Picking out your costume.
Watching “The 13 Nights of Halloween” on ABC Family.
Carving spooky faces into pumpkins.
Getting decked out in ghoulish attire. Going door to door and begging for candy, then making yourself sick from bingeing out once you returned home.
When it comes to Halloween, those were the days.
But what are we left to do now? We’re too old to Trick-or-Treat; that ship sailed long ago. And dressing up in costume for no particular reason is probably frowned upon.
Well, here at Wesleyan, we don’t necessarily have to bid adieu to all of the frightening fun that comes along with Halloween. If the kid in you still wants to dress up and roam the streets of Buckhannon, there’s Trick-or-Treat for Canned Goods: WE LEAD members and students volunteer their time, suit up in costumes and go trick-or-treating in the community for canned goods rather than candy.
And if you still want candy, there’s no shame in buying a Halloween variety bag for yourself from Walmart—trust me, we’ve all done it.
Or, if you just want an excuse to dress up, there will probably be plenty of Halloween celebrations taking place on and off campus the weekend of October 31.
Now for the big question: what in the heck are you supposed to wear?
In the cult classic Mean Girls, protagonist Cady Heron (Lindsey Lohan) says, “In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.”
Yes, unfortunately, this sometimes is the case; women are almost expected by their male counterparts to treat a costuming event as a Victoria’s Secret fashion show (Thanks, rape culture!). So this is my advice to you: rather than dressing in something that objectifies your body, opt to wear something that shows off your beautiful mind. And in this case, it’s perfectly acceptable to bear it all: confidence, wit, intelligence, and creativity.
Here are some of this year’s best DIY Halloween costumes according to our dear old pal, Pinterest:
1) Hangin’ with the Gal Pals. If you intend to spend All Hallows Eve with your girlfriends, look no further than one of the most spooktacular trios to ever grace the big screen, the Sanderson sisters from the Disney classic, Hocus Pocus. All you need is some hairspray, buckteeth, and brooms—well, two brooms and one vacuum cleaner—to recreate one of the best movies from your childhood! Disclaimer: Do NOT try to steal the souls of the children of Buckhannon in order to maintain your youth. You’d probably get expelled/sent to jail for that.
2) Girls Just Wanna Geek Out. If you’re in the mood to unleash your inner nerd, you’re in luck! Superhero costumes are all the rage this year. If you want to get creative you’re your makeup skills, try dressing up as the lovely green Gamora from the summer blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. Or, you can even gender swap and put on the mask of one of your favorite male superheroes, like Batman, Captain America, or Iron Man.
3) Ha, ha Halloween. Wanting to tickle someone’s funny bone? It’s much easier than you think! And the best part? Most of the funny costumes are the easiest to pull off, even if you decide to participate in Halloween at the last minute. You can do a play on words by dressing up as a “Cereal Killer.” You can even relive the horror of your middle school years by donning a picture day costume. Even pay homage to one of your favorite comedies like Napoleon Dynamite. All you need are some moon boots and great “skills.”
4) Spooky Scary. Of course, if you’re going for a more traditional route—like, the horrifying one—then it’s your best opportunity to get creative. Dress like one of your favorite rotting corpses from The Walking Dead, or pay homage to Jigsaw from one of the goriest horror movie franchises, Saw. If you don’t want to scare away little kids, going for a subtler look like the Corpse Bride is just as good!
5) Creepy Couples. They always say that two heads are better than one! And Halloween costumes for couples are no exception. If you and your beau are into history (and crime), then look no further than the original dastardly duo, Bonnie and Clyde. Of course, if you’re looking for something simple and easy—and hilarious—you can always dress up as one of the greatest power couples primetime television has ever seen: Sheldon and Amy from The Big Bang Theory.
No matter the costume or the event, just remember that Halloween is a time to celebrate—and even embrace your inner child a bit. So get out there, have fun, and have a ghoulish good time!