As an outsider looking in, the college Halloween scene seems to be dominated by Spandex, Instagram pictures, kegs and bad decisions. Hopefully, far less of those decisions will be made this year, and students will stay home to watch “Beetlejuice” with their roommates while enjoying those Pillsbury Jack-O-Lantern cookies and apple cider. You probably won’t find me participating in any of that, but I’m not looking down on the choices of my peers. Honestly, I’m just more of a Christmas gal.
While there are aspects to Halloween that I enjoy, I’m ready to wear a tacky sweater and listen to my holiday playlist. I feel like I’m in the minority when it comes to holiday preferences, but I think the Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas spirits combine to create something magical.
Every year the holiday season seems to begin earlier and earlier. The capitalism of Christmas is often pointed out, and I would argue that Halloween equally revolves around consumerist desires and economic gains for greedy corporations. We feel pressure to invest in a new trendy costume because, for some reason, it isn’t acceptable to wear the getup every year.
When it comes to picking a Halloween costume, I always feel a lot of pressure to get it right. I want to pick something relevant, and I also want to look like I put in the same amount of effort as others. I ask, is this character too niche? Can you tell how cheap this wig was? Am I showing “too much” skin for my comfort level? Fashion is stressful! Even in a full-coverage Halloween costume, drunk frat boys have something misogynistic to say about my look. It’s easy to throw on the same tacky sweater year after year for holiday parties, and I don’t fear getting catcalled on my way to the event.
I’m a wimp when it comes to scary movies, which is quite unfortunate during “Spooky Season.” When I was in ninth grade, a substitute teacher played the movie “The Sixth Sense” for my class. I had to read my book in the hall until my mom arrived to save me — I was 14-years-old and couldn’t handle a PG-13 film. As an adult, I never choose scary movies, so I don’t know what’s happening when people reference “The Shining” or even “Ghostbusters.” I’d rather be left out of the viewing party than unable to sleep at night.
No, I won’t spend all of December binge-watching sappy Hallmark flicks. However, I absolutely will tune in for “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” I can quote the script and sing along, and I won’t have to mentally prepare for jump scares.
I just can’t handle the changing of the seasons—Halloween hits as every day seems to get colder, and I’m trying to grasp onto the final days of the summer sun. The autumn Daylight Savings also ruins my mood, and the time switch just so happens to be on Oct. 31 this year.
By December, I’ve already accepted that it’s freezing out. I’m content to stay inside, curled up with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. I get to do some real baking, unlike those break-and-bake pumpkin cookies. There is no arguing that a homemade Christmas cookie is superior to traditional prepackaged Halloween treats (especially candy corn).
Maybe my preference for Christmas stems from my introverted tendencies. I’m not comfortable at events that fit those “college party” stereotypes, especially when I’m worried about costume judgment. I’ll stay within my comfort zone, waiting until Nov. 1 to blast “Last Christmas” and put on my fuzzy snowman socks. While the superior holiday may remain a point of contention, at least we can all agree to watch “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”