Does anyone else live with the agonizing dilemma of loving Halloween but hating being scared?
You are not alone. In past years, spooky season enthusiasts would drag all of their anti-scared friends to the Wonderland Halloween Haunt or haunted houses and encourage the watching of soul-sucking horror movies. We, as the anti-scared, would then have to come up with an excuse explaining why participating in activities that make each heartbeat feel like a catastrophic natural disaster, would not be a good idea.
Well, to all the anti-scared Halloween lovers out there, this year we have the upper hand. There is no Halloween Haunt or haunted houses. No screenings of horror movies or the opportunity for freaking out of any kind. So, for Halloween 2020, I propose we do it our way. During this midterm season as well, Halloween is the perfect excuse to unplug from our day-to-day responsibilities and take the time to get weird and freaky in the friendliest way possible. Here’s how we can do it:
- See Your Friends
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See your friends all day! Halloween this year is on a Saturday. This means that we do not have to limit our Halloween festivities to the dark hours of the night. Lately, the level of social interaction has scaled down due to reasons we are all very aware of, so why not take Halloween as a reason for planning a social day. Put layers on and spend the day socially distanced outside with your besties.
But what can we do? Sit outside and talk about our stress? No! We do that every other day of the week. It is imperative that we tuck our stressful minds quietly into a notebook or save it as a file on our Google Drive and see it later. Here are some ideas:
– Walk over to a local grocery store, buy a pumpkin and carve it while listening to a funky fresh playlist.
– Head to a craft store or a dollar store, get a tie-dye kit and something to tie-dye.
– Plan a group costume that you and your friends have always wanted to do without having to worry about looking party-ready.
If you are on a budget and are not interested in spending money for Halloween:
– Still dress up, but challenge yourself and your friends to create a costume from items you already own.
– Go on a fall nature walk and put together a dazzling fall outfit. There might be a photo op involved as well.
– Sit down with your besties for a reading session/picnic outside, maybe some tea or coffee, cookies, and other snacks. Start the book you have been waiting for but have not had the time to open yet.
If you prefer to spend the day solo, push yourself to participate in one of these activities or other ones of your choice. Listen to a book, a podcast, or some music. Get active and engage in Halloween-inspired activities. It is necessary to give the mind and soul a break by allowing yourself the luxury of celebration.
- Watch Some Good Ol’ Friendly Halloween Television & Movies
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We no longer have to hide under a pillow or blanket while forcing ourselves through a horror film only to relive it in our nightmares for weeks to come. There are endless movies and television shows that encapsulate the extraordinary aspects of Halloween that anti-scared people cherish. We can still enjoy stories about monsters, ghosts, zombies and magic with plot lines that are centered around adventure, friendship, mystery, love, and defeating evil, both internal and external. Here are some of my favourite Halloween-equse movies that spare the viewer a chilling aftertaste:
– Edward Scissorhands: Johnny Depp is Edward Scissorhands, a lonely scissor-handed man-machine, who discovers love and friendship.
– Little Shop of Horrors: Rick Moranis is Seymour Krelborn, a florist seeking a solution for his dying floral shop. He comes across a strange and interesting plant that changes his life forever. If you are a musical junky, this one’s for you.
– Any Harry Potter movie: Follow the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione as they defeat countless evils and uncover the meaning of true goodness and friendship.
– Rocky Horror Picture Show: Brad and Janet, played by Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon, seek shelter after their car breaks down. They discover a fantastically freakish world motivated by scientific oddities and seduction.
– Ghostbusters (1984): Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis are scientists who dedicate their studies to paranormal activity. They embark on a ghost, haunt and spirit hunt to protect the city of New York against its threats.
– Any Disney channel Halloween episode EVER: Some of my favourite episodes are The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’s “The Ghost of Suite 613”, Wizards of Waverly Place’s “Halloween”, Even Stevens’ “A Very Scary Story”, and That’s So Raven’s “Don’t Have A Cow”.
Other honorable mentions that I have not seen but will definitely get to this Halloween are:
– Twitches
– The Nightmare Before Christmas
– Warm Bodies
– Halloween Town
– Hocus Pocus
– Happy Death Day
– Ghostbusters (2016)
- Eat a Lot of Food
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It is no secret that one of the most delightful traditions of Halloween is the expectation to consume mass amounts of candy and chocolate. If you aren’t eating the entire day, then is it really Halloween?
Therefore, it is essential that while you are dressing up, or carving a pumpkin, or enjoying the outdoors, or watching a movie, there will be an adequate supply of your favourite indulgences nearby. This may include chocolate, gummies, licorice, candies. If you are lucky, you can enjoy the seasonal Pillsbury Halloween-themed cookies, but any Pillsbury cookie or product will do. Maybe this is the day that you whip out some homemade baking skills or seek out your favourite comfort foods to enjoy.
The point is, eat a lot of what you love and enjoy every minute of it. This is Halloween we’re talking about. It’s time to eat!
- Again, Dress Up!
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As a person who does not like being scared, the real beauty of Halloween comes with the opportunity to dress up. This aspect of Halloween allows people to leave their day-to-day lives at home and adopt another persona. This year is unique in that you can literally be anything you want to be. Can’t decide on one costume? Dress up in as many as you’d like! Have costume changes and make a show out of it. Everyone deserves to have a few moments of sheer drama. If we, as the anti-scared, are going to experience this Halloween the way we want, then allow yourself to get weird and DRESS UP.
So… Happy Halloween! To everyone out there who loves Halloween, both those who like being scared and those who do not, make this day your own. Because what else are you going to do?