Spooky season? More like the real most wonderful time of the year!
You know what I love about Halloween? The expectations are totally different from any other holiday. You can kick it however you like, and you’ll fit right in.
Love horror movies? Go wild.
Want to play it safe and decorate jack-o-lanterns? Go for it.
Decorate with spooky elegant decor all year round? Well, now you blend in!
In fact, I think it might be said that Halloween is one of the most customizable holidays. Sure, you could technically celebrate anything (or nothing) exactly as you please, but at Halloween, you’re freer from rigid expectations.
Let Me Feel This Way in Peace
Now, this might be the seasonal depression talking, but I sometimes find it really hard to enjoy Christmas. I mean, I love the cozy, magical ambiance, the treats, the traditions, seeing family, and of course the best music of the whole year. But sometimes, especially in recent years, all that hype has turned from anticipation into anxiety.
I don’t just mean I get stressed about buying and wrapping gifts; I mean even putting up the Christmas tree makes my chest tighten and I have to go for a long walk. I know I’m supposed to be happy and don’t want to take away from others’ happiness by letting them know I’m not happy and…anxiety spiral.
Not only that, but just the feeling that I should be happy makes me feel out of place, like there’s something wrong with me or I’ll never be happy again. I can look at my favorite Christmas ornament and feel as if I just learned my husband died at sea.
We could talk forever about how much therapy I need, but the point is, Halloween doesn’t feel that way for me, and it isn’t just the flexible expectations. I think it’s because you’re not required to be in a particular mood.
Bear with me for a second, because I’ve thought a lot about this.
At Thanksgiving, you’re supposed to feel thankful. At Christmas, you’re supposed to feel joyful. On the Fourth of July, you’re supposed to feel, if not patriotic, at least really ready for some fireworks. There’s a certain mood in play, and when somebody doesn’t feel it, it can be a downer for those who do, or at least want to, feel it.
But at Halloween, anything goes. Anything.
Like I said, I like to decorate like it’s spooky season all year round. But it’s not just the décor. My dark interests, deep questions, and general poetic melancholy just fit the vibe. Sure, you don’t have to paint your nails black and read a bunch of Poe, but if you want to, that’s totally cool!
And if you don’t feel that way, you’re still in the clear! Put on your fairy princess costume and give candy to the littles who toddle up to your door and can’t quite say “trick or treat” no matter how much they practice with Mom and Dad. Watch Charlie Brown. Have a non-scary party. Heck, dial it all the way down so it’s just another day in fall. You can drink your cider, turn off the porch light, and go to bed early if you want.
So why does this matter so much to me?
I think between mental illness and being an oddball deep thinker, I’m used to feeling like I ruin things. My family and friends reassure me that that’s not how they feel around me, which I deeply appreciate, but I still notice the weird or worried looks and it makes me wish I could be anywhere else. I love having just one holiday where if I’m not feeling especially upbeat, I’m still not killing the vibe, and my weirdness is encouraged or even shared rather than tolerated.
Okay, that’s the sad stuff out of the way. Now let’s talk about some of the fun stuff I love about Halloween.
Dressing Like an Animal Crossing Character
I love how in video games, you can go running across an island, wearing a ball gown, carrying an axe, and people will still greet you the same.
I wish so badly that we could do that in real life. I have so many weird and wonderful things I want to try with my appearance, even for just a regular day, but I don’t want people to assume things about me. People often take clothing as an invitation, so even if they’re not taking it as license to treat you lewdly, they might think that because you’re dressed so uniquely, you want to be asked about it. I have had days where I wanted to wear a really unique outfit but chose not to because I knew I didn’t have the emotional juice to deal with the talking.
But at Halloween…I’ll say it again: Anything. Goes. You can be an anime character while your best friend is a superhero, your edgy friend is an abstract concept, and your boyfriend is Sherlock Holmes. The wackier the combination, the more I love to see it. If you love to get into character but aren’t an actor, this is a good time for some cosplay.
Not to mention…what was it Oscar Wilde said? “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” I find it absolutely wild and deeply gratifying to see everyone’s true colors show.
Who Wants a TREAT?!?
You do, I do, we all do. Some people have a sweet tooth, but as I’ve been known to tell my family, I have a dessert stomach.
The treats that come out around Halloween are a colorful pageant in themselves. New colors. New packaging. Weird flavors. Reese’s pumpkins, though not as perfect as the Reese’s egg, are better than regular peanut butter cups.
But you can do so much more than just candy. Given the choice between a proper baked good and what I refer to as “cheap sugar,” I will choose the former every time. I love how Halloween brings out the mixologist in all of us, if not in alcoholic beverages, then in creative food design. I’m not super stoked about eating something that looks like brains, but I appreciate the ingenuity and absolutely love an elaborate cake, whatever the theme. Wanna serve something out of a beaker? Go for it! I’m all about the mad scientist vibes. (I still want that set of teacups that say “You’ve been poisoned” at the bottom.)
Color Me Purple. And Black. And Green.
And in this season, I’ll even tolerate orange.
I don’t know why it is, but it seems like tertiary colors never get enough love. Ever notice how Disney villains always wear one of the above? Maybe that’s why we secretly prefer villains after a certain age. (That, and the fact that they always sing the bass part, but we’re getting off track here.)
I love a good color scheme, and as kooky as this combo is, I’m crazy for it. I’m always scouting for the perfect Halloween ribbon, even though I have one that’s pretty close. (Purple background with adorable jack-o-lanterns , in case you were wondering. I think I’m holding out for polka dots.)
It’s spooky, it’s colorful, it’s distinctive, and aside from orange…it’s kind of how I dress all the time. Just maybe throw a little gold in there.
Stories in the Air
My sister and I have speculated that most periods of intense writing inspiration come from seasons of change, whether literal or personal. By the calendar, I find that to be most true in fall. Something about the crisp air, moody weather, changing leaves, and general air of anticipation brings all kinds of stories in on every breeze.
And since I love a good Gothic story, the tales that crop up around this time of year are right up my alley. Tragedy connected to an old gravestone you pass every day? I’m there. Forbidden romance that held on till the last gasp? Here for it. Even the Halloween decorations speak volumes to me.
The softer side of spooky is how I like to write in general, so this time of year makes my heart soar.
The Carnival Atmosphere
For being an introvert, I sure love a good party. But what makes me comfortable at a party is the ability to weave in and out as I please. I can have a good conversation with my friends or join in the chaos for my favorite song, but if I get overwhelmed, I can slip out into the chilly air and sip my punch alone for a minute while I collect my thoughts.
Basically any way you like to celebrate, it’s available, and you don’t have to be alone. Hay rides, pumpkin decorating, haunted houses, scary movies, Hocus Pocus for the fiftieth time (hell yes), you’ve got it. It’s like a choose-your-adventure story. And for one special night (or all of October, if you’re me) your little niche expands to include more like-minded people than you’ll connect with for the rest of the year.
What’s more, there’s no one particular group you’re expected to be with. You know how at Christmas, you’re pushed toward your biological family, and at Valentine’s, it’s couples? At Halloween, you can be with whoever you have, and dress for the same theme or nothing alike.
You Don’t Have to Dial It Down
You’ve probably experienced it at some point: that awful, out-of-place feeling where your interests or level of enthusiasm are unwelcome and you have to curb it while you’re with a certain group or within a certain context. On this one night, you lean in. Go all out. The bigger, the louder, the wilder, the better. And you find people who feel the same.
But to go even a step beyond that, the lights and noise, fear and fun, sweetness and startling, and every variety of character, all match how I feel on the inside.
I feel my emotions really intensely, which can be jarring for the people around me. It’s the same reason I like really intense, cinematic metal music: when I hear someone playing a foot-tapping beat at the fever pitch of my thoughts, it calms me. The dark and passionate, moody and melancholic atmosphere of this entire holiday makes me feel like I belong. For one lovely, carnivalesque night, I’m not so weird or alone. Everyone’s “other” side is on display, and they aren’t intimidated by mine.
So whether your Halloween spirit is cheerful orange, elegant green, reflective purple, or the deepest and most mysterious black (see what I did there?) you can find your place in the celebration. Dye your hair, dress the part, and spoil your sweet tooth. I’ll be here writing stories and eating my cake.
Just don’t judge me if the the story is even spookier than usual.
