Why Halloween is my favorite holiday

By Jack Greenwood
Staff writer

It’s that time of year again! A time where witches, vampires, werewolves and zombies roam the streets. A time to get lost in a corn maze, make jack-o’-lanterns and watch “Hocus Pocus”.

It’s a time to be free. Which is why I am here to say that Halloween is the best holiday.

I’m sure there are many Christmas and Thanksgiving enthusiasts out there who would be appalled to hear that line. But hear me out. I have several reasons Halloween is the best.

First of all, as I said, it’s a time to be free. People can dress as their favorite heroes or monsters and be as daring as they want. There is no pressure to look or act a certain way. Wear as crazy of a costume as you want. For me, that freedom also means getting to be someone else. When I was younger, I remember dressing up as Superman and feeling like I could conquer the world. It’s a day when people don’t have to be themselves, and be someone that makes them feel invincible.

Second, Halloween has no obligations. During Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is required of most people to travel and visit relatives. If you’re like me, that means being trapped with relatives that don’t believe you’re living the life you need just because you listen to Lady Gaga instead of Frank Sinatra, or (heaven forbid) politics get brought up, and your elderly family wants to know who you voted for and why. But Halloween isn’t like that. Halloween is a celebration based on the old pagan holiday, All Hallows Eve, when the dead can revisit the living world. But let’s face it, Halloween is a lot of fun.

All the fun haunted houses, monster makeup, and “thriller” flash mobs make this holiday one of the most diverse in terms of traditions and one of the most enjoyable. It’s hard not to find something you love in terms of the fall and Halloween atmosphere.

Finally, the spooky atmosphere is addicting. Who doesn’t get goose bumps when seeing velvet spider decorations or hear the howl of a wolfman? Who doesn’t get excited at the thought of walking through a tall corn maze, or an elaborate haunted house? All these and so many more give me a real adrenaline high and excitement that makes the 364-day wait well worth it. The idea that ghosts will be wandering our streets orwitches flying through our skies gives me the best kind of shivers.

In conclusion, Halloween is about so much more than the pumpkin spice latte or the buckets full of candy (although I love both of those things). Halloween gives freedom for all and a spooky sensation that just can’t be matched. So you can keep your Christmas trees and Thanksgiving turkeys. I’ll be more than happy with everything that makes Halloween my favorite holiday.

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