As a college sophomore, I have long outgrown trick-or-treating. That annual Halloween ritual used to be the pinnacle of coolness: I felt as if I waited the whole year to sashay home with my candy-stuffed pillowcase and scarf down my bounty while watching Twitches (and then nurse a stomach ache from too many Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups). The whole thing really lost its magic right around middle school when trick-or-treating was declared passé in favor of much more mature activities, like ding-dong ditching or pretending not to check your closet for Michael Meyers after movie night.
But there is one thing that has (unsurprisingly) remained from my former trick-or-treating days: candy. As someone with a pretty strong sweet tooth, bags of fun-size candy always mystically materialize in my shopping cart right around spooky season. But then again, why not? The discounted bulk bags are technically saving me money that I can then spend on Halloween costumes (girl math at its absolute finest).
These bags of Halloween candy have since found their home in what my roommates and I like to call “the trinket jar.” The trinket jar is a no-frills, pale green ceramic jar that came into my possession during my (somewhat excessive) dorm shopping last year. For months, the jar was empty. It was too small to be used as a storage container and it was too pretty to collect dust in a cabinet. So there my little jar sat, waiting to be filled with something, anything (cue Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”).
And then, Corporate Candy swooped in and saved the day: it was Valentine’s Day. Struck by the seemingly inescapable gloom of winter quarter, I decided one way to fend off the winter woes was to celebrate Valentine’s Day early. Fall quarter has Halloween and football season, while spring quarter has graduation festivities and its proximity to summer. But there really aren’t many designated days for celebration during winter quarter (besides St. Patrick’s Day, which is somehow always conveniently right before finals week). So I took matters into my own hand and did what any teenage girl in her 20s does in times of crisis: I headed to Target.
After purchasing a bag of heart-shaped chocolates, I realized I wanted to share the spirit with everyone who came into my dorm. And just like that, my little jar found its calling and became filled with candy. Whether it was my roommate coming home from a hectic club meeting or a friend stressing over a midterm, grabbing a chocolate from the trinket jar made a visit to my dorm an opportunity to let off steam and take pleasure in the simple things.
Even though the trinket jar has been filled over and over again with candies of all different flavors, shapes and sizes, the idea behind it has stayed the same: a “treat yourself” mindset. While being in college is super exciting and fun, it can also be stressful at times. Because things can often feel out of our control, it is important to remember that we do have enough control to take baby steps towards feeling happier.
Whether it be scheduling monthly self care nights or decorating your dorm’s white board every week, small habits rooted in pure enjoyment can leave a big impact on your wellbeing. The activity of buying, naming and filling your very own treat jar is just one way you can add a little sweetness into your life.
Personally, I look forward to fishing out a mini Kit-Kat (the current trinket jar resident) after finishing a busy day of classes and club meetings. Because that’s the best part: there doesn’t have to be an “excuse” to grab a sweet little treat – getting through the day is reason enough; the jar doesn’t judge! So treat yourself this Halloween season (and every season) by getting your very own treat jar – who knows what you’ll find inside?