As children, our Halloween costumes can be influenced by any number of factors, including family, friends, school events, or pop culture. If you were a child who opted for a cute Halloween costume growing up (Think: a cat, a pumpkin, a bunny, or a rainbow), chances are you were a soft-spoken child with a kind demeanour. For you, dressing up for Halloween was less about grabbing people's attention and more about feeling comfortable and having fun, Dr. Saladino says.
Depending on your family dynamic, the way you were raised may also have played a role in why you opted for a traditionally sweet or simple costume. "I think some of it is like the genderized norms of the home you grow up in," Nasir says. "So if you are in a very genderized home and the boys are always the knights and the girls are the princesses, that is something you will lean towards. If you are in a home that is very infantilizing then you will seek out that kind of stuff yourself — and this is not a positive or a negative; it's just a home environment. So I think kids who do tend to gravitate towards that have that kind of home environment and they might be a little gentler. They might not be as temperamental."