Having grown up in a homogenous society in central Asia, Halloween was always a foreign idea for me. The only dressing up we did was for school plays in which we’d masquerade as famous Pakistanis or for religious holidays during which the only thing that set us apart was the color of our kurtas. Embodying someone else’s essence for a day or stepping out of your own skin was unheard of, with the exception of the satirical jibes of TV comedians when they would portray public personalities. But, for the most part, the culture of conformity that has swept most of the East hugely challenges the holiday which at its very core is focused on allowing us to break free of traditional roles and act as somebody else.
I experienced my first Halloween at the age of twelve in middle school when I first moved to the states. I couldn’t help but stare at the cat ears and booty shorts roaming the hallways while I wore a knee length kameez to class. Obviously, the best part of the holiday which I remember most fondly was being bombarded with candy throughout the day.
As the years have passed, I have come to develop a deep appreciation for Halloween because it’s made me realize that (apart from free candy) at least one night out of the year I can embrace someone else’s persona, as sort of a break from the stresses of my own life. When we first moved here, my family was not yet established, forced to start anew, so money was tight. My sister and I went to school decked out proud in our bargain bin clothes. Although it never bothered us (as we enjoyed mixing and matching different discounted brands), it did catch the eye of some classmates who would comment on the second-hand jeans or jackets I was rocking. None of that mattered on Halloween however, because no one cared how you scraped together a look. All that mattered was how well you embodied a character.
Every year, Value Village puts up a grand display of a ton of creative (discounted) costumes and I encourage everyone to go check it out! For me, that display is purely nostalgic because it brings me back to the nights right before Halloween when my sister and I would rush in and scour the racks for outfits to show off at school the next day. Thus, it is fair to say that my view of the holiday has evolved drastically over the last decade, from a once skeptic to now someone who can appreciate a celebration that allows everyone to detach from their personal burdens. Someone, who like many others, still cherishes the opportunity to step into someone else’s shoes, and just detach from responsibility without fear of repercussion.