Halloween is the best holiday

While we are in the midst of October, I’ve been thinking a lot about Halloween. As fall continues, stretching into shorter days and colder nights, I am reminded of elaborate elementary school costumes, the taste of free candy, and houses decorated with bones and fog.

As you can probably tell, I’m very fond of the spooky season. If you don’t already agree that Halloween is the best holiday (which you should), hear me out.

To start, it gives you an excuse to be extra. I’m a fan of dressing up for even casual occasions. For those of you who are also interested in fashion, I’m sure you’ve had those days when you threw on an outfit thinking it would look good but ended up feeling self-conscious anyway. 

This holiday eliminates those fears, if only for one night. Regardless of what you look like, how strange you feel, or what kind of out-there outfit you are wearing, everyone else is wearing something just as (if not more) ridiculous.

Also, it allows you the opportunity to express what you’re interested in. Years ago I was Carl from The Walking Dead, while my brother dressed as Daryl. My whole family has always been really into the series and Halloween gave us a good opportunity to express our common interest. My Mom even painted our house with its very own Terminus sign: “Those who arrive, survive.”

While those characters are pretty recognizable, it doesn’t matter how niche your interests are, because people are still interested in your costume and why you chose what you chose. It’s a great conversation starter and especially helpful for people wanting to make friends during the holiday.

This most recent year (when Halloween was canceled, sigh) I based my costume on The Watcher from Slay the Spire, an indie rogue-like fantasy game that I was obsessed with at the time. Although most of my friends didn’t understand why I was so enamored with this character, it became a conversation piece that led to a more in-depth discussion about our favorite video games.

Whether you dress up in extravagant costumes that look identical to the fiction it is based on, or just throw on a homemade ghost disguise created from a bedsheet and a pair of scissors, the night allows for people to escape from their ordinary lives and play in the world of make-believe.

Halloween brings people together, regardless of what you believe in.