Halloween continues as ‘unsung hero’ of holidays
When it comes to holidays, everyone has a favorite.
The default choice seems to be either Christmas or your own birthday, but a different day deserves some recognition for a change.
After careful observation over the years, I’ve found that Halloween acts as the unsung hero of all holidays. Just think about it, it’s the only day of the year where you can dress up as Batman and not be called a nerd, or wear a doctor’s costume and not have charges pressed against you for impersonation.
It’s the only day of the year where knocking on stranger’s doors and asking for candy is acceptable. And let’s not forget about magnificent Halloween-themed activities such as haunted houses, carving pumpkins and the countless hours devoted to watching classic scary movies.
Sure, Christmas brings the feeling of goodwill, happiness and giving, but Halloween gives individuals a day to just let loose and enjoy a brief escape from reality.
Did I mention the unbelievably high dosages of sugar we consume on Halloween? We get to experience the glory — and the ultimate stomachaches — from eating mountains of chocolate bars, bubble gum, hard candy, pixie sticks, licorice, jaw breakers and the list goes on and on. We acquire these sugary treats from the epitome of the holiday itself: trick-or-treating.
For one night, we as a society completely discard the notion that accepting candy from strangers is bad. As children, we abandon the rule that roaming around town after dark is dangerous. However, seeing that we live in South Dakota, the night of Oct. 31 always holds the possibility of reaching 20 degrees or below, along with a 75 percent chance of snow.
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Hence, preparing for this night is anything but simple.
As a child, I distinctly remember my mother bundling me up in gigantic winter clothing until I resembled a marshmallow. I was clad in thermal pants, several long-sleeve shirts, three pairs of socks, two pairs of mittens, a sweater, a coat and heavy-duty winter boots. After this ordeal was finished, my mom then had the daunting task of fitting my ballerina costume over my initial marshmallow ensemble. But after all was said and done, trouncing up and down the street with my pumpkin shaped candy basket in my hand really was worth it, even if all of my clothing made it slightly difficult to move.
Yet another great thing about Halloween is that it brings out everyone’s creative sides. The costume possibilities are nearly endless, and with a good imagination and some thrift shopping skills, even college students can afford to dress up. This day also offers up the age-old excitement of being scared. Whether you go to a haunted corn maze, attend the latest scary movie in theaters, or simply flip the TV to almost any movie station, you’re going to experience the thrilling adrenaline rush of fear that only comes in such high quantities once a year.
In the end, Halloween may not possess a deep, significant meaning, but like I said, this day is all about escaping from reality into a world where cemeteries are haunted, goons, goblins and vampires exist and the supply of sweets is limitless. Happy Halloween.
Reach columnist Kathleen Serie at [email protected]
