Alright ladies, don’t lie to me: I know you’ve all been thinking about the perfect Halloween costumes since the beginning of September. You’ve been obsessed with this spooky holiday ever since your very first Halloween filled with baby pumpkins and chocolate. But why does Halloween still appeal to college students even with less cuteness and candy? I did a little investigating (between Pinterest costume brainstorming sessions, of course) and here’s what I found.
Dressing to Impress
Halloween is like the Olympics of creative attire and DIYing. One person may see a white bed sheet, but another sees a Grecian goddess. But arts and crafts are not the only appeal of dressing up—Halloween allows you to experiment and be something you aren’t. I mean, we have all wanted to be a warrior princess, a vampire, and a flight attendant in one lifetime, and October 31st is your chance to do it! Don’t even get me started on group costumes. Who hasn’t wanted to be in a girl band with their bffs (#girlsquadgoals)? You can pretend to be whoever you want for a whole night and no one will tell you that being a superhero isn’t a realistic life goal.
Sugar High
It may be pumpkin spice latte season, but I’m here for the candy, candy, and candy. We may not be able to actually go trick-or-treating anymore, but Halloween parties never disappoint with creative sweets. Marshmallows shaped like ghosts? Punch that looks like a witch’s cauldron? I’m all in, no convincing needed. Plus, as an adult you can now head to the store the day after Halloween and buy a whole bag of discounted mini KitKats just for you. Sharing is for children.
The Halloween Spirit
Halloween is a spooky time of year no matter what age you are. Everything is suddenly haunted: corn mazes, fairgrounds, abandoned houses, and your neighbor’s front porch. There’s nothing like a mechanical ghost or a dude with a plastic saw to give you an adrenaline rush (and low-key nightmares for a week). Classic Halloween movies—Hocus Pocus anyone??—have enough cheesiness and thrill to get you amped for the 31st. But what takes the cake for best Halloween activity is of course an epic Halloween party. It has everything a killer party needs: a theme that everyone can get into, wonderfully cheesy decorations, a playlist that balances old school classics and new hits, candy (see previous paragraph), and of course people in the mood to party.
My tireless research of eating candy and watching Halloween movies has led me to a conclusion about the appeals of Halloween: it is not the individual aspects of the holiday, but rather the holiday as a whole—the thrill, creativity, and spirit—that makes Halloween one of the best holidays of the year. Happy Halloween!
by Allie Lewandowski