How to Celebrate Halloween Without Leaving Your Dorm
By Aishu Sritharan
Maybe you’re exhausted from midterms, maybe the dropping temperatures are making you question whether you really want to risk losing another jacket on frat row, or maybe you don’t really enjoy going out at all. Whatever your reasons are, rest assured, despite Halloween’s reputation for over-the-top parties and costumes, there are ways you can have fun on Halloween without even leaving your dorm! Check out four of my favorite low-key ways to celebrate the holiday below:
1. Bake Halloween-themed treats
In my opinion, there’s really no better way to celebrate any holiday than making (and eating) some dessert. For this one, all you need is access to a dorm kitchen, some ingredients, and a few friends. You can try baking cookies and cupcakes and decorating them with colored frosting. Or, if you’re really ambitious and have access to a wider array of ingredients, you can try one of these fun recipes. Of course once you’re done, you get to enjoy your delicious treats!
2. Watch a horror flick
If you really don’t feel like going out, one of the best ways to celebrate is by enjoying a movie from the comfort of your own bed. Check out one of these movies if you’re looking for a good Halloween film. Alternatively, if you’re like me and have nightmares for weeks after watching horror movies, have your own Harry Potter movie marathon instead. After all, given the significance of the date October 31st in the Wizarding World – it’s the day Harry’s parents were murdered, the day the troll was released from the dungeon, and the day the Chamber of Secrets opened again, it seems very appropriate to re-watch the movies. And let’s be honest, any holiday is a cause to re-watch the Harry Potter movies.
3. Get artsy
Whether it’s getting some pumpkins and carving them with friends, grabbing some supplies and doing a Halloween-inspired art project, or simply making drawings in your sketch-pad, making art can be an incredibly therapeutic and relaxing way to spend your Halloween. If visual art isn’t your thing, try writing something instead. Pen that ghost story that you’ve always wanted to write, or try your hand at poetry. Doing some creative writing at the end of a busy day is a great way to help you to relieve some of the stress.
4. Give yourself a Halloween-themed manicure
If you’re in the mood for a manicure, try out of these cute and fairly easy nail-art ideas. You can also do your nails in fall-themed hues of red, gold, and orange, if you’re looking for something a little easier to do and maintain. And if you want something more to do after beautifying your nails, give yourself a full on spa-day, complete with some face-masks and relaxing music.
When you’re in college, there can sometimes be a lot of pressure to go to the wildest parties and have the craziest stories to tell your friends, but there are plenty of other ways to have fun if that’s not your thing. What I love about the little list above is that the activities can be combined (what better way to have fun than eating cupcakes AND watching Harry Potter movies?), and are not exclusive to Halloween at all. So whenever you have some down-time and are looking for a few relaxing things to do, try one of these things out!