I came across a TikTok by Eli Rallo, an author and influencer, where she talked about how she sits on the sidelines for Halloween. She referred to it as a “bench holiday.” Honestly, it got me thinking, are there certain holidays we quietly choose to sit out? Ones where we’re not anti celebration, but we’re also not putting on a costume, hosting a party, or going out.
Ironically, this being posted on Black Friday honestly feels perfect, because if there’s any day that exposes who’s benched and who’s playing full out, it’s today.
Some people are up at 5 AM hunting deals like it’s a competitive sport. The rest are scrolling, watching, and adding something to our cart for later.
It made me realize there really are holidays where we quietly bench.
For me, that happened this year with Halloween. I love Halloween, but with work, school, and feeling like I don’t have a solid group to plan things with, I benched it this year. Not on purpose, it just happened. Between being exhausted, overwhelmed, and stretched thin, the idea of scrambling for a costume or squeezing in one more social obligation felt more like homework than fun.
Benched, Not Boring
And honestly? A lot of us do this.
Some holidays just hit at the wrong time. Or we’re overwhelmed, don’t have the right people around us, or you don’t vibe with the holiday.
Benching a holiday doesn’t mean you don’t care about it or even like it. It just means to you that not every holiday has to be aesthetic or be celebrated.