As October 31st approaches, many people are getting ready to celebrate Halloween. From picking out costumes and carving pumpkins to watching scary movies and trick or treating, there are many aspects of the Halloween season that I find myself disliking more and more each year.
1. Spooky Season = Scary Season
Personally, I have never been a fan of getting scared, or watching horror movies. No matter how many times I try to sit through Halloween movies, I either end up not being able to sleep or I have to step out of the room. I will watch Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, and Twitches, but these nostalgic and lighthearted Disney movies are about all that I can handle during the Halloween season. And although I have never been to a haunted house, the idea of paying money to get scared for an hour or two has never been appealing to me. Honestly, if I want to feel scared or nervous, all I have to do now is just watch the news for an hour.
2. Problematic Costumes
One part of Halloween that adults and kids alike look forward to is the ability to become someone else, and dress up like a character for the day. Although I can appreciate the sentiment of taking on a fun, new identity for a short time period, the costume element of Halloween is always laden with political commentary, slut shaming, and cultural appropriation. While it is possible to celebrate Halloween without making a political statement (if you don’t want to), the sheer number of people who wear insensitive or appropriative costumes can make this part of the holiday feel problematic.
3. Halloween is for Kids
As a kid, I always loved getting dressed up as my favorite characters and trick or treating throughout my neighborhood. However, I always find it odd when adults are deeply invested in the Halloween spirit. Now, there’s no inherent problem with their involvement, but given our commercial interpretation of this holiday, I think Halloween makes the most sense to let the kids enjoy.
4. It’s Expensive!
With costumes, decorations, candy, and all of the activities associated with Halloween, there comes a hefty price tag. Although there are ways to have a fun Halloween on a budget, the National Retail Federation has already estimated that Americans will spend over $9 billion in combined costs as they celebrate Halloween this year.
5. Pumpkin Carving is Dangerous
One part of Halloween that I always enjoyed as a kid was pumpkin carving and having Jack-o-Lanterns decorate our house. However, with some unfortunate dorm experiences, I’ve learned that the smell of rotting pumpkin is one of the worst smells to have linger in your room. Additionally, the act of pumpkin carving is the most dangerous activity associated with Halloween. Every year, thousands of people injure their fingers and hands as they attempt to carve out the best pumpkin.
Although it is still completely possible for anyone to enjoy Halloween despite the reasons I have explained, this Halloween I will be enjoying the Fall season, rather than this strange holiday. With pumpkin spice, cooler weather, and crunchy leaves, I still have plenty of things to appreciate this Halloween season.