If you've spent more than ten minutes with me, you've probably deduced that I am the world's biggest scaredy-cat. I hate being scared. It takes me ten minutes to work up the courage to fight tiny spiders in my house. Just mentioning the word "haunted" gives me chills. I believe absolutely every scary story I'm told unless I can prove without a doubt that it's false; if I can't, I'll spend the next week having nightmares and sleeping with the light on. I've only been talked into seeing a horror movie at the theaters once, and I can tell you much more about the upholstery on the theater chairs than I can about the movie. The last time I went into a haunted house, I hid in my friend's shoulder and clung to her arm like she was my only hope for survival.

By all accounts, Halloween should be my least favorite holiday. The whole point of Halloween is to be scared, after all, and clearly I'm not about that life. Despite that, though, I actually really enjoy Halloween. Sure, I have to sit out all the terrifying parts, but Halloween does have more to offer than just fear and bad dreams, even for big babies like me. If you're also someone who can't handle horror, or if you want to look after your easily spooked friends, here are some friendlier aspects of Halloween that I like; with any luck, they might help make this spooky season a little easier on you.

1. Eat all the candy!

Now, if anything can outmatch my hatred of being scared, it's my sweet tooth. I would never survive without sugar, and Halloween is the perfect excuse to rake in as much candy as possible. When I was a little kid, the only motivation I had for approaching scary houses was knowing that they all had candy waiting for me inside. Although I don't trick-or-treat anymore, my parents and I still stock up on bags of Halloween candy at the beginning of October, and I always make sure to horde some for myself before we get swarmed by little children. If you don't like candy, then those jumbo Halloween bags probably don't matter so much to you. If your body is 90% chocolate like mine, though, then Halloween is definitely your time of year.

2. Go wild with costumes.

Halloween is the perfect opportunity to dress up in cool outfits and pretend to be someone else for a night (or longer, if you've really got Halloween fever). You've always wanted to be a vampire? A zombie? A human-sized hot dog? Well, now's your time. Some people plan months in advance for their Halloween costumes, and some throw them together at the last minute, but no matter your style, dressing up can be tons of fun. If you're a broke college student like me, then you can even piece together a costume from normal clothes. Last year I was Ellie from "The Last of Us" on Halloween night, and the next week at school I was back to being a regular college student wearing the rad new t-shirt and high-tops I'd just bought. You can go as crazy as you'd like or keep it simple, but if costumes are your thing, why not take advantage of the Halloween spirit?

3. Embrace the spoopy.

For those of you who haven't sold your souls to the Internet, "spoopy" is like the shy younger sibling of "spooky." Instead of scaring your pants off, spoopy things represent the cuter, friendlier side of Halloween-- think happy little ghost decorations or tiny black cats in witch hats. A spoopy house tends to be much more inviting to little kids than a scary one does, and it's much more comfortable for a pansy like me to live in. Spoopy applies to Halloween movies, too, like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" or "Hocus Pocus." Some people may dismiss them as too childish, but if horror movies give you heart attacks, then something more on the spoopy side could be just right for you. If you'd rather not be scared, then latch onto the adorable side of Halloween instead. It's much safer.

4. Frolic through the pumpkin patches.

Many communities have local pumpkin patches that are perfect for embracing the Halloween spirit. Even if you hate haunted houses, most pumpkin patches have plenty of other activities you can do. I'm partial to corn mazes myself-- my friends and I had a fantastic time getting lost in one last year-- but often there's also delicious food to be eaten, gift shops to be explored, trains to be ridden, and animals to be petted. Of course, we can't forget the pumpkins, either. There's just something relaxing about wandering through a pumpkin patch and saying hello to all of them. If you happen to find one you like, then you can turn it into an art project later and carve some cool pictures or silly faces into it. Really, what's not to love?

5. Throw Halloween parties.

This one might require a little more effort than some of the others, but spending a fun night with a huge group of friends is absolutely worth it. Halloween parties mean food, games, decorations, costumes, movie marathons, and pretty much anything else you can think of. If it's your party, that means you can set your own terms and make it as scary or as spoopy as you want. Even if it's someone else's party and you can't set the rules, it's still worth going just to have a chance to kick back and have a good time with people you love.

Halloween might like to pretend it's all about terrifying innocent children (or adults who're children at heart, like me), but that doesn't have to be the case. If you want to enjoy Halloween without having to be holed up in your room where it's safe, then go for it! Turn Halloween into a holiday you can enjoy, too. Make your own traditions if you want. There's guaranteed to be something about this spooky season that'll be fun for everyone-- you just have to know where to look for it.