By Parisa Burton
Opinions Editor
Halloween has been around for over a thousand years, and its roots stem from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a pagan religious observance that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
It was celebrated on Nov. 1 each year, but the festivities started the evening before. People believed the souls of the dead returned home on this day, so they established a tradition of dressing in costumes and lighting bonfires to keep evil spirits away.
Many people are not aware of the holiday’s religious origins, and today it is simply a fun occasion for children to dress up with their friends and collect free candy from strangers.
The magic of Halloween isn’t exclusive to children, however. Teenagers and adults also partake in this holiday and find joy in dressing as their favorite fictional characters, celebrities or supernatural beings.
The only difference is that adults typically don’t go trick-or-treating. Instead, they celebrate by hosting or attending costume parties, going to nightclubs, enjoying parades and exploring themed attractions like haunted houses and hayrides.
As a child, each Halloween felt like a ticking clock as I counted down the years before trick or treating would be considered too “childish” for my age. I was worried I would never feel the same joy and creativity as I did for dressing up ever again. Fortunately, I was mistaken.
I think most adults can agree that Halloween feels like a much-needed break from reality and a rare opportunity to let loose with friends. As a college student, the anticipation of Halloween at the end of October serves as motivation for me to push through every exam, paper and assignment, knowing there’s a fun reward waiting at the end of the month.
Even Christmas does not elicit the same excitement as it did during childhood. After the soul-crushing realization that Santa isn’t real, along with the diminishing amount of presents under the tree each year, the holiday serves as a bittersweet reminder of growing up.
Halloween, on the other hand, feels like a timeless holiday that allows us to express our personality and interests through our costume choices. It encourages creativity, as we mix and match various clothing elements to achieve our vision.
When I was younger, I didn’t have the same creative imagination and freedom that I do now. My parents would purchase whichever cute costume they thought suited me from our local Halloween stores. When I was 11, I was stuck wearing a horse costume because I was obsessed with the animal at the time. Looking back, however, it’s just embarrassing.
Fast forward to today, I avoid store-bought costumes and strive to embrace originality by using pieces I already own or purchasing unique elements from thrift stores or online. Last year, while studying abroad in Milan, I had the opportunity to embody three different characters — Bratz doll Jade, Monster High’s Draculaura and a leopard.
In Milan, Halloween wasn’t as big of a deal as it is in the U.S., which made finding a costume challenging. Luckily, I started my search early and found pieces at several different sustainable stores, flea markets, and last-minute accessories from Claire’s.
The treasure hunt-like aspect is my favorite part of Halloween because it fills me with pure nostalgic bliss, awakening child-like excitement and curiosity. Although Halloween celebrations look different now, and it isn’t socially acceptable to trick or treat, I argue that celebrating Halloween as an adult is even more fun.
Not only do we have the freedom to choose our own outfits, but we also don’t have a bedtime, allowing us to temporarily let go of our responsibilities and trade the sugar rush we once got from eating too much candy for a sense of care-free joy.
