In defense of Halloween. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
What is best holiday ever? For me, it is Halloween.
Hear me out.
Sure, Thanksgiving is epic. Hanukkah has eight crazy nights. Christmas is magical. The Fourth of July has fireworks.
But Halloween is unique. And that uniqueness is what makes it great. Let me count the ways Oct. 31 is awesome.
New Traditions
Since Halloween doesn’t have any patriotic or religious ties, it’s the perfect holiday for creating your own traditions. You can incorporate what you loved as a child or do something completely different with your own family. Those emotional ties aren’t nearly as deep as they are for those serious holidays. We can love Halloween for the ridiculously fun day that it is.
Costumes
While it’s a source of stress for many parents, being whatever you want to be for one day of the year is amazing.
“The cuteness overload is why Halloween is simply the best,” said mom Nicole Saul.
Decorating the House
This was at the top of almost everyone’s Halloween awesomeness list.
“Love Halloween decor! Decorate house, scary music, all the fun stuff,” said mom Patti Garrett.
And sure, you may argue we can decorate the house for other holidays, but Halloween is the only time that it’s OK to be gaudy, messy, and ridiculous.
Quintessentially Addictive American
Sure, Halloween has Celtic roots. It dates back 2,000 years as a festival of the dead. But Americans have made it our own crazy, spooky, over-the-top, money-making holiday.
Alicia Au is Malaysian, but she lived and studied in Michigan from 1996-2001, and had a blast celebrating Halloween when she lived in America. But most of the people in her hometown were clueless about the holiday.
“Halloween is now embraced in Kuala Lumpur (the cosmopolitan capital of Malaysia),” she said. “Lots of malls will sell Halloween-related merchandise and bars will put up decorations. However, there is not so much trick or treating for the kids. I just don’t think that idea has caught on yet.”
It’s only a matter of time.
A New Holiday
While there is no longer any religious affiliation with the day, some religions do not observe it because they believe it is a pagan holiday.
Jonathan Huskey never celebrated Halloween as a child because his parents acted on their faith.
“I don’t relish dressing up, and find it hard to relate to the insanity,” he said. “But I’m enjoying the holiday more each year because my wife demands fun.” As for his kids, he said they “understand and celebrate the spooky — something very special because I’m giving them something I didn’t have.”
No Pressure
You can go as over the top as you want, or not celebrate at all.
“I’m not a fan,” said a mother of three, Kelly Rockwell. “Totally crazy concept: dress in a costume, wait until dark, get candy, repeat. Then eat too much of said candy and stay out too late.”
Before kids, she could stay in. Now she just has to tolerate it. Yet her reasons to hate it are also why so many others love it.
No Extended Family
Sure, it’s nice to have family around for some of the big holidays. But for some of us, that can bring stress and compromise. Family is optional for Halloween. There is no pressure for grandparents to visit. No family dinner. No kids table.
‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’
‘Tis the season for the hands-down best Peanuts flick ever.
As dad Tim Durham points out, this one needs no explanation.
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