The fall season is home to many important dates such as my birthday in September, Thanksgiving, the start of the academic year for students, and more importantly for some: Halloween. With falling, colour-changing leaves and atmospheric shifts courtesy of dropping temperatures, fall is situated at the perfect time to welcome the spooky holiday. While some take it as a time to enjoy (far too many) pumpkin-spiced lattes, pull out their comfy sweaters and strap on their fashionable non-winter boots, others take October as a time solely for Halloween, horror movies, jumpscares and constant trips to Spirit Halloween. While I like to view myself as the former, my wonderful friend and roommate is the polar opposite: her room is decorated with horror posters all year round, she owns an extensive collection of horror-themed jewelry and lives for the time we call Halloween. At the same time, I’m a scaredy cat who is jump-scared by the slightest surprise, avoids horror movies at all costs and can’t handle gore. So how do we keep our friendship alive? Well, I’d love to tell you. Here are 5 ways I handle Halloween as a non-horror lover who lives with someone who values the holiday all year round.
- Bake halloween-themed desserts
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If there’s anything that brings two polar opposites together, it’s food! Everyone loves a good meal, and desserts are even more universal. As a way of celebrating the holiday early, we enjoy some pumpkin or ghost-themed sugar cookies as a treat after long school days. We usually make Pillsbury’s pre-made cookies since we are busy uni students, but they are just as easy to make from scratch and decorating them can be a fun activity between friends.
- Wear a costume of your favourite fictional character
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Even if supernatural creatures and gore aren’t your thing, everyone has a favourite character either from a cartoon they watched growing up or from a more recent binge. Throughout middle and high school, I always dressed as either a fairy or princess during Halloween due to my appreciation for the pinker, frillier things in life. But, there are a myriad of random costumes that can also serve a group of friends. Last year, my friends and I were Teletubbies and I have seen other common costumes that aren’t horror-themed such as M & Ms, the Scooby Doo crew, Thing One and Thing Two and so on… Even if you don’t have anywhere to wear your costume, it can be fun to just dress up and take photos—for the memories of course.
- Watch non-horror spooky movies
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Since our friendship first began, my friend has been trying her best to show me many of the spooky, yet non-horror classics. While it may seem impossible, there are many different spooky-themed yet lighthearted movies suitable for children and for the scaredy-cats (like me), out there. Here are a couple of movies (in no particular order) that she recommends to expand the non-horror palate:
- Coraline
- Paranorman
- Hocus Pocus
- Hotel Transylvania
- Ghostbusters
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All of these movies are family-friendly and take a more light-hearted approach to this time of year. We have roommate movie nights nearly every week, and by choosing movies like those listed above, we’re sure to celebrate without giving me nightmares.
- Go to Spirit Halloween
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If you’re not familiar with the establishment, Spirit Halloween is a limited-time Halloween store stocked with all of your needs for the spooky holiday. While I do admit that my first time going with my friend was (mildly) terrifying, as long as you avoid the pop-up Halloween animatronics that come to life when you step in front of them, the store can be a great place to shop for other fun items. Some that come to mind are Halloween or fall-themed blankets, unique jewelry, and non-horror costumes.
- Go Trick or Treating
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While I know that many think of university students as ‘too old’ for trick or treating, I for one don’t see how getting free candy, dressing up and having fun has an age limit. If you are living off campus, trick or treating is a great way to celebrate Halloween and acquire free treats! However, if it’s not your thing, there’s also an opportunity to hand out candy and decorate the outside of your place for any kids or brave uni students on your block.
So there you have it! The ultimate guide to how I have been handling or celebrating Halloween lately. Don’t worry if any of these steps are too much for you because as with most gestures, it’s the thought that counts. If you have any horror-loving friends, consider taking part in an activity listed above to strengthen your friendship and make you both happy. I am super excited to dress up this year and once Halloween passes I’ll be sure to put on some Mariah as I eagerly await an even better holiday: Christmas.