Not only is Halloween a great excuse to play in the dark, dress up in homemade costumes, and eat cheap candy – but here is a list of 5 reasons why I believe Halloween is necessary for every human being to experience.
- Become Someone Else
Sometimes we have the desire to be another person. Who doesn't want to spend a day as a cowboy, a fairy princess, or your favorite movie character? Halloween is the time where you can temporarily change your career, your personality, and even your gender! You can be your childhood role model, your inner desire, or your greatest fear. It's healthy for humans to take a step out of the mundane and become someone (or something!) else for a time.
- Personify Death
Death is scary. It could happen anytime and anywhere. Death is no respecter of persons: the stranger sitting next to you, a beloved parent, and even yourself. And what happens after death? Only very few have claimed to trespass the realm of the afterlife and come back to tell the tale. Death ends life, and that scares people. Halloween is an opportunity to turn death into a childish cartoon character. To make it a scary monster that can be personified and fought. As humans, we need to feel a sense of control and understanding for something that brings us fear, and Halloween is a time we can do that.
- It's TRADITION!
Traditions keep us together. It is a link for generations. If your family had a tradition of receiving socks on their birthday that began generations ago, imagine the connection you would feel when you hear the stories of your great grandmother receiving socks on her birthday when she was a child. You have a bond, a similarity. The same is true for Halloween. Because Halloween is a tradition experienced by many families, it unifies our society together in many ways.
- An Excuse To Eat Junk Food
Although I'm personally not a big fan of candy, Halloween is my excuse to run to the store and buy a bag of Almond Joy. Even if you don't need justification to buy candy, there are other Halloween treats to enjoy. There are roasted apples, Witch's Fingers, and caramel corn. All formality dispensed and good old-fashioned eating takes over the menu. And where there is food, you can usually find friends and family to share it with.
- We All Need a Good Scare
There is a chemical release that occurs in your brain after a good scare, especially one that is mild in nature. Daily life has a tendency to bottle up, causing either psychological stress or physical tension (like in the neck or shoulders). When you get scared, your body goes into a fight or flight response. It forces your brain to focus on what is the biggest priority and do it. In a way, Halloween is a monitored way for your body to cleanse itself of any mundane baggage it's carrying and let out a loud scream.
So, with Halloween just around the corner, make sure to schedule it into your calendar. Let this Halloween be an essential for everyone this season. We all need it!
