Spooky Season

Shresta Nibhanupudi (she/her)

Editorial Team Member

Halloween is right around the corner. It is officially spooky season. But, I think my favorite thing about Halloween is that there is no right way to do it. Everyone “Halloweens” differently, but everyone has fun at the end of the day. Before a certain age, everyone trick-or-treats, and while some people only go with people who live near them, others travel long distances to go to the rich neighborhoods for better candy. Some dress up wildly, really making themselves unrecognizable. Others put on cat ears and call it a day. As you grow up, you start to attend Halloween parties if you want to. Or, you sit at home, make cookies, and watch old Halloween movies. 

Ultimately, unlike other holidays, there is no one way to do Halloween, and I think that is fantastic. While most holidays serve their purpose to unite us under one singular form of celebration, Halloween goes against that. And I think that is even more uniting. In a day and age where people don’t get to know one another and live a life of uniformity, to see different perspectives in a positive way, even for one day, is incredibly important. Halloween is one of the only holidays to look at our differences and showcase them. Every costume is different, but almost none are deemed unacceptable unless hurtful. Halloween rewards uniqueness, the ones that go above and beyond. 

And I know that I talk a lot about politics, well because I enjoy it, but Halloween is not political. That’s part of the magic. For one day, everyone agrees to be a good samaritan. They open their doors and willingly buy candy to give out to the kids walking on the street. Well, my ultimate point is that although Halloween is seemingly frivolous, it accepts our societal differences to the point of rewarding them, while also acting as a day to bring us all together.