As kids, there were certain things we all got excited about: new toys, cartoons and the holidays. While a lot of people associate the beginning of the holiday season with Thanksgiving, they’re forgetting an important holiday, Halloween. A lot has changed from when we dressed up as our favorite characters, knocking on doors saying trick-or-trick in exchange for candy. Whoever says that Halloween is just for kids is wrong; college students are able to have the same amount of fun.. Maybe even a little bit more.
Costumes
Costumes as a kid involved your parents taking you to Wal-Mart or a Halloween store in the mall to pick out a costume. The costumes prices usually ranged from reasonably priced to astronomically expensive. The most popular characters, were always the first to sell out, so it was important to get your costume early, I’m talking the end of September beginning of October to ensure you’d get the costume that you wanted. It also did not matter if you and all of your friends went as the same character. This was considered cool and pictures of you and your friends all dressed identically, making some silly face, were surely taken.
There are two types of people that plan their costumes in college: the ones who do a unique group costume that took hours of dedication and the ones who wear whatever they have in their closet. Oh, you and all your friends are going as the cast of Gossip Girl? I ‘m wearing the leggings and sweatshirt I slept in last night. Who am I going as for Halloween? I’m a struggling college student .
Candy
The candy was always the best part of Halloween as a kid. Being on a sugar-high for days, sneaking extra candy after your mom told you that you weren’t allowed to have any more and trading candy with your siblings or the neighborhood kids was so great. The best part about the candy was that it was free. Halloween was the only night that it was acceptable to take candy from a stranger.
Buying Halloween candy as a college student means going out to stores the day after Halloween and stocking up on all of the half-priced glory. This candy is often eaten while binge-watching Netflix and avoiding responsibilities. All of which is completely acceptable. And if you are into partying, some of your favorite candies are now available in alcoholic beverages. You get two for the price of one. (And maybe a headache the next day.)
Scary movies
Watching scary movies made you cool, even if you did spend the next week sleeping in your parents’ bed because you had nightmares. Directly after the movie was over, walking with your friend to the bathroom was a must, just in case the bad guys/monsters were hiding around the corner preparing to get you. Regardless of how long it took you to convince yourself that monsters weren’t real and that it was just a movie, you were always ready to watch another one when given the opportunity.
Watching scary movies as a college student involves sitting with your friends, eating (I mean what else do you do, really?) and saying “same” the entire time. You and your friends have discussions about how a guy who goes into an abandoned house could be so stupid. While we tend to be less scared of these movies compared to when we were younger, walking with your friend to the bathroom will always be required.
Halloween changes, as we grow older. But the kid inside us will always remain the same.