I might get a lot of slack for this, but I could never really buy into the hype over Halloween. Especially now that I am in college, I overhear girls and guys alike whispering to each other about what their costumes are going to be, and how many parties they are going to go to, and I just wonder what the point of it all is. I feel like at least with other holidays there is an underlying cause or reason for how it came about and has significance to our culture, but Halloween has just become an opportunity for kids to dress up in overpriced, often racist or otherwise inappropriate costumes, and eat enough candy to last them a year.
I guess you could say it was just how I was raised, because my parents were never really into Halloween. They only went out and did the trick-or-treating because we wanted to. But once I got older and started to realize what a scam the entire thing was I could never really get back into it. The costumes we used to beg our parents for cost upwards towards $60 a piece, and for three kids that adds up quick. I couldn’t justify spending that much on a cheaply made costume, so I started to make my own and encouraged others to do the same. Not only that, the haunted houses are great for people who love that sort of thing, but I get panic attacks in every single one I’ve been in. There is just something about not knowing what is in store that sends me into hysterics. The scary stuff has never been my thing, and so that limits me in terms of what I can really do to get into the “Halloween spirit”.
In college, Halloween is seen as something of a long celebration. People plan out multiple costumes, often spending months planning a look, and then go out to their favorite bars or frat houses to party. For someone who has never been into that entire partying scene, you might be able to imagine why I don’t particularly care for the holiday. I would much rather watch “Halloweentown” with a cup of hot chocolate, but that seems to be an unpopular opinion, at least where I’m looking. I am not saying it’s an awful holiday, it just has never been my thing. I love watching kids in their (often homemade) costumes, but I think that at a certain age it becomes less about the “spirit” of Halloween and dressing and up and more about just another excuse to party.
I think my biggest issue with Halloween as a major holiday is that it has nothing to do with family. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter all call for people to come together and cherish what we have, but Halloween just has kids asking for food from complete strangers. I would much rather have a holiday that encourages family interaction. Maybe I’m just biased, but this is my opinion, however unpopular it may be. I’ll just be counting down the days until Thanksgiving!