When she was a little girl her mother would make her the best Halloween costumes. One year, a Pilgrim. Another year, a colonial girl.
This year Phyllis Abbruzzese will be "this apparition-type thing," she says, her 42-year-old brown eyes as wide and bright as a child's as she describes the long white filmy dress and flowing blond wig she will wear.The Pittsburgh critical care trauma nurse won a prize last year as a Spider Woman in slinky Elvira-type black dress, long black fingernails and silvery cobweb makeup.
"I love Halloween," she says. "It's good clean fun. You get to be something . . . It brings back happy memories of childhood."
So, what will you be for Halloween?
Whether you dress up as the ugliest witch, the sexiest wench, the hottest celebrity - or whether you refuse to dress up at all - may tell a lot about your subliminal desires, says Paula Bern, who has a doctorate in philosophy and the foundations of education.
And what's in demand at costume shops is not so much a reflection of society as it is of the power of media hype, says Jadene Deems, manager of Costume World in Pittsburgh, where close to 7,000 costumes are on display.
Is it any wonder Batman and the Joker are hot? Freddy Krueger (of "Nightmare on Elm Street") is popular, too. Characters from movies like "Dangerous Liaisons," "The Young Guns" and "Ghostbusters" and celebrities like Cher, Madonna, Mikhail Gorbachev, George and Barbara Bush are also in demand.
Expect a legion of Batmans and Freddys, as well as traditional Disney and Sesame Street characters, on your doorstep when the trick-or-treaters come around.
Bern explains: "By the age of 8 or 10 most children's creativity has been quashed. The costumes they like best are the familiar, what they see on TV. A mother might have a vision of her child as a fairy Tinkerbell, but children yearn for the affirmation of their friends. If a best friend wants to be a ghost, the child wants to be a ghost, too."
If a youngster wants to be a vampire or something equally gross and gory, there's no need for concern, says Bern, the mother of five. "We're reading too much into this. It's all based on movies, TV and what their friends are going to be. Should a parent push a child to be Cinderella? Absolutely not. Let them enjoy Halloween."
Many adults may not know why they choose the costumes they do. But their choices may reflect deep problems and subliminal desires. They may be acting out a role or getting back at someone.
"If an older man chooses a violent costume he may be rebelling against the feminization of the workplace," says Bern. "Men, in general, don't like to dress up in costume, which may be a subconscious rebellion against the first time they had to dress up in a suit.
"A woman may want her husband to dress up with her as the Gold Dust Twins. But the husband won't want to be cute. He wants to be Superman. He wants to be powerful, masculine, to show he is still in charge."
Women act out their subliminal desires at Halloween more than men or children do.
"There may be a subliminal desire to be a sexy wench, a belly dancer or the upstairs maid," says Bern. "All of us go to work dressed quietly and conservatively. This is an occasion to take out your wildest impulses. Nobody will condemn you for acting out your fantasies."
A beautiful woman might assume the guise of the wicked witch to get away from the constant compliments and attention she normally receives.
Meanwhile, some people are too introverted, uptight and self-conscious to wear a costume.
"They may say, `It's too much bother' - but they perceive themselves as too proper and important to dress up for fun. They think it'll diminish their importance. They're afraid to be laughed at," says Bern. "To dress up in costume you have to have a good sense of humor and be able to laugh at yourself."
As for the creativity involved, Bern believes "most of our creativity and childlike wonder has been quashed by the time we're grown up. The majority of us have become conformists and we're afraid to let our imaginations soar and let ourselves be children again. Of course, if we were all innately creative the costume shops would be out of business."
At Costume World, there are thousands of costumes, accessories and masks to spark the imagination. During the two weeks before Halloween, all the clerks dress in costumes and full makeup.
Facing her 13th Halloween season in the shop, manager Jadene Deems knows what to expect: "Some people have preconceived ideas. Others wander in and tell you, `I have to go to a party.' "
Batman and Joker costumes have been in demand since June, she says. "People are influenced by the media. They rarely want to be characters in books. They're starstruck."
Often the choice of a costume depends on where it will be worn. "If you're dressing up for a church party you're going to be Raggedy Ann. But if you're going to . . . to meet guys, you're going to be the extremely sexy devil," she says, holding up a skimpy red satin outfit.
Political characters and current events are always an inspiration, salesclerk Bonnie Cat said, noting the Ayatollah had his day in the sun, as did Three Mile Island nuclear accident victims.
Lifelike masks of everyone from Richard Nixon and Mikhail Gorbachev to Vincent (the Beast of "Beauty and the Beast") range in price from $12 to $75.
Among the more innovative costumes Deems can recall were the human cannonball, Napoleon on Stilts and the Tattooed Lady. The most creative theme party was "Come As Your Favorite Song." People were going as "Mack the Knife," "Madame Butterfly" and "Devil in the Blue Dress."