It seems the minute it turns October, every person, place, and thing is focused on one holiday: Halloween. Shopping becomes a search for potential costumes, candy is displayed in every store, and the most common decorations become pumpkins and fake spider webs. While everyone gets in the Halloween holiday spirit, I have to admit that I have a secret.
I don’t like Halloween.
I know that it seems insane. You’re wondering how it is even possible for any human not to enjoy a holiday based on costumes and candy. And I agree with you. Looking at it, Halloween seems like a great holiday for me. I love candy, and I enjoy dressing up. What’s the problem?
Well, I can’t exactly put a pin in it, but I think it has something to do with a slew of negative Halloween-related memories. Don’t get me wrong, I have many positive stories of trick-or- treating as a child, having Halloween parades at school, and trading candy with my friends after a successful night. However, I also have a few negative associations with the holiday that I feel have tainted my Halloween experience.
I grew up spending every Halloween trick-or-treating on my street. Me, and every other child in the neighborhood, the town, and soon, it felt like, the state. My street was an insanely popular place to trick-or-treat, due mostly to its reputation of giving out big candy bars and having fun activities all night long. One of the houses always gave out fresh popcorn and cider, another created their own haunted house, and finally another hired a band to play on their porch. I’m serious. This is how I remember Halloween, and for a while, it was great.
But then, I got a little older. While candy and spending time with friends was still appealing, I started to become uncomfortable with the atmosphere that came with Halloween on my street. The activities and attractions were no longer as fun when you realized you were getting shoved out of the way in some 10 year-old’s quest for candy. No one said “Trick-or- treat” anymore, they just pushed their way to your door and practically snatched candy out of your hand without as much as a smile or thank you. My family began to prepare for trick- or-treaters the way you would prepare for a big storm: are we prepared, do we have our supplies, and what is our plan of attack? There was no time to even close the door; because once the rush of kids started it didn’t stop until your candy supply was completely emptied.
I wish Halloween was still about planning your costume, and being excited to wear it, not throwing something on because it’s your only way to get some free candy. I miss the Halloween where my friends and I would trick or treat up and down the street before retreating back to my house to find our parents hanging out on the porch and leisurely giving out candy to the neighborhood kids. The day Halloween lost me was the day it stopped being enjoyable, and became about making it through the sea of candy-hungry children.
Now you may say that I shouldn’t let those negative associations affect my enjoyment of Halloween now. And for the most part, I don’t. What I now find most enjoyable about Halloween is not my own holiday celebrations, but being involved with those that have a true excitement for it. Talking Halloween costumes with the children I work with is fun because they are beyond excited for their outfits, getting all dressed up with friends is fun because it’s a bonding experience, and, well candy is fun because…candy is always fun.