It’s that time of year again: drinking pumpkin spice lattes, watching scary movies, picking out the perfect costume— and the inevitable pressure from friends to go out every night of the week. Halloween parties can be a lot of fun, but they can become a burden pretty easily in the midst of mid-terms and that horrible cold you can’t seem to shake. The particular cocktail of FOMO and peer pressure that forms during party-heavy weeks like Halloween sometimes feels too powerful to resist.
Chances are, you’re not the only one in your friend group getting coerced into partying when they’d rather be watching “Hocus Pocus” in their pajamas. If you sense some hesitation in the group chat about a fourth night at the bars in a row, be the friend that invites everyone over for take-out and candy. Best case scenario: you have a fun night with your friends that’s relatively guilt-free (having a plans with friends relating to something Halloween-y is a good antidote for FOMO!)
Worst case: if you are the lone-deserter of Operation Halloween, you can turn your phone off for the night and get some studying done. Added bonus, you won’t need to walk into your 10 a.m. lecture the next morning holding a puke bucket!
Halloween parties are only fun when you want to be there (and when your supply of costumes hasn’t depleted to an all-black outfit with drawn on kitty-whiskers). If you feel like you need a night off, or if you just want to skip the partying completely this year, that doesn’t make you any less “fun” than your roommate that has been on a five-day bender. Your friends will survive if you opt out— so don’t let anyone interfere with what you think is best for you. Pass out candy to cute kids instead, and you’ll probably be glad you did.