It’s the time of year for leaves to turn into piles of red, orange and yellow.

It’s the time for carving faces into pumpkins and sipping on hot apple cider.

It’s the time for dressing up in costumes, going trick-or-treating and eating handfuls of candy.

Ever since I was little, Halloween has always been a special time for my family.

Every year, my dad spends hours decorating our house with ghosts and ghouls that fill up our front yard.

In October, our house glows colors of orange and purple, as goblins and bats hang from our tall pine trees. 

Without a doubt, our house is the spookiest in the neighborhood.

When I was younger, my brothers and I always looked forward to Halloween and everything it brought. 

We would get into our costumes extra early, our grandparents would come over and have dinner with us, and we’d trick-or-treat throughout our neighborhood. After we stuffed our pillowcases full of candy, we’d sort out all the pieces we got and trade with each other.

Getting to dress up in costumes and march all over our neighborhood collecting candy was the highlight of it all.

Since I’ve grown up, Halloween looks a little different.

Now that I’m older, there’s no more trick-or-treating. 

Even though we’ve grown out of old traditions, we’re creating new ones.

Almost every year, we all go over to my grandparents’ house and carve pumpkins. My grandma, who is an incredible cook, usually makes hot ham sandwiches with a special mustard sauce.

Another way I celebrate this frightening time of year is by curling up with a snack and watching a movie or TV show. This year, I’m especially looking forward to binging the new Netflix horror series, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” to get into the spirit.

There are countless ways to celebrate Halloween, and the origins of the ghostly holiday can be traced back to around 2,000 years ago.

According to an article from History.com, Celtic people in Europe recognized the end of the harvest season and spirits crossing over on the night of October 31 with a festival called Samhain.

Traditions of trick-or-treating started in Scotland and Ireland, where children participated in a practice called “guising.” They would dress up in costumes, travel to different houses and sing a song or perform a “trick” in exchange for a treat.

Today, Halloween is widely celebrated in the U.S. and other countries, and it’s a chance for people to take part in classic activities and, of course, enjoy some candy.

While I’ll always miss the feeling of being a little kid trick-or-treating in my neighborhood with the crisp autumn leaves crunching under my feet, I appreciate Halloween even more now. 

You’re never too old for dressing up in costumes and expressing yourself, turning pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns and indulging in your favorite candies.

Halloween has always been a major part of my life. My family traditions, the cool and refreshing fall weather and the candy all make it the best holiday.

Aden Graves is an opinion writer. Contact him at [email protected].