Not once have I regretted spending three hours on the Halloween Eve of 2018 cutting out rounded cardboard rectangles, covering them with glossy poster papers scavenged from my grandpa’s dusty bookshelf and then squeezing all the orange ink out of my poor Crayola marker for my sushi costume. 

Dressing up for Halloween and trick-or-treating has always been the highlight of autumn for me  — not the over-glorified pumpkin spice lattes (please, they taste like cinnamon-scented candles) and definitely not the dry, flavorless turkey Americans stuff themselves uncomfortably with on Thanksgiving.

So please, don’t be ashamed. You’re never too old to put on a costume and get a taste of some free candy. Trust me, it’s sweeter when you don’t have to pay for it yourself.

 Since my parents decided to zip 4-year-old me up in a particularly disagreeable ladybug costume, I’ve never skipped dressing up for Halloween and have always made my own costumes each year. From kindergarten to the beginning of middle school, my costumes ranged from the full spectrum of Disney characters: Snow White, Cinderella, Chip the Chipmunk and Snoopy — you know, the type. 

In seventh grade, however, I had to be more creative, so I decided to start making puns (fun) from my own name (I know I’m hilarious). So far, I’ve been the embodiment of Beverly Hills and a beaver (Beverly to Beaverly to Beaver), and the list goes on.

For me, Halloween is that one day where you don’t have to be self-conscious and worry about what you’re wearing. When everyone is either some variation of a blow-up dinosaur, a cat or best of all, a minion,  who’s to judge? And to those of you who are too embarrassed to be decked out in a wholly ridiculous costume, dressing up as a group with your friends is also a great alternative. 

Plus, whether it be with themed costumes or not, trick-or-treating is ever better together (rhyme intended). My favorite memories from Halloween are always trick-or-treating with my friends, the precious moments of knocking on neighbors’ doors, taking an utterly unhealthy amount of candy and then trading them with each other afterwards — or in my case, accidently borrowing some from my sister. 

Oh, you don’t like Airheads? Gimme. I have some Reese’s, does anyone want them? Of course not. Put them in the pile for Jack-o’s mom. 

For the rest of my high school years and for as long as I can, I’ll be dressing up and going trick-or-treating, no matter what. I’ll never be too old for Halloween. I refuse to be that boring adult who wears a button saying “this is my Halloween costume.”