking at these balls of sugary weirdness.  This was the ultimate letdown, even worse than a toothbrush. Popcorn balls were everyone’s worst nightmare. If you want me to be honest, they made better baseballs. If you enjoyed these, you must have been pretty tough. I would not wish these on my worst enemy. Let’s move on before I get nauseous over the smell alone.

Simpsons Treehouse of Horror:

This is what I waited all year for. I have been a Simpsons fan since the show first aired. Treehouse of Horror episodes were extra special because they were going to parody a ridiculous movie, such as Amityville and The Shining. The world just seemed to be a better place when we were laughing at Homer shooting his zombie neighbor, Ned Flanders. Although I still watch every single new episode, the specials kind of fell off in their later years.

Halloween Flashlights:

If your light didn’t break 15 minutes after turning it on, send it back; it wasn’t real. It was the easiest dollar item for your parents to find. The lights were dull, the plastic was cheap, but man, did they mean something to us. You spent the rest of the night hoping someone would give you clowsticks so drivers could at least see you. These were kind of unnecessary, but they made our parents feel safer.

What’s your favorite fun item from Halloween’s past? Tell us in the comments!