Since I was a little girl, I've loved everything about Halloween. The costumes, the candy, the scary movies, the decorations, I love it all. While that love has only continued to grow as the years have passed, I've noticed that the feedback I receive when I express that love of the spooky holiday has been...unfortunate.

"Oh just another basic b**** looking for an excuse to dress slutty."

Um...no.

While I do love dressing in costume, you'd rarely find me in a revealing one. Don't get me wrong, if you want to dress provocative for your costume, by all means do it. Do what you feel comfortable and confident and don't let anyone tell your otherwise. But what's ridiculous is that I've been ridiculed (mainly by men, but women as well) for having that strong love of all hollows eve.

Halloween is a holiday for the ghosts to come alive, the spirits to rejoin us for one night. For me, it's not an excuse to "dress slutty". It's an excuse to be whoever I want to be. It gives me a new level of confidence because I can become whoever my mind possesses me to be.

If I want to be a half skull heathen, I can.

Halloween 2016Personal Photo

If I want to do a couples costume with my boyfriend as a deer and a hunter, I can.

Halloween 2017Personal Photo

The possibilities as far as costumes, are endless. From warlocks to ghosts. From animals to everything imaginable. Who wouldn't want to change their identity for a night?

My love of Halloween doesn't stop there. I am a sucker for a good horror film. Hell, I'm even a sucker for a bad one. There's something about scary movies that no other genre could take from them. The thrill, the goosebumps on your skin, sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what could possibly happen next.

On top of it, my first job was working at a haunted house, scaring people. I loved the job and I was really good at it too. My managers would always steer me closer to the direction I wanted to go. They said my acting skills were impressive for the fact that I had never done it before. I'd throw on my character's persona and I never broke character. Even when I had friends that would walk through the haunt.

Halloween is a holiday that doesn't compare to any other. Most holidays involve trying to buy everyone gifts or making sure you see everyone in your family while also trying to include your friends along the way. Halloween is practically a stress free holiday. You don't have to buy anyone a present. Just yourself a costume and, if you feel like it, candy to pass out to kids.

Halloween is a holiday that I've loved and will continue to love for years. Your opinion of it, doesn't bother me. I hope to see those that judge on the holiday so I can actually scare them off with my costume.

Happy Spooky Season!